Chinese scientists have built the dream engine they proposed just two years ago.
Advertisement
The engine, originally meant for hypersonic weapons, has been modified so that it not only flies through the air, but can also then plunge into the sea to reach its target – at very high speeds and over long distances.
It does this by not only inhaling air, but also water, as oxidising agents.
In laboratory tests, the engine has achieved a nearly 90 per cent combustion efficiency while operating in submarine mode, meeting the requirements for practical use.
According to the research team, the development of the engine could alter the future landscape of warfare.
Advertisement
In 2022, scientists with the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in Changsha, Hunan province, proposed using this engine underwater. Cross-medium vehicles powered by such engines can fly at supersonic speeds for hundreds of kilometres in the air and dive into water to attack heavily fortified targets, such as aircraft carriers, at speeds exceeding 200 knots.