The images leaked at the weekend from a rehearsal for Wednesday’s military parade showcased an impressive array of Chinese missile systems, including what could be the world’s first air-breathing hypersonic missile to make a formal appearance.
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The simultaneous appearance of the YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20 anti-ship missiles showed China’s growing capability in integrated systematic operations. But it was the YJ-19, with its visible air inlet, that represented the most cutting-edge aerospace technology.
There are two primary approaches to achieving reliable hypersonic flight, with both methods needing to overcome extreme technical challenges under the severest conditions.
Missiles like China’s DF-17 are equipped with rocket boosters that accelerate the warhead to a sufficient speed and altitude for it to continue in a glide phase, manoeuvring unpowered via aerodynamic forces.
The YJ-19 is believed to use the alternative – an engine powerful enough for sustained propulsion, which is likely to be a scramjet that takes in air during high-speed flight and mixes it with fuel to produce thrust.
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While the first approach gives the missile a relatively predictable trajectory during its ascent phase, it becomes irregular when gliding. The second method combines speed and mobility throughout the flight.