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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Source: ECOticias.com (Stephen Loosley)
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:15:05 +0930
From: Stephen Loosley <[email protected]>
To: "link" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [LINK] Source: ECOticias.com
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Thanks Tony .. perhaps of interest
"Hypersonic Missiles at 1/10th the Cost"
"Ninety percent cost cut: Chinese civilian firm enters mass production of Mach
7 hypersonic missiles"
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334140/90-cost-cut-chinese-civilian-firm-enters-mass-production-mach-7-hypersonic-missiles
A private Chinese aerospace company has become the first in the world to start
mass production of a low-cost, high-performance hypersonic missiles, suggesting
a seismic shift in military technology and defence industrial dynamics.
On Tuesday, Beijing-based Lingkong Tianxing Technology released a video on its
official social media account showcasing the YKJ-1000 hypersonic missile in
flight and how it struck a real target in a desert testing range.
A company representative said the missile was already in mass production at
just one-tenth the cost of traditional missiles.
The missile has a range of 500 klm to 1,300 klm (310 to 808 miles), reaches
speeds of Mach 5 to 7 and maintains high-powered flight for six minutes.
(Note: Mach 7 = 8,575.307 km/h = 5,328.250 mph)
The launch vehicle is designed to resemble a standard shipping container. In
the video recording, the missile was transported by truck to a desert launch
site, where it automatically deployed stabiliser supports from its four corners.
[Video] "Animated footage indicated the missile could identify targets
mid-flight and autonomously evade threats, suggesting it could bypass defensive
screens such as naval carrier strike groups or air defence systems. [And]
Actual footage shows the missile successfully striking a ground target after a
steep dive [End video]
Towards the end of the video, an animation depicted eight missiles flying in
formation towards Japan, with multiple strike locations marked on a map
highlighting the weapon?s operational range and coordinated strike capability.
The company representative said the missile did not require ?a specialised
launch vehicle and can be deployed from mobile platforms, including at sea?.
?It is designed for rapid precision strikes against high-value targets deep in
enemy territory, while also [being] capable of high-speed reconnaissance using
high-resolution sensors and real-time data transmission technology.?
When it comes to such missiles, the United States has spent decades and tens of
billions of dollars through programmes led by defence giants like Boeing and
Lockheed Martin, and are only now approaching initial hypersonic capability.
With its private firms now capable of producing military-grade hypersonic
systems at scale, China may be entering an era in which advanced weaponry could
be mass-produced just like drones and electric vehicles.
The YKJ-1000?s design resembles the company?s earlier Yunxing series of
aircraft. It features a waverider configuration on top, housing a rocket
engine, while the lower section is cylindrical, similar to conventional
boosters.
Lingkong Tianxing Technology says its core mission is to turn advanced
equipment into something affordable enough to be widely used.
The representative said Lingkong Tianxing Technology had established an
independent technology chain covering aerodynamics, control systems, thermal
protection and propulsion and that it had obtained relevant military industry
certifications.
While the baseline YKJ-1000 is already in mass production, the private company
is now focusing on developing an intelligent version, integrated with
artificial intelligence and swarm coordination capabilities.
Historically, major weapons development in China has been led by state-owned
enterprises or research institutes.
This launch may signal an expansion of that role to include private companies.
With robust production capacity, private sector involvement could significantly
accelerate the output of Chinese military equipment. That seems also to explain
the missile?s low cost.
The representative said Lingkong Tianxing Technology?s ?core mission is to turn
advanced equipment from a ?luxury item? into something affordable enough to be
widely used?.
?By adopting readily available parts such as automotive-grade chips, leveraging
established automotive production lines and utilising civilian construction
materials, we have managed to cut costs to just one-tenth of those of
conventional programmes.?
In an article published on its social media account on November 1, the company
outlined its corporate vision.
It said global defence systems were shifting from ?long-cycle, high-cost and
highly specialised? to ?low-cost, large-scale and autonomously intelligent?
models.
Future warfare, it argued, would rely less on one or two expensive platforms
and more on smart, uncrewed swarms ? coordinated groups of low-cost, autonomous
systems, similar to a bee colony.
The article said Lingkong Tianxing Technology had a solid foundation in this
area having built an AI-driven production platform, and positioning itself
alongside American ?new defence? companies like Palantir Technologies and
Anduril Industries.
?Leveraging a hypersonic test database, software algorithms, integrated supply
chains and experience from over 100 successful deliveries, we are transitioning
from R&D services to full missile system mass production,? it said.
The company has also been developing a civilian aircraft capable of sustained
flight above Mach 5, with the goal of achieving ?global reach within one hour?.
A test flight is projected for 2027, with a full-scale vehicle expected to
complete flight tests by 2030.
--
Passionate about science? Dive deeper with the Dark Matters newsletter, a
weekly in-depth analysis on China?s rise in science, technology and military
that goes beneath the surface. Sign up for free now.
By Zhang Tong. Tong earned his Bachelor's degree from Tianjin University and
Master's degree from the University of Washington. His major was Chemical
Engineering and Data Science. He used to work as an editor of academic journals.
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