BEIJING says it has perfected a new engine technology which will propel its weapons further and at incredibly fast speeds.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has announced the successful development of a hypersonic ramjet engine after a series of eight test flights.

A report in the Global Times outlet of the state-owned People’s Daily states the revolutionary engine is now ready to be mated to a new generation of air-to-air missiles.

To qualify as ‘hypersonic’, the engine would have to move at more than 6200km/h.

And any missile moving at such speeds is likely to be impervious to existing defensive systems.

TURN AND BURN

China has reportedly chosen to focus on solid fuels as they are more stable and don’t require complicated and time consuming fuelling processes. This means such weapons would be ‘on call’ for rapid deployment.

Ramjet engines have the ability to produce more energy from any given payload of fuel through sucking oxygen out of the atmosphere to burn, instead of carrying its own oxidisers. The rate of this oxygen supply can be controlled through the ramjet’s air intakes.

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A similar ramjet research project by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) appears to have stalled after a series of test flights ended in 2015.

Efforts have now focused on a new, Small Advanced Capabilities Missile which is not likely to appear before the 2030s.

China has reportedly been working on developing its reliable solid-fuel ramjets since 2000.

LONG REACH

Such hypervelocity engines, when mated to existing missiles, could potentially triple their range. Existing 100km weapons could have their range extended to 320km. Up to six of these can be carried in the weapons bay of China’s new J-20 and J-31 stealth fighters.

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Combined with long-range sensor networks, this would give Chinese fighters the ability to reach far behind the front lines to destroy vital support aircraft such as air-to-air tankers and early-warning radar platforms.

Such an ability could severely stunt the reach of any opposing force.

But the ultra-high speed and agility of ramjet powered missiles also increases the risk to more nimble fighter jets.

It extends the range of a theoretical ‘no escape zone’, where targeted fighters simply don’t have the reaction time, speed nor manouvrabilty to ‘dodge’ incoming fire.

COMMAND AND CONTROL

The Global Times report says the Chinese military is now looking at building up a ‘super range detection’ network of sensors to support such long-range air-to-air ability, as well as mating the new engine to air-to-surface and surface-to-surface missiles.

Song Zhongping, a military expert who used to serve in the PLA Rocket Force, told the news service that the hypervelocity engines as yet did not produce enough thrust to be used to propel manned aircraft.

But cruise missiles and experimental drones could be adapted to use such high-speed engines, the report states.

POWER PIVOT

The addition of hypervelocity missiles to China’s arsenal would exacerbate fears already being expressed about its new generations of stealthy, supersonic anti-ship missiles.

Beijing’s ongoing development of such weapons has raised questions about the ability of the United States’ iconic nuclear-powered super carriers and forward bases such as on the island of Guam to withstand an attack.

One such missile was displayed during China’s Victory Day Parade in 2015 — the DF-21D ‘Carrier Killer’, and its nuclear-capable variant, the DF-26.

Negating the strategic influence of US ships and facilities would dramatically shift the future balance of power in Asia away from Washington.

Meanwhile Russia reportedly tested its new hypervelocity missile system, Zircon, last month - a full year ahead of its previously announced schedule. The missile, believed capable of travelling about 7400km/h, is intended to be fitted to the battlecruiser PyotrVeliky which currently undergoing a major rebuild.