A Chinese hypersonic missile traveling faster than five times the speed of sound while skimming just above the sea surface could significantly reduce radar detection ranges and shorten warning times for naval forces, according to researchers. This potential threat has prompted new low-altitude hypersonic flight research program launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on Monday.
The program will investigate technologies supporting the development of such weapons systems. Funded under CAS’ Stable Support Programme for Basic Research Youth Teams, the project is led by the academy’s Institute of Mechanics in collaboration with the University of Science and Technology of China and the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, top-tier institutions with proven track records in solving complex technical challenges.
Low-altitude hypersonic flight offers significant tactical advantages by reducing radar detection ranges, shortening warning times, and improving penetration of air-defense networks. Potential applications include hypersonic cruise missiles, high-speed unmanned aircraft, and next-generation strike systems.
For battlefield deployment, these vehicles must withstand extreme aerodynamic heating, severe drag forces, and complex shock-wave interactions, while guidance systems must operate through intense electromagnetic disturbances generated during hypersonic flight.
While China has already deployed various hypersonic weapons, current systems rely on high-altitude boost-glide trajectories or high-altitude cruise flight rather than low-altitude sea-skimming approaches.