China reportedly conducted successfully its tests for the heat resistance of its new air-to-air hypersonic missiles at its Mars Mission tunnel laboratory. This is interesting in itself, but it can also be the first public acknowledgement that China does have such a missile. It simulated the extreme conditions for super-speed flight, such as the heat produced by friction, and passed the stringent tests of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force. Chinese science magazine Equipment Environmental Engineering reported the tests. Mars Mission tunnel is said to be an advanced wind tunnel that uses an arc to mimic super-high heat. China only produced Mach 5 hypersonic missiles before but only for hitting terrestrial or marine targets. If this is true, this new air-to-air missile is a huge step for China’s technology and can be a deadly threat to the air forces of its rivals, especially to their fast or stealth-capable aircraft.
China’s Secret Sky-Speed Missile
Cheng Gong and Huang Yimin at CAMA explained in their paper that the tunnel makes use of an electric arc to heat gas, producing super-hot streams of air that are thousands or tens of thousands of degrees Celsius. CAMA is also responsible for the major construction and provision of air-to-air missiles to the Chinese Air Force. The tunnel can run for an hour or even more but is so energy-intensive that it’s actually expensive to use for more than that, according to the SCMP. It’s therefore only used for demanding space tests, such as the simulation of the planet-landing probes to Mars. It’s in Luoyang, Henan province, and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China owns it. Details about the missile the scientists were testing weren’t provided by the group, but it was reported that the missile survived temperatures in excess of 2,192 degrees Fahrenheit (1,200 degrees Celsius). The paper also included that the entire missile, and not only the tip, was exposed to such temperatures.
Is Very Dangerous For Enemy Planes.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) quotes the temperatures provided to say the missile can fly at Mach 9 or above. Turning at such speeds would develop massive air drag, so the missile’s sensitive electronic components need to be protected against the heat. Cheng and Huang stated such intense heat can stress and distort the missile’s structure, causing it to interfere with flight and trajectory. If the hypersonic air-to-air missile does exist, it would be bad news for U.S. aircraft such as the B-21 bomber. Most aircraft carry sensors to sense danger at 6.2 miles (10 km) distance. But with speeds at Mach 9 or above, even if the missile was seen, pilots would have only seconds to evade or return fire. That’s little time, considering most U.S. Air Force and Navy fighter and bombers can no longer fly supersonically.
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https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-secret-missile-hits-9-151513241.html
