China boasts of a new anti-aircraft missile that can hit targets at a distance of more than 2000 km
Chinese experts boasted of the creation of a surface-to-air missile with a range of 2000+ km. The project was implemented under the guidance of Su Hua, a specialist at Northwestern Polytechnic University.
The mission of the new weapon is to destroy bombers, air tankers, and early warning aircraft. The customer, represented by the PLA, demanded to develop a missile with a maximum permissible length of 10 meters and a weight of 4 thousand tons. kg. Su Hua’s team managed to reduce the required length by 20% and the weight by almost 40% (to 8 m and 2.5 thousand kg, respectively).
Detailed specifications of the new product are still being kept secret. Among the known details, it is worth noting the presence of solid fuel and jet engines for the initial stage of flight and movement in the upper atmosphere, respectively.
Structurally, the novelty is similar to the Feitian-1 hypersonic development of the Northwestern Polytechnic Institute tested 2 years ago.
China boasts of creating an extremely long-range anti-aircraft missile capable of hitting targets at a distance of more than 2,000 km
The declared principle of operation of the new product is based on satellite navigation (data from reconnaissance orbiters will guide the missile online, with its subsequent switching to its own sensors). The warhead will explode after reaching the effective kill range.
The new development also includes the use of AI to detect the takeoff of UAVs and bombers. This technology has been integrated into the A2/AD satellite system, which China is developing for use in potential military conflicts in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
Defense Express experts note that the Chinese engineers faced a difficult task given that the longest-range missile of the PLA, the SM-6, has a range of about 370 km. According to them, to cover the claimed 2,000 km, the new product should be equipped with a supersonic engine that would allow it to cover the above distance in 22 minutes.
The main interest of the experts is not so much in the declared range as in the principle of guiding the missile to the target. Creating a satellite network for such purposes is a complex task, and the Chinese will have to deploy a space grouping to ensure reliable coverage at any given time.
