Chinese company unveils latest hypersonic missile with strikingly low production cost VIDEO

Chinese aerospace firm Lingkong Tianxing has unveiled a hypersonic glide missile capable of reaching a distance of 1,300 km at astonishingly low production costs.

The YKJ-1000 is dubbed the “cement-coated” missile for its use of civilian-grade materials such as foamed concrete in its heat-resistant outer layer, Caliber.Az reports referring to an article by the South China Morning Post.

Slides widely circulated online suggest that the unit production cost of the missile, which has already entered mass production following successful combat trials, could be as low as 700,000 yuan (approx. $99,000) — making it dozens of times cheaper than existing hypersonic weapons.

Developers say the YKJ-1000 is equipped with an autonomous target-identification suite, enabling it to evade air-defence systems. An advanced guidance package and thermal-protection system provide high accuracy and effectiveness when striking strategic targets deep inside hostile territory.

Beyond combat operations, the missile can also be used for reconnaissance thanks to its integrated high-sensitivity sensors and real-time data-transmission capability, while being able to reach a top speed of Mach 7.

The company added that it is working on a new variant incorporating artificial intelligence and swarm-coordination features.

By Nazrin Sadigova