China runs final tests of hypersonic air-to-air missile in extreme Mars mission tunnel

Heat-resistance testing has been conducted on a secretive Chinese weapon, in what is the first confirmation of its existence

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Details of the final evaluations of full-scale missile prototypes have been published in a peer-reviewed paper for Chinese-language journal Equipment Environmental Engineering. Photo: CCTV

Published: 10:00pm, 19 Jan 2025

Chinese hypersonic air-to-air missiles have undergone extreme heat-resistance testing to meet the stringent performance requirements of the PLA Air Force, according to scientists involved in the project.

This is the first official confirmation of the existence of this mysterious weapon, which could pose an unprecedented threat to US military aircraft, including the B-21 stealth bomber that is currently undergoing flight testing.

Details of the final evaluations of full-scale missile prototypes were given in a peer-reviewed paper published in Chinese-language journal Equipment Environmental Engineering last month. These evaluations were conducted in an arc-heated wind tunnel.

“By heating the gas with an electric arc, [this type of tunnel] can generate hot air flows reaching thousands to tens of thousands of degrees Celsius,” the project team, led by senior scientists Cheng Gong and Huang Yimin with the China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA), wrote in the paper.

The arc-heated wind tunnel can operate continuously for an hour or more, but due to its enormous power consumption, it is “super expensive” to run, Cheng and Huang said. As a result, it is mainly used for the most challenging space missions, such as simulating the landing of Tianwen-1 spacecraft on Mars.

Located in Luoyang, Henan province, and affiliated with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, CAMA is the main developer and supplier of air-to-air missiles to the Chinese air force.