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Chinese Private Firm Claims Mass Production of Low-Cost YKJ-1000 Hypersonic Missile

The unverified claims spotlight a private entrant to a field in China typically run by state defense conglomerates.

Raytheon Missile hypersonic missile rendering
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Space Transportation published both animated and captured footage of its new hypersonic missile, which it said can fly 800 miles.

Overview

  • Beijing-based Lingkong Tianxing, also known as Space Transportation, released promotional and test footage and said the YKJ-1000 is already in mass production at roughly one-tenth the cost of typical missiles.
  • Company materials cite speeds of Mach 5 to 7, a range of about 500 to 1,300 kilometers, and up to six minutes of powered flight with autonomous threat detection and evasive maneuvers.
  • Video shows a launcher disguised as a standard shipping container and the firm says the system can be deployed from mobile platforms on land or at sea.
  • The promotional clip includes an animation of multiple missiles headed toward targets in Japan, and Business Insider said it could not independently verify the authenticity of the test and strike footage.
  • Space Transportation says an AI-enabled version with swarm coordination is in development, while a 2024 U.S. Defense Department estimate of roughly $40 million per hypersonic missile highlights the potential cost disruption if the company’s pricing proves accurate.