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China has succeeded in testing a hypersonic projectile that is more than five times faster than the speed of sound.
Hypersonic weapons, which are difficult to intercept, can change the battlefield, and the competition for development is fierce in each country.
This is Beijing Correspondent Ji-Sung Kim.
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China's Northwest Tech has announced that it has successfully launched its own hypersonic launch vehicle, Feitian-1.
According to the university, an advanced technology that combines a scramjet engine with a rocket was used in the launch vehicle.
The scramjet burns fuel with air drawn in from the outside, and it can fly farther than conventional hypersonic projectiles and can fly low.
[Jang Young-geun/Professor at Korea Aviation University: Because it continues to get power from the scramjet engine, it is possible to fly long-distance to the desired location...
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Northwest Tech, directly managed by the Chinese authorities, has participated in the development of many weapons, including fighter jets and missiles, and is on the U.S. trade restrictions list.
As a result, students and staff at the university cannot purchase US-made software, etc., and the issuance of US visas is restricted.
China has already deployed a hypersonic ballistic missile, the Dongfeng-17, in actual combat.
Hypersonic missiles are difficult to intercept because they travel at speeds above Mach 5.
This is why it is called a game changer that changes the battlefield.
Russia also used a hypersonic missile for the first time in an actual war by launching a missile 'Kinzal' in the Ukraine war.
Considered lagging behind Russia and China in the hypersonic missile race, the United States has recently accelerated its development.
Competition over hypersonic weapons is getting fiercer, with even North Korea insisting on developing hypersonic missiles.
(Video coverage: Choi Duk-hyun, video editing: Kim Jun-hee, CG: Lee Jong-jeong, screen source: Weibo)