China has unveiled a new “dirt cheap” hypersonic missile with a range of 1,300 kilometres, which an expert has warned could upend the global defence market due to its low price.
The YKJ-1000, produced by aerospace firm Lingkong Tianxing, has been nicknamed the “cement-coated” missile due to its use of materials including foamed concrete in its coating.
The missile, which is reportedly priced at 700,000 yuan (£74,100), costs a fraction of the price of US missiles, which can range from $4 million to $15 million.
Military commentator Wei Dongxu told state broadcaster CCTV that the missile’s “dirt cheap price” could see it become extremely popular among smaller nations around the world.
“If this missile were introduced on the international defence market, it would be formidably competitive,” Mr Dongxu told the broadcaster according to the South China Morning Post.
“Many nations have yet to develop their own hypersonic missiles, and this one – with its long range, high destructive power, and strong penetration capability – would likely become a hot commodity due to its dirt cheap price.”
The missile’s cheap price indicates how Beijing’s military technology industry can mass produce devastating weapons at a low cost. If placed on the global defence market, experts believe it could allow smaller nations to challenge larger powers in conflict.
Lingkong Tianxing says the heat-resistant coating uses civilian-grade foamed cement, along with other ingredients. Explosive separation nuts have been replaced by electric ones and structural parts can be die cast, it adds.
According to the company, the warhead’s heat-resistant coating uses civilian-grade foamed cement and ingredients.
China’s defence industry is largely state-controlled. A report released on Monday found that revenues at China's giant military firms fell last year as corruption purges slowed arms contracts and procurement.
In November, the China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) revealed it had carried out staged ground invasions using ‘robot wolves’, and that it is working on a new warfare tactic involving military-purpose robots, which it first unveiled at an air show in 2024.
Footage on state television shows the “robot wolves” being used as the first wave of attack in a drone-led assault. The four-legged robots were seen deployed in amphibious assault operations, as the PLA looks to develop its capabilities in “integrated manned-unmanned combat”, the CCTV channel said, according to Singapore-based news site ThinkChina.
