China has once again surprised everyone in the world of defense. Scientists in Beijing have claimed to have created a hypersonic missile that can change its shape while flying at a speed greater than Mach 5. Till now this was not considered possible, but this ‘morphing weapon’ has broken all the limits of aerodynamics.

This research was done under the leadership of Professor Wang Peng of China’s National University of Defense Technology (NUDT). It has been published in the international journal Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica. According to the report, this missile can fold or spread its wings during flight, when speed is required, the wings go inside and when the direction needs to be changed, they come out.

How does the shape change during flight?

A state-of-the-art control system (Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Control) has been installed in this morphing missile. This system changes the position of the fins in real-time so that the missile can change shape while remaining stable in the air without changing its direction. That means now the missile itself does not move – its wings move automatically. This is considered to be the most difficult achievement of hypersonic aerodynamics till now.

Technology is amazing, but challenges still remain

Although this discovery of China is surprising, it still faces many difficulties. During hypersonic flight the temperature reaches 2000°C, due to which there is a risk of metal melting. The biggest challenge is to maintain thermal protection and stability. Similarly, problems like control chattering can make the missile unstable in the air.

New hope towards hypersonic passenger aircraft

Chinese experts say that this technology can help in making hypersonic passenger aircraft in the future. However, at present it is being used entirely for military purposes. Beijing is calling this technology the future foundation of its defense sector.

China’s hypersonic missile and global concern

In the 2021 military parade, China had displayed the CJ-1000 hypersonic cruise missile, which many experts are now considering to be a model related to morphing technology. It is believed that this missile can accurately target targets like stealth jets and aircraft carriers. However, the missile was shown in a sealed container, which increased the mystery surrounding its design.

A glimpse of future missile technology – Wang Peng

Professor Wang Peng said that this research is a glimpse of future hypersonic missile technology. He told that China is now working towards not only matching America and Russia, but also surpassing them. This shape-shifting weapon can completely change the global defense balance in the coming years.

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