A private Chinese aerospace company has become the first in the world to start mass production of a low-cost, high-performance hypersonic missile, suggesting a seismic shift in military technology and defence industrial dynamics.
The JL-1 launches from H-6N bombers at high altitude, using unpredictable flight paths that make detection and interception far harder.
With a reported range of 8,000km and extended bomber reach, the system significantly expands China’s strike capacity, reports a Chinese online news portal.
The United States currently relies on the AGM-86B, a decades-old subsonic cruise missile with a 2,400km range and outdated guidance. Its planned successor, the AGM-181A, is expected around 2030 with improved stealth and navigation, but will remain subsonic. Washington’s attempt to field a hypersonic air-launched nuclear option, the AGM-183A, was halted after repeated programme setbacks, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
So is the JL-1 a US billion $ carrier killer?