US-China Hypersonic Aircraft Development Race... Preparing for Space Warfare? [Reading Science]

Hypersonic aircraft under development by the American company Hermes.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The United States and China, engaged in a technological hegemony competition, have also clashed in the development of hypersonic aircraft capable of reaching any location on Earth within an hour from high altitudes. Both sides do not rule out the possibility of military use. In the future, it is said that the U.S. and Chinese air forces might deploy hypersonic fighters equipped with lasers and other weapons above the stratosphere to wage 'space warfare.'

According to the U.S. economic magazine Forbes on the 28th, the U.S. Air Force signed a $60 million contract in July with the Atlanta, Georgia-based startup Hermeus to develop three prototype aircraft for hypersonic technology demonstration. Hermeus is ultimately developing a hypersonic commercial aircraft capable of flying at Mach 5 (approximately 3,800 mph) or higher, carrying 20 passengers from New York, USA, to Paris, France, within 90 minutes by 2029. This time, they plan to develop an unmanned, reusable hypersonic drone called the 'Quarter Horse' together with the U.S. Air Force.

For now, the U.S. Air Force is emphasizing the 'commercial' aspect. In an official press release, they stated, "This contract is part of efforts to lead the revival of the commercial hypersonic aircraft industry." Hermeus plans to design, manufacture, and deliver three prototypes by 2024.

However, the U.S. Air Force is also known not to exclude military applications. They have requested Hermeus to include features such as reusability, inputs for wargaming used in Air Force strategic analysis tools, and potential cargo integration capabilities. This implies that the aircraft could be converted into bombers in emergencies. Instead of using the expensive air-breathing scramjet engines employed by previous experimental hypersonic drones like NASA's X-43 and the U.S. Air Force's X-51, Hermeus plans to design and use a simpler ramjet engine based on the General Electric J85 micro turbojet core, which has been used in advanced trainers like the T-38.

China is also developing hypersonic drones. Earlier this month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP), published in Hong Kong, reported that researchers related to the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force are conducting research on hypersonic drone technology. According to the report, researchers at Beihang University in Beijing recently published a research paper in a Chinese media outlet on how unmanned aircraft flying at speeds above Mach 5 should fly when returning to their point of origin. The researchers concluded that when flying at Mach 5 or higher at an altitude of 19 miles, the engine should be shut off to reduce speed starting from 125 miles away from the destination. The hypersonic drones under development are equipped with automatic landing interfaces and can predict the timing and angle of approach to the landing target based on air pressure and altitude.

In this context, there have been recent reports that the Chinese People's Liberation Army is studying the use of hypersonic drones to counter the U.S. Air Force's main stealth fighters, the F-35 and F-22. The idea is to send unmanned drones that can quickly approach stealth fighters whose positions are exposed when initiating attacks.

Additionally, in July, SCMP reported on the design of a future hypersonic jet expected to be developed by 2035, capable of carrying 10 passengers and arriving anywhere on Earth within an hour. This hypersonic aircraft is being developed for use after the 2040s to transport 10,000 tons of cargo and 10,000 passengers daily to stations located in space or on the Moon. Meanwhile, it is also known that the People's Liberation Army is researching the use of lasers mounted on hypersonic aircraft for combat purposes.