China is Rushing a Hypersonic RBCC/TBCC Aircraft. Something Seems to Have Freaked Them Out.

Hypersonics is one of the buzzwords in the military word right now. Everyone is rushing towards fielding hypersonic weapons as fast as possible. The Russians appear to be in the lead with their boost-glide Avangard[1] nuclear weapon and their Kinzhal[2] conventional missile: both of which are in service with the Russian Aerospace forces. The Chinese have their WZ-8 rocket powered drone (Malan triangle[3]) as well. However, China and the US are in hot pursuit and, within 3 years, the US will begin fielding its own hypersonic boost-glide weapons in the form of a US Army missile battery[4].

The US appears to have a very long lead in the air breathing hypersonic technologies though, what is believed to be an F-22 sized unmanned demonstrator, was spotted[5,6] flying into Palmdale. The US has been working on scramjets[7] and may have had some nontrivial breakthroughs, finally busting the 7 minute limit. That would make total sense given the existence of the demonstrator. Also, the Turbine-based Combined Cycle (TBCC) effort has been underway for some time with DARPA and Aerojet[8] in the AFRE program. It would be assumed though the US didn't have something operational, except maybe a full scale prototype given the timelines. Except...indirect evidence of a real, active asset of some sort has come to light.

China has sorta flipped out.

China has ordered all of its design bureaus, research institutes and aerospace companies to set aside their differences and collaborate on the development of an air breathing hypersonic aircraft. A demonstrator is supposed to fly in 2025 according to the timeline the Chinese government has pushed. No BS. No rivalries. Get the job done. Or else. Something has scared them.

The technology behind it appears to be a combination of TBCC and Rocket based Combined Cycle (RBCC) technology. However, there is a twist. The Chinese appear to be working on a SABRE-style precooler like being developed by Reaction Engines[9]. It seems to be a traditional turbine with a precooler and then a rocket/scramjet combo takes over. The proof of concept for the precooler for a Mach 4 turbine was done in 2018. The tech validation with a flight worthy test article will take place in 2020. And then the flight of a demonstrator, as stated in 2025.

This came to light from a conference between different elements on the project. What exactly the conference was isn't exactly clear. Was it intended to be a progress briefing for the government? Was it the equivalent of a Preliminary Design Review? or something else? Photos came out from it (see below) and were posted to the Sino Centric Internet. The Chinese gov wouldn't let those images stay up unless they wanted them there.

Well, what does that mean?

China has a history of leaking information as signaling. They do so as to not cause a huge freakout by the US and others when the tech is revealed in an official fashion. Call it something of a trial balloon, but intended to signal or warn of what will be coming. The Malan triangle, the J-20 and others have all been examples of China releasing information in dribs and drabs until the final reveal. China seems to acknowledge sometimes some tech is enough to provoke a really bad response from others, especially the US. If we know its coming, the US historically doesn't flip the table as much and develops - often quietly - countermeasures.

What makes this different is China seems to have signaled far, far earlier than usual. Normally, it's a year or two before the reveal. Also, the orders for everyone to not fsck around on this seems to be very unusual. China likes an internally competitive ecosystem for its military contracts so as to get better results. The US does the same thing. It seems to me the deviation is significant.

My interpretation of China's change in development behavior is China saw something. Something they couldn't do anything about. This is their signal they did see it and they are responding. There have been rumors of a fastmover to be unveiled. The point of the unveilings is often to have the US state: we have this capability, knock XYZ off. The Chinese might have gotten the message without a move into the gray world. And this is their middle finger back.

One image from the conference below (and confirmed). The second was associated with the postings in the Sino Centric Internet and I cannot confirm if it is actually something someone translated or an image from the West that was uploaded as an explanation since it follows a similar if not the same TL as the Chinese. it might have been a translation, too. IDK.

Thoughts?






1. www.abovetopsecret.com...
2. www.ruaviation.com...
3. www.abovetopsecret.com...
4. www.nationaldefensemagazine.org...
5. aviationweek.com...
6. www.popularmechanics.com...
7. en.wikipedia.org...
8. www.popularmechanics.com...
9. en.wikipedia.org...(rocket_engine)

a reply to: anzha

China has been positioning itself to be a superpower. It can't be that if it doesn't have the same detergents as Russia and the US.

Also, unpopular opinion... I think Russia starts to take China seriously before us.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker

Also, unpopular opinion... I think Russia starts to take China seriously before us.

They share borders and Russia's 150 million is nothing compared to China's population. China would love to own Russia and all its vast natural resources and even trading 5 to 1 lives in a war China would see that as a win win as in take Russia and cull the heard some.

a reply to: Xtrozero

I just saw rival of Beijing friendly candidate won in Taiwan.

Taiwan is poised to make some future decisions if Hong Kong continues to distract China. Should China decide to really put their boots on the throats of their interests.... A strong detergent from international interference would be needed.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker

Taiwan is poised to make some future decisions if Hong Kong continues to distract China. Should China decide to really put their boots on the throats of their interests.... A strong detergent from international interference would be needed.

There is a company called Taiwan Semiconductor that is the industry leader in the world for chips....China would love it to be controlled only by them... just saying.

a reply to: Xtrozero

Unfortunately every chip manufacturer is controlled by them through proxy.

China has control of 90%+ by many estimates of the rare earth market.

I love it.
"...China saw a "fast mover" & freaks out..."
"...especially since they want to show who's boss..."

That's some top conspiracy stuff happening.

Why is this not also in aliens?
I bet it's an interesting question to ponder, after the toothless Iranian strike: have alien/s god/s picked sides?
CTs are global, not just Americans discussed the possibility of the government having made a deal. That's where the technological superiourity came from.
tall whites
How many people have to believe it to make it true?

Maybe China has its own BT, fast moving lights and minute men events? And here we are. The US saying "that's not us"... nobody would believe it.
But it looks like a fantastic strategy to divide & conquer, taking out the most capable one without getting your hands dirty.

Off topic ramble over. I see myself out.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: anzha

China has been positioning itself to be a superpower. It can't be that if it doesn't have the same detergents as Russia and the US.

Also, unpopular opinion... I think Russia starts to take China seriously before us.

we worry about Russia and China but they are more worried about each other
as they should be

on the lighter side...
"It can't be that if it [China] doesn't have the same detergents as Russia and the US."

a reply to: ElGoobero

"It can't be that if it [China] doesn't have the same detergents as Russia and the US."

Lol, damn auto correct.
I was so confused what you were taking about.

I'm going to leave it becuse you had a good one.

But yea, given their proximity, and the likely hood their interests or even ideologies align going forward, I think they are the first to butt heads.

Could totally be wrong though, the world has been wild.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

China is also running out of clean drinking water.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: CriticalStinker

China is also running out of clean drinking water.

I watched a documentary about fresh water being fought over before oil in the not too distant future.

Between mismanagement, pollution, running sewage off to the ocean and salinizing it, and population booms.. We may see it in our lives.

The US have had hypersonic in its inventory for a while, decades in fact

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: anzha

China has been positioning itself to be a superpower. It can't be that if it doesn't have the same detergents as Russia and the US.

Also, unpopular opinion... I think Russia starts to take China seriously before us.

Russia has a lot of land for Chinese overpopulation, some of which it stole from China

I’d say Russia is already coming into line

a reply to: TritonTaranis

We've been experimenting with it. It hasn't been in active inventory. The materials weren't there.

a reply to: anzha

Maybe they got spooked by the usa and iran fight?

a reply to: scraedtosleep

No, this decision was made several months ago. It wasn't sudden.

They saw the rod from god demonstration at that auto plant a few years back. Put the fear in em. Hypers won't help when we can sling a metal rod from space and it have the impact of a nuke, with no fallout.

a reply to: KnoxMSP

Rods From God are over rated to be honest. There are more effective systems under development. Rods are expensive to get to orbit, there's no real way to service the system in orbit easily anymore, and their power is not as great as claimed compared to other systems.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: CriticalStinker

China is also running out of clean drinking water.

hugely under reported story.

typical media.

I thought China had all that Three Gorges water but I'm sure the Western part is pretty arid.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: KnoxMSP

Rods From God are over rated to be honest. There are more effective systems under development. Rods are expensive to get to orbit, there's no real way to service the system in orbit easily anymore, and their power is not as great as claimed compared to other systems.

I should have added the sarcasm font...

It was tongue in cheek, poking fun at the conspiracy of the explosion being a show of power by us.