&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "YKJ-1000, China's new 'cement' hypersonic missile, costs only $99,000, and can reshape world conflicts")
China has unveiled a new hypersonic missile, the YKJ-1000, that uses materials like foamed concrete in its coating. Produced by aerospace firm Lingkong Tianxing, the missile has a range of 1,300 kilometres and has the potential to alter the defence market because of its extremely low cost. The YKJ-1000, nicknamed the “cement-coated” missile, is reportedly priced at 700,000 yuan (approximately $99,000), a fraction of the price of US missiles. Experts say this could make it extremely popular among smaller countries. “If this missile were introduced on the international defence market, it would be formidably competitive,” Military commentator Wei Dongxu told state broadcaster CCTV, according to South China Morning Post.
The dirt-cheap missile has the potential to become a "hot commodity" because of its "long range, high destructive power, and strong penetration capability," he added. “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," Dongxu said. To have such a cheap hypersonic missile can lead smaller nations to stand up to the bigger countries. The development of an inexpensive, cement-coated missile shows Beijing's potential to produce devastating weapons at low cost.
How is the YKJ-1000 missile so cheap?
Talking about how such a hypersonic missile was made, Lingkong Tianxing says that the heat-resistant coating uses civilian-grade foamed cement and a few other ingredients. Instead of explosive separation nuts, electric ones have been used, and the structural parts can be die-cast. Corruption purges slowed arms contracts and procurement at China's military firms last year. China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is now working on "robot wolves" to carry out ground invasions. It unveiled a new warfare tactic at an air show in 2024 involving military-purpose robots.
