China’s ‘dirt cheap’ hypersonic missiles could upend global defence markets: state media
The ‘cement-coated’ YKJ-1000 could prove ‘formidably competitive’ internationally if sold at the relatively cheap price of US$99,000
The YKJ-1000 has been nicknamed the “cement-coated” missile for its use of civilian-grade materials such as foamed concrete in its heat-resistant coating.
According to slides widely circulated online, the unit production cost of this missile, already in mass production after successful combat trials, may be as low as 700,000 yuan (around US$99,000).
A single SM-6 naval interceptor costs about US$4.1 million, over 40 times the price of one YKJ-1000.
Meanwhile, the THAAD system costs US$12-15 million for each interceptor, while the Patriot PAC-3 that Taiwan hopes to buy would cost US$3.7-4.2 million each.
This imbalance between low-cost offence and high-cost defence has the potential to change the logic of warfare.
The missile indicates how China’s massive civilian manufacturing capacity could be used to produce cutting-edge military technology at a low cost – something that may have a profound impact on global defence markets.
“If this missile were introduced on the international defence market, it would be formidably competitive,” military commentator Wei Dongxu told state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday.
“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.”
If sold abroad, such a weapon could empower smaller nations to challenge major military powers – potentially altering the strategic balance around the world and posing a threat to advanced warships such as aircraft carriers.
This year, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have repeatedly claimed attacks on US aircraft carriers and the proliferation of cheaper missiles could make such attacks harder to counter.
The battlefield in Ukraine has already offered a similar lesson: when drones costing a few hundred dollars force the other side to use missiles worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Even if a defender chooses to expend vast resources on a comprehensive shield, an attacker could saturate their defences with volleys of low-cost missiles while mixing in more potent variants, such as the DF-17 produced by China’s state-owned contractors.
As a private enterprise, how Lingkong Tianxing has leveraged its funding, technology and talent to achieve cheap mass production of such advanced weaponry is a subject of keen interest to the Chinese public.
Relying on mature supply chains and accumulated technical expertise, the company can mass produce cutting-edge weapons that previously required huge sums of money.
According to the company, the warhead’s heat-resistant coating uses civilian-grade foamed cement and ingredients, structural parts can be die-cast and explosive separation nuts have been replaced by electric ones.
Components such as camera modules and BeiDou navigation chips, already ubiquitous and low-cost in the civilian drone market, can also be used in the construction.
The company’s chairman, Wang Yudong, wrote on social media that the firm was “standing on the shoulders of giants”, embracing the fruits of the “made in China” strategy and reflecting “China’s overall social productivity”.
“Behind this achievement lies a systemic transformation involving R&D philosophy, supply chain organisation, storage and maintenance methods, as well as management and procurement models. It represents a process of integrating national defence technology with broader societal industrial capabilities,” he added.
The company’s research and development team was largely sourced from large aerospace groups and Wang himself was formerly the chief designer and deputy chief engineer at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.
Wei CCTV that if the YKJ-1000 really could be sold “dirt cheap”, it could help in the future development of the country’s advanced anti-missile systems.
In September, Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing visited the company’s production plant during an inspection tour in Chengdu, Sichuan province.
However, some commenters online have expressed scepticism about the claimed cost breakdown.
Particular questions surround how the price of fuel alone could be kept so low, to say nothing of the rocket engine. The company has said an article addressing these questions would be published soon.