Image source: topwar.ru
Russia and China are the undisputed leaders in the development and adoption of hypersonic weapons. In the United States, so far, everything is not very good with this, most test launches of hypersonic missiles end in failure. The American program is regularly postponed due to deadlines, including due to significant budget growth.
In 2018, information appeared in the Western press that China had successfully tested an anti-ship aeroballistic "hypersonic" air-launched missile. The carrier of the complex was the Xian H-6K strategic bomber, which is a licensed copy of the Soviet Tu-16 jet bomber.
In terms of purpose and range, the new Chinese missile is similar to the Russian hypersonic Dagger complex, although it has some significant tactical and technical differences. It is noteworthy that Russian air-based missile systems were received for experimental combat duty in the Aerospace Forces about a year before the missile tests in China. The first successful test launch of the Dagger from a MiG-31BM fighter was carried out in March 2018 and caused a real sensation among the Western military and experts, who until recently did not believe that Russia had managed to create a missile capable of reaching speeds of Mach 10.
Like the Russian air-based Dagger complexes, created as a result of the refinement of Iskander missiles, Chinese missiles were developed on the basis of DF-15 land-based missiles (according to another version, DF-17). Both missiles can be carriers of a nuclear charge. However, there is also a significant difference, which is that the 10-meter Chinese rocket weighs more than 13 tons. For this reason, only a heavy bomber can lift it into the air, and for this the H-6K had to be upgraded by strengthening the airframe and installing a special rigid attachment for the suspension of such a massive munition.
Image source: topwar.ru
For the same reason, the Chinese missile can only be called conditionally hypersonic. After launching from a "slow" bomber, the carrier moves at subsonic speed, while the Russian equivalent, launched from the supersonic MiG-31 fighter, which can fly at Mach 2.32, is immediately capable of developing supersonic speed. Therefore, hypersonic speed in the Chinese version of the conventional equivalent of the "Dagger" is achieved only by the warhead of the missile after separation from the carrier before reaching the target.
The first video of the test launch by the Chinese Xian H-6K missile bomber of the YJ-21 air-launched ballistic missile (known under the designation 2PZD-21) appeared online. It is reported that the rocket implements the principle of the DF-17 strategic missile with a ballistic accelerator and a hypersonic maneuverable homing head.
Image source: topwar.ru
Judging by the footage, the bomber launched two missiles at the targets at once. By the way, according to experts, this is the only "advantage" over the Russian "Daggers", since the MiG-31 fighter is capable of taking on board only one missile.
