China claims to have developed a hypersonic missile that can change shape while flying at more than five times the speed of sound. The design, revealed by researchers from the National University of Defence Technology, features retractable wings that can extend or fold mid-flight, allowing the weapon to shift from high-speed cruise to agile maneuvering.
According to a study published in Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica, the team has already conducted successful ground simulations. The missile’s wings stay folded during acceleration to reduce drag and unfold later to enhance lift and control. This flexibility could make it far more unpredictable than traditional hypersonic glide vehicles, which are already among the hardest weapons to track or intercept.
At speeds exceeding Mach 5, most hypersonic weapons sacrifice maneuverability for speed. But this design tries to do both. The researchers claim their morphing missile could achieve up to a 50 percent boost in maneuvering capability compared to fixed-wing designs. That means it could potentially switch flight patterns in real time, leaving defense systems guessing where it will strike next.
Developing something that can literally change shape at hypersonic speed is no small feat. At those velocities, air friction generates temperatures hotter than 1,000 degrees Celsius, and even minor structural weakness can cause catastrophic failure. The team says it used advanced composite materials and AI-driven control algorithms to ensure the wing mechanisms can function under extreme heat and pressure.
The concept itself isn’t new. Aerospace engineers have long theorized about “morphing” aircraft that can adjust their geometry for efficiency, but doing so at hypersonic speeds has remained largely theoretical until now. If China’s claims are accurate, this could mark a major leap forward in missile design and an escalation in the hypersonic arms race.
Strategically, the implications are significant. A weapon that travels faster than Mach 5 and can alter its flight path mid-air would be extremely difficult to intercept with current defense systems. It would give China an advantage in long-range precision strikes and strengthen its anti-access strategies across the Pacific.
Of course, none of this has been independently verified. The missile remains a prototype, and China has not provided a public demonstration. But even the suggestion that a morphing hypersonic weapon is close to reality is enough to get military analysts’ attention.
If true, it means China isn’t just building faster missiles – it’s building smarter ones. And that could change the rules of aerial warfare in ways that radar and reaction times just can’t keep up with.