China Tests New Ramjet Engine That Can Boost Missiles Range, Speed

China has successfully tested solid-fuel variable flow ramjet engine which could enhance the real combat ability of the country's stealth aircraft and boost firing range of missiles, local media reported Tuesday.

A team from No. 4 research institute affiliated with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) disclosed on May 31 that it has successfully conducted two flight tests with the ramjet engine, state-run Global Times reported.

The new ramjet engine is now ready for further engineering application, paving the way for China's next generations of hypersonic missiles, CASC team said.

The new engine, can remarkably increase the firing range and mobility for air-to-air missiles and antiship missiles equipped with China's stealth aircraft including the J20 jet fighters, Song Zhongping, a military expert who used to serve in the PLA Rocket Force, was quoted as saying in the report.

The solid-fuel ramjet engine is a member of the ramjet engine family, which has the advantage of low cost, high power, and high controllability with compact size, it quoted Science and Technology Daily as reporting.

The engine will enable the J20 fighters to fire from greater range and the missiles to fly faster at a hypersonic speed, which will increase their combat ability, Song said.

Once the engine achieves miniaturization, it will very likely enable China's air-to-air missiles to strike targets up to 300 kilometers at a speed faster than Mach 5, Song estimated, adding that the engine can be applied to China's latest missiles including PL12 missiles.