China Test Launches Hypersonic Flight Vehicle 'Sky Star-2'

China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA) test flew ‘Waverider’ hypersonic flight vehicle Sky star-2 in the northwest test range on Friday morning, Sputnik reported.

The hypersonic vehicle said to have successfully separated from its launch vehicle, autonomous flight and engaged itself in high-altitude manoeuvring during its ten minute flight.

Waveriders are a hypersonic aircraft design using the shock waves generated by their own flight as a lifting surface to improve their lift-to-drag ratio. It carries a coinventional or nuclear payload using the immense kinetic energy unleashed by their flight to destroy their targets evading existing or prospective countermeasures.