China launches low-altitude hypersonic missile research

The Chinese Academy of Sciences has launched a new research program on Monday aimed at developing low-altitude hypersonic flight technology, potentially enabling sea-skimming hypersonic missiles that can evade radar by flying below the horizon. The program, funded under CAS's Stable Support Programme, will study technologies to support weapons capable of exceeding Mach 5 while hugging the sea surface. Such a weapon would pose a significant challenge to US Navy defenses if successfully developed, though the program remains in early research stages.