China Announces a New Radar Reportedly Able to Track 10 Hypersonic Missiles Simultaneously

By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News

Scientists in China have made a bold announcement about a new radar technology that, if accurate, could have major implications for hypersonic weapons and the systems that are designed to shoot them down.

According to a paper published in the Chinese journal Optical Communication Technology, the microwave photonic radar can track up to ten hypersonic missiles traveling at Mach 20 (more than 15,000 mph). In ground-based simulations, it was said to have an accuracy rate of 99.7 percent in determining the target’s speed , which had previously been thought to be impossible.

A report in the South China Morning Post said the radar’s developers made an important breakthrough – they overcame the problem of creating and analyzing high-precision signals by integrating lasers into the radar’s design. That allows information to be transmitted at the speed of light and is considered a key technology for developing next-generation fire-control systems.

Former Commanding Gen, Army Futures Command – Ret. Gen. John Murray

The team of scientists who developed the radar was led by Professor Zheng Xiaoping of Tsinghua University.

They used laser technology to improve detection accuracy by enabling the radar to send three microwave bands. The radar also can distinguish genuine targets from phantom images.