Beijing Aug 6 (IANS) In a "technological breakthrough " China has successfully tested its first wave rider hypersonic aircraft that can carry nuclear warheads and break through any current generation anti-missile defence system due to its high speed and "unpredictable trajectory".

The test of the Xingkong-2 or Starry Sky-2 was conducted in a target range located in northwest China on Friday China s state media reported.
It flew independently made large-angle turning manoeuvres and landed in the targeted area as planned
Launched in a rocket the wave rider was released in the air after about 10 minutes.
It flew independently made large-angle turning manoeuvres and landed in the targeted area as planned.
The flight vehicle reached 30 km in altitude at Mach 5.5-6 a statement by the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA) under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp said.
Wave rider is a flight vehicle that flies in the atmosphere and uses shockwaves generated by its own hypersonic flight with the air to glide at high speed Song Zhongping a military expert told the Global Times.
Various parameters were proved and the flight vehicle was fully recovered which marks the successful launch of Xingkong-2 and the first flight of a Chinese wave rider.
"Announcing the successful test to the public indicates that China must have already made a technological breakthrough with the weapon " Song said.
The wave rider is expected to be tested more frequently in future before being handed over for deployment to the People s Liberation Army he said.
The current generation of anti-missile defence systems is mainly designed to intercept cruise and ballistic missiles which are either slower or easier to predict making them possible to intercept.
But the trajectory of a wave rider is relatively unpredictable in the glide and it flies so fast that it poses an extreme challenge to current anti-missile defence systems Song noted.

--IANS gsh/mr