China has completed a prototype of a revolutionary air-breathing engine for next-generation fighter jets and hypersonic missiles, capable of operating continuously from Mach 0 to 6.

China is developing a revolutionary air-breathing engine for next-generation fighter jets and hypersonic missiles. Designed to operate continuously from a stationary start-up to over Mach 6, the “contra-rotary ramjet engine” could replace the combined turbine-ramjet systems currently used in high-speed flight. After more than three decades of work, the engine prototype has been completed and experimentally verified, marking a potential step towards engineering applications. The next steps...