China has conducted a successful test of its MD-19 hypersonic drone, which was launched mid-flight from a Tengden TB-001 unmanned aerial vehicle. The MD-19, a high-speed, reusable platform, achieved hypersonic speeds before horizontally landing on a runway, a capability rarely seen in hypersonic testing.
The footage and images, released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, date back to a 2020 test flight and offer new insight into China’s growing hypersonic capabilities.
中国临近空间宽域飞行器研制试验首次公开披露！😃 pic.twitter.com/mLkCQQ5zX1
— DS北风（风哥） (@WenJian0922) December 16, 2024
Images released by #China of its 2020 test of the MD-19 reusable space launch vehicle, which was launched from a TB-001 UAV: pic.twitter.com/WZOetpODCt
— The STRATCOM Bureau (@OSPSF) December 16, 2024
The MD-19 features a wedge-shaped fuselage, delta wings, twin angled vertical stabilizers, and retractable landing gear. The absence of visible air intakes suggests the use of rocket propulsion, common in early hypersonic platforms, as advanced engines like scramjets require an initial boost. Estimates place the MD-19 at approximately 8 to 11 feet in length, making it compact compared to its 33-foot-long TB-001 carrier drone.
The Tengden TB-001, a medium-altitude long-endurance drone, serves as the MD-19’s launch platform. This air-launch method reduces energy requirements for the hypersonic drone while providing greater flexibility in deployment, particularly for testing in contested or sensitive airspace.
