Changjian-1000
Unveiled during the 2025 Victory Day Parade, this scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile represents a shift from regional area denial to global precision strike capabilities.
"The debut of the CJ-1000... precipitates a profound reassessment of the global strategic balance."
- Intelligence Assessment, December 2025
Type
Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCM)
Service Arm
PLA Rocket Force (PLARF)
Status
Operational, Deployed
Debut Date
September 3, 2025
Technical Profile
The CJ-1000's performance relies on solving critical problems in fluid dynamics and thermodynamics. Analysis confirms it utilizes a "waverider" configuration and regenerative cooling to sustain Mach 5+ flight.
Scramjet Power & Thermal Management
The CJ-1000 utilizes a Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (Scramjet). Unlike ramjets that slow air to subsonic speeds, a scramjet maintains supersonic airflow throughout the engine[cite: 5, 51].
To survive the 2,000°C heat of hypersonic flight, the missile likely employs Carbon-Carbon (C/C) composites and regenerative cooling, where fuel is circulated through the skin to absorb heat before combustion[cite: 93, 94, 95].
Operational Speed:
> Mach 5
*Uses atmospheric oxygen, achieving Isp of 800-1200s[cite: 49, 82].
Scramjet Advantage
Combines the speed of ballistic missiles with the maneuverability of cruise missiles, staying within the atmosphere (30-50km altitude) to avoid exo-atmospheric interceptors[cite: 135].
The Asymmetric Threat: YKJ-1000
While the CJ-1000 represents state-of-the-art capability, the newly revealed YKJ-1000 introduces the concept of "Commoditized Hypersonics"—mass-produced, low-cost missiles designed for economic attrition[cite: 8].
Economic Attrition
With a claimed unit cost of ~$99,000 (USD), the YKJ-1000 creates a catastrophic cost disadvantage for defenders, who must expend multimillion-dollar interceptors (SM-6/THAAD) to stop them[cite: 154, 168].
Swarm Tactics
Attributed to private firm "Lingkong Tianxing," the system utilizes "civilian-grade" materials (e.g. foamed concrete) and containerized launching to enable high-volume saturation attacks[cite: 149, 160].
Proliferation Risk
The collapse of entry barriers for hypersonic technology raises fears of transfer to non-state actors or smaller nations, potentially destabilizing global security[cite: 240, 241].
Strategic Analysis
The "Guam Killer" Effect
The CJ-1000 enables the PLARF to strike Andersen Air Force Base—the linchpin of US power in the Pacific—from secure bases deep within China. This stand-off capability could degrade US projection abilities in the first hour of conflict[cite: 118, 122].
Nuclear Ambiguity
The CJ-1000 is likely "dual-capable" (nuclear and conventional). In a conflict, an adversary cannot distinguish the warhead type of an incoming missile, creating an escalation risk where a conventional attack triggers a nuclear response[cite: 138, 141].
Defeating Integrated Defenses
By operating in "near space" (30-50 km altitude) and using aerodynamic maneuvering, the CJ-1000 exploits the gap between lower-tier Patriot defenses and upper-tier THAAD/SM-3 interceptors[cite: 135].
Dependence on "Kill Chain"
The missile's effectiveness is strictly tied to China's sensor network (satellites, drones like Wuzhen-8). Disrupting this "kill chain" may be more effective than kinetic interception[cite: 250, 252].