The utilization of the module’s response rate was ideal for enhancing the “real-time efficiency of the gas supply system, problem treatment, and fault-tolerant control in scramjet engines,” as detailed by a collaborative team from the Beijing Power Machinery Research Institute and Dalian University of Technology. Their peer-reviewed article was featured in the Chinese scientific publication “Propulsion Technology” on March 13.
By conducting tests on rapid missiles, the US may be signaling a strong message to China.
Nvidia, headquartered in the United States, stands as the leading global provider of AI chips. Six years back, Nvidia introduced the TX2i tailored for business applications. The module’s peak single-precision performance reaches 1.26 TFlops, which is approximately one-fiftieth of the capacity of Nvidia’s most potent AI apparatus, the H100.
Nonetheless, the H100 comes at a high cost of tens of thousands of US dollars and faces scarcity. Conversely, the TX2i is cost-effective, lacks export constraints, and is readily accessible online.
In response to inquiries, Nvidia declined to provide comments on the situation in a letter to the South China Morning Post on April 12.
The implementation of the TX2i module’s scramjet motor control system by the task team, spearheaded by Professor Sun Ximing, significantly reduced the research and development expenses. This integration also extended the range and security of rapid vehicles.
Previous studies by Chinese researchers have involved the use of US chips in fast weapons research, employing Intel CPUs and Nvidia’s high-end graphics cards to develop sophisticated high-speed circulation zones.
Despite the exceptional mathematical capabilities of high-performance graphics cards, they necessitate additional support such as a radiator, power supply, and hosting platform.
According to Sun’s team, these high-performance graphics cards exhibit drawbacks like high power consumption, substantial weight, and large dimensions, which are not aligned with the lightweight and compact requirements of embedded controllers in the aerospace sector.
Experts in the business realm generally concur that lower-end Artificial chips capable of basic parallel computations may suffice for such computing tasks due to the sequential nature of hypersonic flow field simulations, where one event must precede another in calculation.
Sun’s team devised a CPU plus GPU infrastructure to tackle this challenge, ensuring seamless collaboration between the two distinct chip types to resolve consecutive parallel processing issues effectively.
The report includes a “step-by-step” link that elucidates extensive formulas and addresses potential engineering obstacles, encompassing constraints like model grid size, memory management, code optimization, and specific compilation instruction schemes.
To enhance universality, the engine controller’s interface and communication protocol adhere strictly to international standards.
However, it’s crucial to note that the engine represents only a fraction of the entire weapon platform.
The team emphasized in their paper that further work is imperative to apply the AI chip to hypersonic vehicles, particularly in areas such as inlet modeling, shock wave correction, and data modeling.
Typically, in-depth wind tunnel testing and real-world flight trials are indispensable to validate critical parameters.
While the likelihood of employing the TX2i in Chinese hypersonic missiles remains low, domestic chip manufacturers in China can supply chips to the military that match or surpass the TX2i’s performance, with minimal concerns regarding supply chain reliability and safety.
The rationale behind the researchers’ selection of the Nvidia chip for their experiment remains undisclosed, as attempts to reach the authors for clarification were unsuccessful.
Irrespective of the chip’s country of origin, the objective may have been to showcase the feasibility of employing an economical AI chip for developing hypersonic weapons. However, the operation of such weapons can be executed using various chip types.
While only a few nations possess the capability to design and manufacture such chips, an increasing number of countries, including Germany, France, Japan, North Korea, and Iran, have initiated hypersonic weapon research and development programs.
Houthis, a rebel group controlling Yemen’s largest province, asserted conducting tests on hypersonic missiles capable of achieving Mach 8.
The proliferation of hypersonic weapon technology has raised significant concerns in the United States. The Rand Corporation recommended in 2017 that Washington collaborate with Moscow and Beijing to prevent other nations from acquiring this technology.
Chinese and Russian military experts caution that the utilization of hypersonic weapons technology entails risks and could potentially hasten the decline of the US-centered global order.
They argue that hypersonic missiles could breach the defenses of America’s extensive aircraft carrier fleet, a cornerstone of its global military dominance.
In a war game exercise conducted by Chinese scientists last year, a Ford-class aircraft carrier battle group was decimated by approximately 20 hypersonic anti-ship missiles. Some experts suggest that the advantage historically held by a few nations with significant naval power over the past five centuries could be eroded if more nations possess hypersonic weapons.
North Korea announced the successful test-firing of a new solid-fuel hypersonic missile.
On April 3, North Korea effectively launched a hypersonic gliding missile, while Iran claimed to have targeted Israeli military installations in retaliation for Israel’s alleged bombardment of the Iranian embassy with hypersonic missiles. There is currently no evidence indicating technical support or weaponry assistance from China or Russia to either country.
The Beijing Power Machinery Research Institute is affiliated with the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, a prominent manufacturer of Chinese hypersonic weapons. Dalian University of Technology, closely linked with China’s navy, serves as a key research and development hub for advanced manufacturing.
