China has revealed that its innovative oblique detonation engine (ODE), powered by standard aviation kerosene, has demonstrated the ability to achieve speeds of Mach 16 during tests conducted at the JF-12 shock tunnel in Beijing.

This engine, which operates on a unique detonation-based combustion process, exhibited combustion rates 1,000 times faster than those of traditional scramjets, with an operational range spanning Mach 6 to Mach 16—speeds at which most air-breathing engines typically fail.

In testing, the engine sustained Mach 9 speeds for approximately 150 meters (492 feet), constrained by the tunnel’s 50-millisecond runtime.
Nevertheless, researchers collected vital data on ignition and thrust performance at hypersonic velocities.
At its peak, the engine displayed even greater thrust potential. This breakthrough brings China closer to its ambition of developing Mach 16 aircraft by 2030, enhancing its hypersonic military capabilities, including missiles and drones.