For lower altitude flight if it's attacking ships. Mach 3-4 at sea level is probably harder to intercept than Mach 6-8 coming in from high altitude.
I'm unaware of any thermal barrier coating that is, or any current weapon or proposed weapon that sustains a hypersonic cruise at sea level. Zircon cruises at 28km from what I've read, not sure it even has a low altitude mode.
Presumably allows it to be smaller overall. Shedding stages is more efficient for any launch. The first stage appears to be the short section behind the rear fins.
Well reports seem to disagree with this.
Because it uses a two stage rocket motor for launch instead of a single stage one.
Well the Zircon cruises at only M5.5, this one cruises at M6.2 and this one talks of M6 cruise at 23km altitude.
South Korea's Hyundai Rotem has revealed an air-launched hypersonic anti-ship missile concept. What the new ship-killer means for the region's balance.
migflug.com
Very little is known of any Chinese hypersonic cruise missile tests, so difficult to say.