AN official Chinese media report yesterday revealed footage of a YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile being launched from a Type 055 large destroyer of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. Experts stated that the maneuverable hypersonic missile can strike targets from an almost vertical angle, making it extremely difficult to intercept.

The footage was released by China Military Bugle, an official media account under the PLA News Media Center. It shows the finalization test of a ship-to-ship missile conducted aboard the 10,000-ton-class destroyer Wuxi. A finalization test is the conclusive evaluation of a weapon system before it completes its design phase and enters mass production.

Multiple camera angles provided detailed views of the test launch. According to the footage, a YJ-20 hypersonic missile was launched from one of the vertical launching system (VLS) cells located in the aft section of the Type 055 destroyer Wuxi. The missile employed a cold-launch method, being ejected from the VLS cell before igniting its engine.

The missile successfully hit and destroyed its target, as reported by China Military Bugle. This marks the first time an official media report has shown a live-fire test of the YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile launched from a warship.

The YJ-20 was officially unveiled during China’s V-Day military parade in Beijing on Sept. 3, alongside three other anti-ship missiles: the YJ-15, the YJ-19 hypersonic missile, and the YJ-17 hypersonic missile. According to official media, these missiles can be deployed from multiple platforms, including carrier-based fighter jets, surface vessels, and submarines.

Chinese military affairs expert Zhang Junshe explained that maneuverable missiles capable of exceeding Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, are classified as hypersonic. Zhang inferred that the YJ-20 is a boost-glide missile, consisting of a rocket booster and a bicone glide vehicle. The bicone shape generates shock waves during hypersonic flight, enabling the missile’s air rudders to perform maneuvers in its terminal phase, significantly enhancing its ability to penetrate enemy defenses.

According to Zhang, the YJ-20 can strike surface vessels from a nearly vertical trajectory, similar to a ballistic missile. Combined with its hypersonic speed, this makes interception highly challenging.

Deployed on platforms such as the Type 055 large destroyer, the YJ-20 extends the operational reach of the PLA Navy into distant seas.(SD-Agencies)