China has tested the YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile. China Military Bugle, an official account under the PLA News Media Center, showed the missile being fired from the Type 055 destroyer Wuxi during what was described as a “finalization test” — a final major trial before a weapon system completes its design phase and enters production.
The video depicted the missile emerging from one of the vertical launch system (VLS) cells in the aft section of the ship using a cold-launch method, in which the missile is first ejected from the canister by gas pressure before its engine ignites.
The footage included multiple camera angles showing the launch sequence and the missile striking and destroying its target, though no specific details on range, speed, or test location were provided.
Chinese military analysts said the YJ-20 is designed to strike surface targets at a near-vertical angle in its terminal phase, similar to a ballistic missile trajectory, but at sustained hypersonic speeds, making it challenging for conventional shipboard defenses to neutralize.
An official Chinese media account China Military Bugle on Sunday unveiled the moment when a YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile was launched from a Type 055 large destroyer of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. It shows the finalization test of a ship-to-ship missile… pic.twitter.com/Iq00Ek1kS3
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) December 28, 2025
The YJ-20, also known as the Eagle Strike-20, was first publicly displayed during China’s Victory Day military parade on September 3, 2025. It features a biconic aerodynamic shape that supports maneuverable re-entry and gliding flight after an initial rocket boost.
Analysts assess it as a boost-glide hypersonic weapon with a likely range of 1,000–1,500 km, comparable to other recent Chinese anti-ship systems, and designed to target high-value naval assets at extended rangess
The YJ-20 anti-ship missile stands out for its distinctive bi-conic (double-cone) aerodynamic configuration, which echoes traditional ballistic missiles while enabling true hypersonic performance.
Chinese naval expert Zhang Junshe has explained the design’s innovative engineering: the missile uses a bi-conic layout, with a smaller cone atop the larger warhead section. During hypersonic flight, this forward cone generates protective shock waves along the missile’s body.
Those shock waves shield the air rudders positioned just behind it, preventing them from being damaged or disrupted by the intense heat and pressure at those speeds.
This protection is crucial because it lets the rudders remain effective for maneuvering right up to the terminal phase.
With that control, the YJ-20 can pull off sharp, evasive changes in direction while diving almost vertically toward its target, much like a ballistic missile but at sustained hypersonic velocity.
The near-vertical attack angle maximizes kinetic impact energy and makes interception extremely difficult for shipboard defenses, which are often tuned for flatter, sea-skimming threats.
Overall, the combination of high speed, protected control surfaces, and aggressive terminal dive gives the YJ-20 strong penetration potential against heavily defended large vessels, such as aircraft carriers.
The test follows China’s ongoing development and fielding of multiple hypersonic naval weapons, including the YJ-21, YJ-17, YJ-19, and others unveiled in recent years.
The PLA Navy has significantly expanded its hypersonic anti-ship capabilities across surface ships, submarines, and air platforms, creating layered threats that complicate traditional naval defensive postures in the Western Pacific and South China Sea.
The public release of the launch footage appears to signal the system’s operational maturity, with the YJ-20 believed to be nearing or entering serial production.
Meanwhile, the Type 055, known to NATO as the Renhai-class cruiser, is considered one of the most capable surface warships in the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
Classified by the United States as a cruiser due to its size, displacement, and command facilities, this 10,000–13,000-ton warship represents a major leap in China’s blue-water naval ambitions.
The integration of hypersonic missiles on Type 055 platforms greatly expands China’s long-range maritime strike capability, posing a serious challenge to carrier strike groups in the Western Pacific.
By ET Online Desk
