A Chinese Type 052D destroyer has fired a YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile from a vertical launch system (VLS), according to video footage released by the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The footage was part of a six-part documentary series started by CCTV on July 30 to mark the 99th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army of China.
The YJ-20 missile, which is also known as a 'carrier-killer', was launched using a vertical 'cold launch' method, where the missile is ejected from the launcher before its motor activates. While the YJ-20 has previously been confirmed to be armed on the larger Chinese Type 055 cruisers, this footage shows the missile being used on a Type 052 class ship for the first time. The YJ-20 was first presented to the public during a military parade in Beijing.
Capabilities and reach
Hypersonic weapons fly at a speed of at least five times the speed of sound (Mach 5), according to Reuters. Estimates from Western and Asian military attachés indicate the YJ-20 missile has a range of up to 1,500 kilometers and the capability to hit moving ships.
Number of Type 052 destroyers possessed by China
China possesses more than 40 Type 052 destroyers, which regularly operate in the South China Sea and other areas of East Asia.
US Pentagon assessment
In an annual assessment of Chinese military modernization released in December, the US Pentagon stated that China possesses a 'world-leading arsenal of hypersonic missiles.' The Pentagon also stated that China continued the development of hypersonic technologies for both conventional and nuclear weapons during the past year.
