China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) showcased its hypersonic YJ-20 missiles over the weekend, as joint exercises between the United States, the Philippines, and Japan continue to raise tensions in the South China Sea.
According to the South China Morning Post, footage of the demonstration conducted by the Chinese navy was shared by China Military Bugle, a social media account run by the People’s Liberation Army.
In addition to multiple launches of the anti-ship YJ-20 missiles, the navy also tested other equipment in live-fire drills at sea. China Military Bugle did not specify when or where the missiles were fired.
As noted by the SCMP, the footage was released two days after Beijing said a naval fleet led by the Type 055 Zunyi destroyer had “recently conducted” live-fire exercises and joint air-sea drills in waters east of Luzon, a Philippine island near Taiwan.
While some of the images matched footage released by the PLA last December of the Type 055 Wuxi destroyer testing a YJ-20, the video released on Sunday (26) included two new clips of the launch.
As highlighted by the South China Morning Post, the deployment appears to coincide with the start of Balikatan 2026, the latest edition of the large annual U.S.-Philippines joint exercises. Launched on April 20, this year’s 19-day exercise marked Japan’s first participation in the operational phase alongside the United States.
“Faced with such a highly targeted exercise, it is reasonable for PLA forces to carry out related drills in waters east of Luzon Island,” said Yang Xiyu, a senior fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, to state broadcaster CCTV on Saturday (25).
The YJ-20, also known as Eagle Strike-20, made its official debut in September last year during the Beijing military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, which commemorates the end of World War II.
The hypersonic missile is believed to be capable of sinking large surface combatants with a single strike at a range of 1,000 to 1,500 km. It has a cruising speed of around Mach 6 and a terminal dive speed reaching Mach 10.
Photo: X @ChinaMilBugle. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
