China deploys YJ-20 hypersonic missile on destroyer

Key facts

• China has displayed the YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile.
• The missile was shown deployed on a Type 052D destroyer.
• This deployment indicates a wider operational use of the missile.

China's military has demonstrated the deployment of its YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile aboard a Type 052D destroyer. State media reports and imagery indicate that the advanced weapon system is being integrated more broadly into naval operations. The Type 052D destroyer is a modern guided-missile destroyer, and its capacity to carry and launch the YJ-20 signifies an expansion of China's capabilities in hypersonic weaponry.