China Unveils New Footage Of Carrier-Killer Hypersonic Missile Launch From Destroyer

China continues to signal, through overt public-facing propaganda, its readiness to challenge the U.S directly.

Recent state media have published footage showing simulated naval conflict operations in the Caribbean, followed by the release of a video showcasing a hypersonic anti-ship missile capability.

On Sunday, Chinese media outlet Global Times published a video on X featuring the YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile.

“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,” Global Times said.

The outlet added, “It shows the finalization test of a ship-to-ship missile aboard the 10,000-ton-class large destroyer Wuxi. This is the first time an official media report has shown a live YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile being fired from a warship.”

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 hypersonic anti-ship missile (“carrier killer“) can travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, complicating the world’s most advanced missile defense systems and posing a direct threat to U.S. carrier strike groups. The weapon’s flight profile combines a high-speed boost phase with a maneuvering terminal phase designed to evade interceptor missiles, such as those from the U.S.’ Patriot Missile System.

Our assessment is that the public release of YJ-20 footage serves as further signaling, reinforcing Beijing’s message that U.S. naval power in the Pacific is increasingly contested. 

Earlier this month, we noted that China could be on the verge of a “DeepSeek moment” in hypersonic weapons, following a report claiming that a Mach 7 hypersonic glide weapon could be produced for as little as $100,000.

With both China and Russia deploying hypersonic missiles, the U.S., as far as is publicly known, does not currently have these next-generation weapons operational. That could change with President Trump’s new warships.