State broadcaster CCTV published the footage on July 29. It appeared several days after a Chinese navigation warning related to missile testing near Taiwan.
The video shows the YJ-20 leaving a forward H/HT-1 universal vertical launch cell. The missile is ejected using a gas generator before its propulsion system takes over.
The Type 052D integration significantly broadens the potential number of YJ-20 launch platforms. China currently operates 35 Type 052D and Type 052DL destroyers, according to the report.
By comparison, only 10 larger Type 055 destroyers are currently in service. Until now, the YJ-20 had only been confirmed aboard that newer class.
A Type 052D displaces about 7,500 tons and carries 64 H/HT-1 vertical launch cells. The cells are divided between two 32-cell groups located forward and aft.
A Type 055 carries 112 H/HT-1 cells. Estimates based on missile dimensions suggest theoretical capacities of up to 32 YJ-20s on a Type 052D and 48 on a Type 055.
Those figures do not represent likely operational loads. The same launch cells are used for HHQ-9, YJ-18, CJ-series and CY-5 missiles.
The wider integration could distribute China’s ship-launched hypersonic capability across more surface combatants. The report said this would complicate U.S. and allied planning around carrier defense and missile interception in the Pacific.
The YJ-20 is described as a ballistic or aeroballistic missile with a maneuverable reentry vehicle. Its two-stage design combines a solid-fuel rocket motor with a biconic glide vehicle.
The missile is estimated to measure between 8.4 and 9 meters in length. Its diameter is reported at below 850 millimeters, with a warhead of about 800 kilograms.
Most estimates cited in the report place the YJ-20’s range between 1,000 and 1,500 kilometers. Some assessments put the maximum range at about 2,000 kilometers.
The missile is estimated to exceed Mach 6 during flight. Terminal speed is assessed at roughly Mach 9 to Mach 10.
At a range of around 1,500 kilometers, estimated flight time is eight to 10 minutes. The weapon is described as using BeiDou satellite navigation in midcourse and an infrared imaging seeker in the terminal phase.
The first documented YJ-20 launch took place in December 2025 from the Type 055 destroyer Wuxi. China described that firing as completing the missile’s introduction into service.
