According to available information, the firing marked the conclusion of a series of YJ-20 tests, clearing the way for the start of production. The missile was first publicly revealed during the Victory Parade in Beijing on 3 September 2025.
Type 055 Destroyer Wuxi conducted the YJ-20 AShM type approval test. pic.twitter.com/RA3b3kyVYi
— dafeng cao (@dafengcao) December 28, 2025
The YJ-20 is reported to reach around Mach 6 during its flight phase and up to Mach 9 in the terminal attack phase, with an estimated range of 1,500 to 2,000 kilometres. Chinese media had already released footage in 2022 showing the launch of a missile very similar to the YJ-20, although the effector was not named at that time.
As seen in the released footage, the missile leaves the launcher using a cold-launch method before its rocket motor ignites to accelerate it to the required speed. A hypersonic glide vehicle is then released, capable of manoeuvring at extreme speed, with the target struck at a near-vertical angle designed to make interception more difficult.
