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YJ-15 missile, YJ-19, YJ-17, YJ-20 hypersonic missiles make debut, demonstrating rich technological paths of China's hypersonic missiles: experts

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun, Fan Wei and Liang Rui Published: Sep 03, 2025 11:43 AM

Four new types of YJ series anti-ship missiles were displayed for the first time at the V-Day military parade on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, showing new scenarios in which victories will be achieved through speed with new technological configurations.

Military affairs experts told the Global Times that among the four types of anti-ship missiles, three are hypersonic missiles, and they adopt different configurations, demonstrating the rich technological paths of China's hypersonic missiles. With diverse carrying platforms, it is difficult for existing anti-ship missile defense systems in the world to effectively intercept them.

The anti-ship missile formation at the military parade consisted the YJ-15 missile and the YJ-19, YJ-17 and YJ-20 hypersonic missiles. They can be carried by multiple platforms such as shipborne aircraft, surface vessels and submarines. With long range, fast speed and highly destructive power, they are top weapons against enemies from the sea.

"By appearance, the four types of YJ series anti-ship missiles unveiled this time are different and adopt different configurations, which also means that they have adopted different technological paths," military expert Wang Yunfei told the Global Times.

He said that the newly debuted YJ-15 is relatively small in size among these four new anti-ship missiles, having some similarities with the YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missile that was displayed at the military parade 10 years ago, as both missiles use an axisymmetric four-inlet layout. This means the YJ-15 should at least be able to achieve a supersonic flight speed, Wang said.

The YJ-17 anti-ship missile has a flat warhead and adopts a boost-glide waverider configuration, possessing hypersonic characteristics. It is expected that this type of missile can achieve flexible maneuvering and trajectory change, increasing the difficulty of interception, according to Wang.

By the look of it, the new YJ-19 also adopts a waverider configuration, but it has an air inlet under the missile body, marking the characteristics of an air-breathing hypersonic weapon, the expert said.

The new YJ-20 anti-ship missile, on the other hand, adopts a bi-conic configuration, Wang said, noting that this boost-glide anti-ship missile is also a type of hypersonic weapon. It has a larger size, so it will likely be launched from larger warships, he said.

"Generally speaking, missiles that fly at speeds exceeding 5 times the speed of sound are considered hypersonic missiles, but strictly speaking, only missiles that primarily fly in the atmosphere and can achieve significant maneuverability can be considered hypersonic missiles," military affairs expert Zhang Junshe told the Global Times.

Based on this definition, hypersonic missiles can be divided into two categories. The first category is the boost-glide hypersonic missile, like the YJ-17, which consists of a booster and a glider. Compared to traditional ballistic missiles, it has stronger maneuverability and can make significant lateral and longitudinal maneuvers in the atmosphere through aerodynamics, making it difficult for defense systems to predict its flight path and final point of interception, Zhang said.

He further explained that the second category is the air-breathing hypersonic cruise missile. Generally speaking, air-breathing hypersonic cruise missiles use scramjet engine technology to achieve full-course powered flight. At the same range, compared to other hypersonic missiles, air-breathing hypersonic cruise missiles can be smaller in size and fly faster, expected to maintain Mach 10 or even higher. Additionally, air-breathing hypersonic cruise missiles have stronger maneuverability and are more difficult to intercept.

As for the YJ-20, which looks similar to a ballistic missile, Zhang said its speed could also reach hypersonic, and it can strike large surface vessels at nearly vertical angles. "The YJ-20 uses a bi-conic configuration. The small cone at the top of the warhead can form shock waves on the surface of the missile during hypersonic flight, thereby protecting the air rudders behind it. Through the air rudders, maneuvering can be carried out at the terminal phase of the missile's flight, further increasing the missile's defense penetration capability," he said.

While the waverider and bi-conic boost-glide configurations are already seen on the previously showcased DF-17 and DF-26 missiles, the YJ-19 that is designed with air inlet is particularly a highlight. Military affairs expert Fu Qianshao told the Global Times that having air inlet means that this type of missile does not require the use of rocket engines with built-in oxidants for propulsion, but instead obtains oxygen during flight through the air inlet, which can significantly reduce the volume and weight of the missile.

The YJ-19 is a tactical missile, but the engineering breakthroughs in related technologies have strategic significance. The deployment of this type of missile is expected to greatly reduce the maneuvering space and intervention capability of the opponent's large fleet, becoming a weapon to defend national sovereignty and security, Fu said.

In addition to the rich technological paths, the four anti-ship missiles can also be launched by diverse platforms. Wang believes that the four types of YJ series anti-ship missiles showcased this time can not only be carried on Type 052D and Type 055 destroyers, but also have the potential to be carried on air platforms such as H-6 series bombers.

"The richness of missile configurations, combined with the diversification of launch platforms, can achieve the effect of diversified strike styles. China not only has subsonic missiles that penetrate defenses at low altitudes, but also hypersonic boost-glide missile in attacks, as well as unpredictable air-breathing hypersonic missiles, which are extremely challenging for shipborne defense systems. In the situation where each missile is already extremely difficult to deal with, using a combination approach will make it extremely difficult for existing anti-ship missile defense systems by any other country in the world to effectively intercept and defend against," said Wang.

Zhang said that the four types of anti-ship missiles showcased this time have very rich technological paths, which also makes China's means of anti-ship operations at sea more diverse. In addition, the platforms carrying the four types of anti-ship missiles are also very rich, as the missiles can be deployed on various platforms such as carrier-borne fighter jets, large surface vessels and attack submarines, thereby improving the Chinese military's ability to engage in far seas combat and increasing the country's defense depth.