China vs US in Ship-Launched Hypersonic Weapons .. Who is Ahead?

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

The People’s Liberation Army – Navy has fired off a deck-launched hypersonic weapon in what could be a demonstration that the Chinese Navy is ahead of the US Navy when it comes to ship-fired hypersonics. 

The Navy is making progress preparing to fire hypersonic weapons from its Zumwalt-class destroyers, yet the weapons are not slated to be operational until 2025. Certainly many details are not available on the Chinese ship-launched weapon, it would seem significant to know its range, flight trajectory, guidance systems and ability to track and hit moving targets at sea. 

Nonetheless, Military Watch magazine and Naval News both cite the existence of the YJ-21, in terms of a surface-ship-launched application. Both reports cite a People’s Liberation Army – Navy video showing the test-firing of the YJ-21 “hypersonic missile” from its emerging, quasi-stealthy Type 055 Destroyers.

US Navy Ship-Launched Hypersonics

The anticipated arrival of deck-launched hypersonic weapons on the US Navy Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers in 2025 is not happening a moment too soon given the current global threat equation regarding hyperonics. Of course when it comes to range, speed of attack and both offensive and defensive targeting, ship-fired hypersonics are expected to be truly paradigm-changing for maritime warfare. The Conventional Prompt Strike weapon, a hypersonic boost-glide vehicle, will hold an entirely new sphere of targets at risk.

However, how quickly will they arrive? Will it be in time to counter China’s fast-growing hypersonic weapons arsenal. Not long ago, US weapons developers publicly said the US was “number three” when it comes to hypersonic weapons, although the gap is likely narrowing quickly. Also, while it is known that China and Russia are both “testing” various hypersonic weapons they claim are operational, their actual functionality may or may not be as significant as claimed in Chinese and Russian media report.

Chinese Hypersonics