About YJ-20 Hypersonic Missile:
- The YJ-20, also known as the Eagle Strike-20, is a hypersonic anti-ship missile developed by China.
- It is designed to target high-value naval assets at extended ranges.
- Features:
- It has a distinctive biconic aerodynamic form, a configuration that supports controlled glide at sustained hypersonic speeds after the initial rocket boost.
- This shape is essential for generating protective shockwaves that shield the control surfaces from heat during high-velocity flight.
- Regional military assessments place the missile’s range between 1,000 and 1,500 km with cruising speeds above Mach 6.
- The terminal flight path appears designed to allow a near-vertical descent combined with sharp lateral manoeuvres, a profile intended to compress defender reaction times and disrupt prediction models used by shipborne interceptors.
- It is capable of being launched from multiple platforms, including the Type 055 Renhai-class destroyers and H-6K strategic bombers, offering operational flexibility across maritime and continental strike missions.
