China Deploys Hypersonic Warships
The Chinese PLA Navy's fleet of Super Type 055 destroyers has reportedly expanded to 10 vessels. Each ship is armed with 112 vertical launch cells capable of firing hypersonic missiles with a claimed range of 2,000 km. The deployment underscores a focus on propulsion integration for rapid, long-range force projection.
The YJ-21 hypersonic missile, also known as the "Eagle Strike 21," is an anti-ship ballistic missile that uses a cold-launch method from the Type 055's vertical launch cells. It reportedly reaches a cruise speed of Mach 6 and a terminal velocity of up to Mach 10, making interception extremely difficult for current defense systems. The missile's design features a dual-cone hypersonic glide vehicle, allowing for unpredictable atmospheric maneuvers that challenge tracking and targeting solutions. With a range estimated between 1,000 and 1,500 km, the YJ-21 is a core component of China's anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy, designed to hold high-value naval assets like aircraft carriers at risk from a significant distance. Displacing up to 13,000 tons, the Type 055 is larger than the U.S. Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and is considered a cruiser by NATO standards. Its sensor suite includes a dual-band radar system, integrating S-band and X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, enhancing its ability to simultaneously track stealth aircraft and other threats. Production of the Type 055 is occurring at a rapid pace across multiple shipyards. The first batch of eight ships entered service between 2020 and 2023, and the second batch is already entering the fleet. The ninth and tenth ships were recently assigned to the Eastern Theater Command, which directly faces Taiwan. The Type 055's 112 VLS cells provide a larger missile capacity than the 96 cells on the latest Flight III Arleigh Burke destroyers. The U.S. Navy's next-generation DDG(X) program is intended to counter the Type 055 but is projected to cost over three times as much per hull and is not expected to enter service for more than a decade. Beyond its role as a missile platform, the Type 055 serves as a command hub and a key escort for China's expanding aircraft carrier strike groups. This capability is central to the PLA Navy's strategic shift from a coastal defense force to a global blue-water navy capable of sustained long-range deployments.
