Video of PLA Navy strike tests emerges as US, allies take part in Balikatan 2026, marking Japan's first-ever operational role in the drills
Quick Look
- The Chinese military aired footage over the weekend of YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile launches, as joint US-Philippines-Japan drills heighten tensions in the disputed South China Sea.
- China Military Bugle posted a video of PLA Navy conducting strike tests, including multiple YJ-20 launches, two days after Beijing said a naval fleet led by Type 055 destroyer Zunyi had conducted live-fire drills east of Luzon.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The South China Sea is a disputed territory with overlapping claims from China, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. China claims almost the entire sea based on its nine-dash line, while the Philippines has challenged this in international tribunals. The YJ-20 is a long-range hypersonic anti-ship missile that represents a significant advancement in Chinese military capability.
The Chinese military aired footage over the weekend of YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile launches, as joint US-Philippines-Japan drills heighten tensions in the disputed South China Sea.
China Military Bugle, a social media account run by the People's Liberation Army, posted a video on Sunday of the PLA Navy conducting strike tests at sea, including multiple YJ-20 launches. The post did not specify when and where the missiles were fired.
However, the footage was released two days after Beijing said a naval fleet led by Type 055 destroyer Zunyi had "recently conducted" live-fire drills and joint air-sea exercises in waters east of Luzon, a Philippine island near Taiwan.
While some of the footage matched video released by the PLA last December of the Type 055 destroyer Wuxi test-firing a YJ-20, Sunday's video included two new shots of the launch.
The PLA's Southern Theatre Command, which focuses on the South China Sea, said on Friday that the exercises led by the Zunyi were "necessary actions taken in response to the current regional situation".
Open Questions
- When exactly were the YJ-20 missiles fired?
- Where exactly did the missile tests occur?
- What was Japan's specific operational role in Balikatan 2026?
- How did the US respond to the Chinese missile tests?
