YJ-21

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YJ-21
TypeHypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile
Place of originChina
Service history
In service2022–present
Used byPeople's Liberation Army Navy
Production history
ManufacturerCALT?/SAST?
Specifications
Lengthapprox. 8.3 metres (27 ft)
WarheadConventional
Operational
range
approx. 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) (claimed)
Maximum speedMach 6 – Mach 10 (7,400–12,300 km/h) (claimed)
Launch
platform

The YJ-21 (Chinese: 鹰击-21; pinyin: Yīngjī-èryāo; lit. 'eagle strike 21') is a Chinese hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile.[1][2]

History and development

An export version called YJ-21E was showcased in Airshow China 2022, depicted underslung from the H-6K bomber.[3]

The air-launched YJ-21, also called KD-21, was showcased by Chinese state media in 2024.[4] The export version, YJ-21E, was displayed at the Zhuhai Airshow again in November 2024.[5] In July 2024, a photograph showed the H-6K bomber taking off while carrying four KD-21 missiles.[6] In the same year, the KD-21 was also depicted as part of the armaments for China's CH-Series unmanned aerial vehicles.[7]

In April 2025, the Chinese Air Force (PLAAF) official media account displayed H-6 bombers fitted with YJ-21 (KD-21) missiles.[8] This report confirmed for the first time that KD-21 is operational with the PLAAF.[9][10]

In 2022, an unidentified hypersonic missile was revealed by the Chinese Navy ahead of its 73rd anniversary, launching from a universal vertical launch system of the Type 055 destroyer. The Chinese Navy did not reveal the missile's designation, but defense analysts believed it to be the ship-launched version of the YJ-21.[1][11] However, with the emergence of the YJ-20 hypersonic missile in 2025, having a more closely aligned profile to the missile launched by Type 055 in 2022, analysts believed these were two separate missile developments.[12][13][14]

In December 2025, Chengdu J-10C was photographed carrying YJ-21 (YJ-21E).[15]

Design

According to a 2023 People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force article, the missile has a cruise speed of Mach 6, and a terminal speed of Mach 10. The missile could be launched from China's Type 055 destroyer or the H-6 bomber.[16]

Variants

YJ-21
Original designation
YJ-21E
Export variant[3]
KD-21
Air-launched ballistic missile. First shown at Airshow China 2022.[17] Four missiles can be carried at once by a H-6K bomber. This missile is derived from YJ-21[18] or CM-401 anti-ship ballistic missile.[19] The missile is speculated to serve both land attack and anti-ship roles, and serve alongside the larger KF-21 (NATO designation: CH-AS-X-13) aero-ballistic missile.[20][21]

Operators

See also

References

  1. Chan, Minnie (20 April 2022). "Chinese navy shows off hypersonic anti-ship missiles in public". South China Morninhg Post.
  2. Brown, Larisa (14 July 2022). "US building global constellation of satellites to track hypersonic missiles". The Times UK.
  3. Williams, Zachary (21 November 2022). "Takeaways From China's Zhuhai Air Show 2022". The Diplomat.
  4. "高超弹真敞开卖？鹰击21外贸版现身，搭配彩虹7一起下单效果更佳". Sohu News. 22 December 2024.
  5. "YJ-21 Missile Underscores China's Hypersonic Weaponry Leadership". armyrecognition. 15 November 2024.
  6. Satam, Parth; D'Urso, Stefano (14 July 2024). "China's H-6K Bomber Spotted Carrying Four Carrier-Killer Ballistic Missiles For The First Time". The Aviationist.
  7. Satam, Parth (16 October 2024). "China's Carrier-Killing KD-21 Ballistic Missile Shown as Part of CH-Series UCAV's Munitions". The Aviationist.
  8. Zhen, Liu; Wong, Enoch (3 April 2025). "Are Beijing's hypersonic anti-ship missiles in Taiwan Strait a warning for US?". South China Morning Post.
  9. Malyasov, Dylan (1 April 2025). "Chinese bomber spotted carrying KD-21 ballistic missiles". Defense Blog.
  10. Newdick, Thomas (1 April 2025). "China's KD-21 Air-Launched Ballistic Missile Appears To Be Operational". The War Zone.
  11. Gatopoulos, Alex (22 April 2022). "Russia's Sarmat and China's YJ-21: What the missile tests mean". Aljazeera.
  12. Trevithick, Joseph (19 August 2025). "All The New Chinese Missiles Spotted During Its Massive Military Parade Rehearsal". The War Zone.
  13. Pryhodko, Roman (17 August 2025). "China to Demonstrate New Hypersonic and Supersonic Missiles at Beijing Parade". Militarnyi.
  14. "对比东风-17：解析鹰击-20高超弹的独特优势与性能短板". Tencent News. 30 August 2025.
  15. Satam, Parth (27 December 2025). "China's J-10C Allegedly Seen Carrying YJ-21E Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile for the First Time". The Aviationist.
  16. O'Rourke, Ronald (30 January 2024). China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress (Report). 277. Congressional Research Service. p. 14. RL33153. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  17. "Chinese bomber launches new ballistic missile". Janes. 3 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. "Chinese H-6K bomber now carries twice the 2PZD-21 hypersonic missiles as previously believed". armyrecognition. 3 July 2021.
  19. Barrie, Douglas (25 November 2022). "Chinas air show but dont tell weapons development". International Institute for Strategic Studies.
  20. Newdick, Thomas (1 May 2024). "China's H-6K Bomber Seen Firing Air-Launched Ballistic Missile For First Time". The War Zone.
  21. Barrie, Douglas (10 June 2022). "Catapulting China's Carrier Capabilities". International Institute for Strategic Studies.