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
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenAlcott Weiin BeijingPublished: 7:13pm, 27 Apr 2026The 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.
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.
