YJ-21 missile deployed in PLA's joint drills around Taiwan; secessionists have no way to deal with it: expert
Advanced weapons and equipment such as the Type 054A frigate, the DF-15 ballistic missile, the H-6K bomber and the Y-20 transport aircraft have joined the PLA Eastern Theater Command's joint exercise around the island of Taiwan on Tuesday, a video released by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command showed. During the exercises, the H-6K bomber carried YJ-21 air-launched ballistic missile, which was unveiled previously at Airshow China.
The YJ-21 missile's appearance in the drills by the PLA Eastern Theater Command indicates a high level of combat realism. The missile has key significance in seizing comprehensive control, and the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces have no way to deal with this type of missile, a military affairs expert told the Global Times on Tuesday.
A PLA Eastern Theater Command video on Tuesday showed an H-6K bomber lifting off with two YJ-21 missiles.
The YJ-21 missile was unveiled at the Airshow China 2022.
In a video released by the PLA Air Force in 2024 celebrating the service's 75th founding anniversary, the launch scene of the YJ-21 was for the first time shown to the public. Military affairs expert Wang Mingzhi told media that the YJ-21 is an advanced air-launched ballistic missile, giving the PLA Air Force an advanced means to strike with long range, fast speed, high precision, strong defense penetration capability and high destructive power.
The participation of the YJ-21 in the joint exercises around Taiwan Island has a profound significance. Military affairs expert Zhang Junshe told the Global Times on Tuesday that the missile's participation showed that the drills by the PLA Eastern Theater Command is very close to actual combat, and the participating troops are ready to fight any time.
The YJ-21, as a missile with hypersonic defense penetration capability, has key significance in the seizure of comprehensive control, anti-sea and land attack, as well as blockading key areas and routes, Zhang said, noting that comprehensive control in modern warfare covers a wide range, including not only the traditional control of the sea, air and land, but also control over electromagnetic domain and cyberspace. Achieving this requires land strikes, electromagnetic warfare, and destruction of high-value targets like command centers and network hubs. "
Because hypersonic missiles can reach speeds higher than Mach 6, the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces' current air defense systems have no way to deal with the YJ-21 - in fact there are hardly any force in the world that can effectively intercept it, Zhang said.