China launches, I launch too! After China unveiled the new variant of the 052D destroyer launching the YJ-20 hypersonic missile, Japan also revealed its first successful launch of the Tomahawk missile.
On July 29th, China officially released footage through a documentary showing the new model of the 052D guided-missile destroyer launching the YJ-20 hypersonic missile. By the 31st, Japan claimed that its Maritime Self-Defense Force successfully conducted its first-ever launch of the Tomahawk cruise missile in the Pacific Ocean.
The timing of Japan’s first Tomahawk launch is clearly no coincidence. In my view, it carries strong intent—specifically directed against China—with the aim of creating an impression: “China launched, so did I; if China can do it, so can I.”
However, from the actual launch footage, there remains a significant gap. The YJ-20 launch employs a typical cold launch system: high-pressure gas generated by a gas ejector inside the launch tube forcibly propels the entire missile out vertically. After rising over ten meters, the missile ignites its engine—this method offers extremely high safety. That’s why we see thick gray high-pressure gas smoke surrounding China’s YJ-20 launch site.
In contrast, Japan’s Tomahawk cruise missile uses a hot launch method: relying on the missile’s own booster, which generates immense thrust to push it out of the launcher. After ascending a certain distance, the booster separates, followed by ignition of the turbofan cruise engine. As a result, during Japan’s ship-based missile launch, we observe a massive, bright flame.
Hot-launch systems require pre-ignition within the launch tube. If any malfunction occurs during this process, it could easily lead to an explosion inside the warship, posing a serious risk of chain reaction detonations (cascading explosions).
Conversely, cold launches ignite only after the missile has cleared the deck—by at least ten meters away from the ship. Even if something goes wrong, the worst outcome would be the missile falling into the sea, with almost no threat to the ship’s own safety. This is precisely why China prioritizes cold launch systems and designs hybrid cold-hot launchers. Therefore, compared to China’s advanced methods, Japan’s missile launch technology lags behind by at least half a generation—there’s really nothing to boast about.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872199375011019/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.