The world's fastest air-launched anti-ship cruise missile, China's YJ-15, seems to be in active service with the PLA Navy. This missile was first shown during last year's Victory Day parade without details of deployment. Analysts say the YJ-15 has a range of up to 500 km (310 miles) and flies at speeds between Mach 4 and 5. This speed makes it quicker than Russia's Kh-31AD and India's BrahMos-A, both under Mach 4, crowning YJ-15 as the fastest air-to-surface cruise missile worldwide. It uses advanced satellite, radar, and infrared imaging for precise targeting and is equipped with strong anti-jamming abilities. It can also perform terminal maneuvers to evade enemy defense systems. The missile weighs about one tonne, roughly half the weight of its counterpart, the YJ-12, allowing it to fit tactical fighters. It is set to replace the older, slower YJ-83K missile, closing an important tactical gap. The YJ-15 complements other Chinese missiles like the hypersonic "carrier killer" YJ-21 and the YJ-12 used by large bombers to threaten armed ships. While the YJ-15 strengthens carrier-based strike capabilities, China is also advancing other air-launched hypersonic missiles such as the YJ-17 and YJ-19, featured in last year's parade. The YJ-19, with its air-breathing scramjet design, holds promise for future hypersonic anti-ship warfare. In sharp contrast, the US military's hypersonic missile projects face delays and rising costs. The US Navy primarily relies on older, slower subsonic weapons like the AGM-84H Harpoon, which reaches only Mach 0.9 despite its long range and stealth features. Its latest "Quicksink" project depends on aircraft dropping unpowered bombs near enemy ships, showing a gap in cutting-edge missile technology compared to China.