"believed to be capable of sinking a large surface combatant – even an aircraft carrier – with a single hit" [aircraft carrier]
The explicit claim that a mass-produced sea-based hypersonic missile can sink a carrier with one hit directly supports the structural claim that carrier deterrence is being eroded by asymmetric anti-ship capability.
Reasoning from this article
The article frames the YJ-20 not as a prototype but as a mass-produced system integrated into the Type 055 destroyer's VLS, meaning the capability is already distributed across the fleet rather than experimental. This generalizes to a broader pattern: hypersonic boost-glide anti-ship missiles are converting surface fleets from power-projection platforms into high-value liabilities within adversary strike envelopes, a dynamic that applies equally to any navy relying on carrier-centric doctrine against a peer competitor fielding such weapons.