YJ-18
| YJ-18 | |
|---|---|
| Type |
Anti-ship cruise missile land attack cruise missile[1] |
| Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2015-present[2] |
| Used by | People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Specifications | |
| Warhead | 140–300 kg (310–660 lb) warhead[2] |
|
| |
Operational range | 220–540 km (140–340 mi; 120–290 nmi) |
| Speed |
Mach 0.8 (cruising) Mach 2.5-3.0 (terminal) |
Guidance system |
BeiDou Navigation Satellite System onboard radar seeker[3] |
Launch platform | |
The YJ-18 (Chinese: 鹰击-18; pinyin: yingji-18; literally: "eagle strike 18", NATO designation CH-SS-NX-13[4]) is a Chinese family of anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles.[1]
Description
The United States Department of Defense believes the YJ-18 is similar to the 3M-54 Klub, with a subsonic cruise mode and a supersonic terminal attack;[5] the missile is credited with a range of 290 nautical miles (330 mi; 540 km),[6] which would give it a threat ring of 264,200 sq nmi (349,900 sq mi; 906,000 km2).[3]
Some Western analysts believe the YJ-18 is a copy of the 3M-54E, with a cruising range of 180 km (110 mi; 97 nmi) at Mach 0.8 and a sprint range of 40 km (25 mi; 22 nmi) at Mach 2.5 to 3.0.[4][1]
The missile can be launched from vertical launching systems,[7] and possibly from submarine torpedo tubes.[4] Chinese media claims the missile has an inertial guidance system using BeiDou Navigation Satellite System data, and carries a 300 kg (660 lb) high-explosive warhead or an anti-radiation warhead to destroy electronics at short range.[8]
The YJ-18 is deployed aboard the Type 052D destroyer and will equip the future Type 055 destroyer. It may already be carried by the SHANG II-class nuclear attack submarine outfitted with VLS cells, will replace the YJ-82 aboard the YUAN-class air-independent propulsion (AIP) and SONG-class diesel-electric submarines, will likely deploy on the Type 095 submarine, and may be capable of deployment on Kilo-class submarines.[6][3] A land-based version could replace the subsonic YJ-62 with shore batteries.[3]
Variants
- YJ-18: Original land-attack variant launched from ships.[1]
- YJ-18A: Vertically-launched shipborne anti-ship variant, deployed aboard the Type 052D and the future Type 055.[1]
- YJ-18B: Submarine-launched variant.[1]
- Mobile Coastal Variant: Land-based version with unknown designation launched by 12×12 transporter erector launcher (TEL), possibly fitted with a larger booster for increased range.[1]
See also
Related development
Comparable missiles
References
- 1 2 Pilger: China’s New YJ-18 Antiship Cruise Missile, p.2
- 1 2 3 4 5 Pilger: China’s New YJ-18 Antiship Cruise Missile, p.3
- 1 2 3 Gormley, Dennis M.; Erickson, Andrew S.; Yuan, Jingdong (30 September 2014). "A Potent Vector: Assessing Chinese Cruise Missile Developments". Joint Forces Quarterly (National Defense University) (75): 102. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ↑ United States Office of the Secretary of Defense: Annual Report To Congress 2015, p.46
- 1 2 United States Office of the Secretary of Defense: Annual Report To Congress 2015, p.10
- ↑ United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence: The PLA Navy, p.16
- ↑ "简氏称中国鹰击-18反舰导弹可"空中急拐弯"(图)". mil.news.sina.com.cn. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- Bibliography
- Pilger, Michael (25 October 2015). China’s New YJ-18 Antiship Cruise Missile: Capabilities and Implications for U.S. Forces in the Western Pacific (PDF) (Report). United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence (2015). The PLA Navy: New Capabilities and Missions for the 21st Century (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- United States Office of the Secretary of Defense (8 May 2015). Annual Report To Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2015 (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 24 January 2015.