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

See also

Related development

Comparable missiles

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 New Mobile Coastal Variant of YJ-18 Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile Spotted in China - Navyrecognition.com, 5 August 2015
  2. 1 2 Pilger: China’s New YJ-18 Antiship Cruise Missile, p.2
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Pilger: China’s New YJ-18 Antiship Cruise Missile, p.3
  4. 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.
  5. United States Office of the Secretary of Defense: Annual Report To Congress 2015, p.46
  6. 1 2 United States Office of the Secretary of Defense: Annual Report To Congress 2015, p.10
  7. United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence: The PLA Navy, p.16
  8. "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
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