SOURCE: AFI
China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has bolstered its arsenal with the YJ-18, a new family of anti-ship cruise missiles designed to challenge regional adversaries. This article delves into the YJ-18’s origins, capabilities, and potential future variants.
The YJ-18’s development timeline remains somewhat murky. While inspired by the Russian 3M-54E Club missile, it’s unclear if its design stems from collaboration or independent engineering. Public mentions surfaced around 2009, with testing concluding in 2013 and official service commencing in 2014.
The YJ-18’s design philosophy is evident: achieve the long range of subsonic missiles like the YJ-62 while incorporating the survivability of supersonic offerings like the YJ-12. This is accomplished through a multistage design.
The YJ-18 employs a subsonic turbojet engine for cruising, followed by a supersonic terminal stage launched 40 kilometers before impact. This two-stage approach significantly reduces enemy reaction time compared to purely subsonic missiles. The supersonic stage, reaching speeds of Mach 3-4, shrinks the response window from around 2 minutes to a mere 30 seconds after crossing the radar horizon.
The YJ-18 boasts exceptional maneuverability, employing violent 10G S-shaped maneuvers during the terminal phase. This agility enhances its ability to evade Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS) and short-range missiles employed for defense against incoming threats.
The YJ-18 relies on Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) with updates from China’s BeiDou satellite constellation, enabling it to exploit its full operational range. An active radar in the terminal phase further aids in precise targeting. The effectiveness of this targeting system hinges on a robust Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) network.
The YJ-18’s exact range remains under speculation. Estimates range from figures similar to the export-restricted 3M-54E (around 220 kilometers) to over 500 kilometers. The latter seems unlikely based on the subsonic stage’s dimensions. Warhead size is also estimated to be in the 200-300 kilogram range, with potential anti-radiation capabilities.
The YJ-18 comes in two primary variants: the YJ-18A for surface vessels and the YJ-18B for submarines. The YJ-18A equips PLAN destroyers like the Type 052D and Type 055, launched from vertical launching systems using a hot launch method. The YJ-18B equips various PLAN submarines, including the Type 039A/B/C and Type 093 attack submarines.
China is likely developing land-attack and anti-submarine variants of the YJ-18, mirroring the functionalities of the US Tomahawk and VL-ASROC missiles. Additionally, rumors of a container-launched YJ-18C and a torpedo-armed variant persist, though confirmation is lacking.