YJ-12 | |
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![]() YJ-12A anti-ship missile launcher | |
Type | Anti-ship cruise missile |
Place of origin | China |
Service history | |
In service | c.2011–present |
Used by | |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) |
Specifications | |
Warhead | 205–500 kg (452–1,102 lb) [1] [2] |
Engine | integrated ramjet/booster propulsion system [3] |
Operational range | 250–270 nmi (290–310 mi; 460–500 km) |
Maximum speed | Mach 2.5 to 4 |
Guidance system | BeiDou satellite navigation with mid-course updates, terminal active radar homing |
Launch platform |
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The YJ-12 (Chinese :鹰击-12; pinyin :yīngjī-12; lit.'Eagle Strike 12') is a Chinese supersonic anti-ship cruise missile [4] [5] manufactured by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). [6]
The YJ-12 resembles a lengthened Kh-31-type missile. [3] According to the United States, the air-launched (YJ-12) and ship-launched (YJ-12A) variants have 270 nmi (310 mi; 500 km) ranges. [4] [5] Speeds of Mach 2.5 [3] to 4 [1] have been reported. The YJ-12 may perform evasive maneuvers to avoid anti-missile threats. [7]
According to War on the Rocks, a ship has 45 seconds to engage a YJ-12 after sea-skimming missile appears over the horizon and is detected. In 2014, the United States Navy (USN) intended to counter air-launched YJ-12 saturation attacks by destroying Chinese strike aircraft at long range before the missiles are launched; the tactic relies on Cooperative Engagement Capability. [8]
In August 2000, the Chinese unveiled a model of an air-launched missile labeled as the YJ-91, resembling the French Air-Sol Moyenne Portée. Later, a similar-looking missile was seen that may have been designated as the YJ-12. The YJ-91 designation ultimately went to the Chinese development of the Russian Kh-31. [9]
The YJ-12 appeared at the 2015 China Victory Day Parade, [10] indicating that the missile had entered active service since all weapons showcased during the parade are actively inducted prior to the parade. [11]
The YJ-12A was reportedly in development in 2014. [9] The YJ-12A entered service around 2020 aboard refitted Type 051B and Sovremenny-class destroyers of the People Liberation Army Navy. [12]
The YJ-12B was reportedly deployed to the Spratly Islands around April 2018. [13] They may cover the southern half of the South China Sea when based on three largest Chinese-controlled islands. [14]
Related development
Comparable missiles