YJ-18
Anti-ship cruise missile
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The YJ-18 (Chinese: 鹰击-18; pinyin: yingji-18; lit. 'eagle strike 18', NATO designation CH-SS-NX-13[7]) is a Chinese anti-ship cruise missile.
| 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] |
| Specifications | |
| Warhead | 140–300 kg (310–660 lb) warhead[2] |
Operational range | 220–540 km (140–340 mi; 120–290 nmi) (anti-ship variant) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 0.8 (cruising) Mach 2.5–3.0 (terminal) (anti-ship variant) |
Guidance system | BeiDou-assisted inertial navigation system (optional mid-course update through datalink) Terminal active radar homing[3][4] |
Launch platform | |
Description
The United States believes the YJ-18 is similar to,[8] or is a copy of,[7] the Russian 3M-54 Klub. According to the United States Department of Defense, the YJ-18 has a subsonic cruise mode and a supersonic terminal attack.[8] Performance estimates include a range of 290 nautical miles (330 mi; 540 km),[9] with a threat ring of 264,200 sq nmi (349,900 mi2; 906,000 km2),[3] and 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.[7]
The missile can be launched from vertical launching systems,[10] and possibly from submarine torpedo tubes.[7] 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 with an anti-radiation seeker.[4]
The YJ-18 is deployed aboard the Type 052D destroyer and the Type 055 destroyer. It may already be carried by the Shang II-class nuclear attack submarine outfitted with VLS cells, will replace the 20 nmi (23 mi; 37 km)-range 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.[9][3] A land-based version could replace the subsonic 400 km (250 mi; 220 nmi)-range YJ-62 with shore batteries.[3][7]
Variants
- YJ-18
- Original version, launched from torpedo tubes.[5]
- YJ-18A
- Launched from vertical launch system (VLS) cells on surface vessels. It entered service in 2015.[5]
- YJ-18B
- Designed for vertical launch systems (VLS) on submarines.[5]
- YJ-18C
- Land-attack variant designed to be disguised in commercial shipping containers.[5] It's a subsonic missile with a stealth design.[11] Unveiled at the 2025 China Victory Day Parade.[12]
Operators
See also
Related development
- YJ-12 – (China)
Comparable missiles
- 3M-54 Klub – (Russia)
- BrahMos – (India, Russia)
- P-800 Oniks – (Russia)
- Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon – (France, Italy, United Kingdom)
- 3M-54 Kalibr – (Russia)