China: YJ-12 Anti-ship Missile–Carrier Killer When Coordinated with DF-21D Missile

Revelation of PLA’s aircraft carrier killer YJ-12 missile

Recently, foreign media have disclosed PLA’s aircraft carrier killer YJ-12, which is second in power only to DF-21D ballistic missile.

It is an advanced high-speed anti-ship missile with a range of 400 km able to break through all Western short-distance interception systems in service. Its speed reaches Mach 4 at the terminal stage.

YJ-12 is 7 meters long, a little smaller than Russian 3M55 and 3M80 missiles; therefore its launch weight may be a little smaller, but the mass of its anti-ship version at the terminal stage when its booster has been discarded is bigger; therefore, its launch weight may still be relatively bigger at somewhere between 2 and 2.5 metric tons according to experts in the industry.

According to military experts, YJ-12 is extremely accurate as it is guided by both the Beidou Satellite Navigation System and a terminal broadband active radar system. The missile first climbs to a certain height. When its data link has received confirmation of the parameters of its first target from the AEW&C, the guidance system sends the parameters to the flying control system and the missile begins to dive down to cruise at low altitude.

At that stage, the missile cruises at Mach 1.5 and the height of 12 to 15 meters silently under satellite navigational and inertial guidance. When the missile is within 50 km of its target, the active guidance radar is switched on to confirm with the satellite guidance the newest parameters of the target and then compare such parameters with those in the data link. After confirmation of the parameters, the missile enters the terminal attack stage.

According to analysis of its purpose by industrial sources, YJ-12 uses liquid ramjet most probably because in theory liquid fuel takes lots of air, generates high energy and adjustable thrust and is suitable for large variation of height and speed and long range.

YJ-12’s earliest carrier is a Flying Leopard fighter-bomber with a range of 1650 km.

Now Chinese naval air force has Su-30MKK, J-16 and H-6G/K, which are all ideal carriers of YJ-12 with longer range than that of Flying Leopard. They can conduct anti-aircraft carrier and anti-ship battle in a larger area.

British Jane’s Defence Weekly believes YJ-12 anti-ship missile can be launched not only from an aircraft but also from a warship, submarine and land launch vehicle. If coordinated by a long well-known DF-21D missile, it will enable China to have coordinated attacking capability from high and low, making it difficult for enemy warships, especially aircraft carrier to defend.

However, “As virtue rises one foot, vice rises ten.” YJ-12 anit-ship missile cannot be intercepted only for the time being. Only by researching into advanced technology with great efforts to always maintain a leading position can China be undefeatable.

Source: qianzhan.com “Disclosure of PLA’s aircraft carrier killer that is able to sunk an aircraft carrier when coordinated with DF-21D” (excerpts translated from Chinese by Chan Kai Yee)

Related posts:

• China: DF-21C Aircraft Carrier Killer Missiles Showed Their Strength in Gobi Desert dated July 23
• Bare the Mystery of China’s DF-21C, D Anti-aircraft Carrier Missiles dated March 19

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