The YJ-12 () is a Chinese supersonic anti-ship

cruise missile A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...

manufactured by

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) is a Chinese state-owned enterprise that designs, develops and manufactures a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. CASI ...

(CASIC).

Description

The YJ-12 resembles a lengthened

Kh-31 The Kh-31 (; AS-17 'Krypton') is a Soviet and Russian air-to-surface missile carried by aircraft such as the MiG-29, Su-35 and the Su-57. It is capable of Mach number, Mach 3.5 and was the first supersonic anti-ship missile that could be launched ...

-type missile. According to the United States, the air-launched (YJ-12) and ship-launched (YJ-12A) variants have ranges. Speeds of Mach 2.5 to 4 have been reported. The YJ-12 may perform evasive maneuvers to avoid anti-missile threats. 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 The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

(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.

Development

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

. The YJ-12 appeared at the

2015 China Victory Day Parade The 2015 China Victory Day parade was a military parade held along Chang'an Avenue, Beijing, on 3 September 2015 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day of World War II. The commemoration was the first high-profile militar ...

, indicating that the missile had entered active service since all weapons showcased during the parade are actively inducted prior to the parade. The YJ-12A was reportedly in development in 2014. The YJ-12A entered service around 2020 aboard refitted Type 051B and Sovremenny-class destroyers of the People Liberation Army Navy. The YJ-12B was reportedly deployed to the

Spratly Islands The Spratly Islands (; zh, s=南沙群岛, t=南沙群島, p=Nánshā Qúndǎo; ; ) are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea. Composed of islands, islets, cays, and more than 100 reefs, sometimes grouped in submerged old atoll ...

around April 2018. They may cover the southern half of the South China Sea when based on three largest Chinese-controlled islands.

Variants

; YJ-12 : Air-launched variant with a range. ; YJ-12A : Ship-launched variant with a range. ; YJ-12B : Land-based variant with a range. ; CM-302 : Export variant. According to the

, it is an anti-ship and land-attack missile with a range, a warhead, and launched from air, land, and naval platforms The missile uses BeiDou satellite navigation, with

active radar Active may refer to: Music * ''Active'' (album), a 1992 album by Casiopea * "Active" (song), a 2024 song by Asake and Travis Scott from Asake's album ''Lungu Boy'' * Active Records, a record label Ships * ''Active'' (ship), several com ...

terminal guidance In the field of weaponry, terminal guidance refers to any guidance system that is primarily or solely active during the "terminal phase", just before the weapon impacts its target. The term is generally used in reference to missile guidance syst ...

; the target may be updated by data-link.

Operators

Current operators

; * Algerian National Navy, CM-302 (land-based) ; *

Pakistan Navy The Pakistan Navy (PN) (; ''romanized'': Pākistān Bahrí'a; ) is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Com ...

, CM-302 (ship-launched) ; *

People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force, also referred to as the Chinese Air Force () or the People's Air Force (), is the primary aerial warfare service of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAAF controls most of the PLA's air assets, includi ...

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy, also known as the People's Navy, PLA Navy or simply Chinese Navy, is the naval warfare military branch, branch of the People's Liberation Army, the national military of the People's Republic of China. It i ...

** People's Liberation Army Navy Coastal Defense Force

References