Chinese navy shows off hypersonic anti-ship missiles in public

[beijingwalker]

Chinese navy shows off hypersonic anti-ship missiles in public​

• Military analysts said displaying the YJ-21, or Eagle Strike 21, may be a warning to the United States or Taiwan
• The missiles are designed to target aircraft carrier strike groups

Published: 10:32pm, 20 Apr, 2022

Footage of the missile launch was released online. Photo: Weibo

The Chinese navy has shown off an advanced anti-ship missile ahead of celebrations to mark its 73rd anniversary this weekend.

It was the first time footage has been released of the YJ-21, or Eagle Strike-21, hypersonic missile, which can be carried by ships or warplanes.

The missile is estimated to have a range between 1,000 to 1,500km (600 to 930 miles), and is believed to be capable of hitting a whole carrier strike group

Video footage circulating on social media showed a missile that looks like YJ-21 being launched from a Type 055, the People’s Liberation Army’s largest and most advanced destroyer.

The Type 055, which has 112 vertical launch missile cells, is designed as a multipole warship armed with air-defence, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons.

Military analysts said the rare demonstration by the PLA could be seen as a strategic deterrence aimed at the United States and Taiwan.

A US navy carrier strike group took part in a joint exercise with Japan off the Korean peninsula last week.

Beijing-based naval analyst Li Jie said arming Type 055s with YJ-21 missiles was intended to deter foreign ships from getting involved in the event of an attack on Taiwan.

“The matching of the Type -55 and YJ-21 missile was designed for anti-access and area-denial to counter American’s maritime hegemony in the region,” Li said.

“The ship-borne YJ-21 missile, which has a range up to 1,000km, is able to hit any vessel in an aircraft carrier strike group.”

Zhou Chenming, a researcher from the Yuan Wang military science and technology think tank in Beijing, said the combat range of the air-launched YJ-21 could be increased to 1,500km, while its hypersonic speed made it more difficult to intercept.

Taiwan has been seeking increased military assistance from the United States after Congress approved a series of measures to support Ukraine after the Russian invasion.

Zhou said the unprecedented demonstration of YJ-21 by the Type 055 and H-6N had aimed at warning both Washington and Taipei that the PLA has many options for anti-access and area-denial strategy.

“Beijing is worrying that the unlimited US military assistance to Ukraine and a recent American congressional group tour to Taiwan might make Taipei believe Washington may provide the same help in the event of a conflict between the mainland and Taiwan,” Zhou said.

Lu Li-shih, a former instructor at Taiwan’s Naval Academy, said Type 055 destroyers were better defended against missile strikes than the Moskva, the Russian warship that sank last week.

“Indeed, the PLA has begun the systematic deployment of advanced missile systems to different platforms, not only the Type -55 destroyer, it’s creditable the YJ-21 could be also deployed to the Type -52D destroyers,” Lu said.

“Taiwan definitely needs more weapons to defend itself, because so far none of the early-warning and air-defence systems on Taiwanese warships is able to detect an attack by the YJ-21 missiles.”

Chinese navy shows off hypersonic anti-ship missiles

Military analysts said displaying the YJ-21, or Eagle Strike 21, may be a warning to the United States or Taiwan.

www.scmp.com

 

[beijingwalker]

China unveils world-first Sea Launch Anti Ship Ballistic Missile, a major threat to US Navy carrier​

On 19th April 2022, the Chinese Navy released a video showing a new type of missile. This is possibly the first time a Chinese shipborne vertical launched ballistic missile is revealed, or it could be a never seen before anti-missile.

Most online posts lean to the conclusion this is the new Chinese ship-borne anti-ship ballistic missile that has been rumored for years. It is likely the only anti-ship ballistic missile in service onboard a warship and the only one in history. The missile in the video has a similar shape as the Chinese Rocket Force DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile.

The size is unknown. But many online posts claim the warship launching this missile is a 055 class destroyer, a large size warship can be described as a cruiser. Therefore the new missile appears to be much bigger than the standard HQ-9 anti-aircraft missile or y j 18 anti-ship missile. The 055 class is reported to have a larger vertical launch system.

The missile appears to have two stages. A larger diameter booster stage, and a smaller upper stage. The missile booster has a thrust vectoring design, guiding the missile in the correct direction.

The missile adopts cold launch mode, high pressure gas pushes the missile out of the launcher system, then the booster engine ignites midair, pushing the missile to a higher altitude. The upper stage has a double cone shape tip, a signature of ballistic missiles with radar or other guidance sensor suites.

The booster does not seem to have aerodynamic rudders, and vector thrust control can be seen in the video. A flexible swing nozzle with a solid rocket booster is adopted, a breakthrough considering the size and weight of this huge missile.

To guide this missile to a designated target, it is reported that the Chinese have developed a comprehensive search and track network, including satellites and beyond-the-horizon radars.

The missile would have carried a radar or electrooptic guidance sensor suite in its head section inside the double cone, and a midcourse inertial plus data link would enhance its accuracy.

The biggest threat posed by this missile is that not many US navy warships are capable of shooting down ballistic missiles approaching at a few times of sound speed. Previously only Chinese Rocket Force land-based units have anti-ship ballistic missiles, now it is almost confirmed that Chinese Navy destroyers also have this unstoppable missile. It is again an example of Chinese military technology surpassing that of the US Navy.

 

[beijingwalker]

“Extirpator Of US Super Carriers” – China Flaunts Its Hypersonic YJ-21 Missile That Can ‘Knock-Off’ America’s Mightiest Warships​

April 21, 2022

Anti-ship missiles are an important part of China’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities. These missiles can provide PLA a ‘home advantage’ by blocking the adversarial navies from accessing contested regions along China’s coast.

One of the most lethal weapons in the Chinese armory is the YJ-21 anti-ship ballistic missile which remains shrouded in mystery.

However, in an unprecedented development, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has released what appears to be the first video footage of a Chinese warship, the Type 055 cruiser, firing a YJ-21 hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile.

The YJ-21 hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile in the video is related to the CM-401 developed by China, according to naval analyst H.I. Sutton. With 112 Vertical Launching System (VLS) cells, the Type 055 could carry a sizable hypersonic arsenal in a high-end battle.

Type 055 destroyer: CGTN

Earlier, the weapon manufacturer CASIC had stated that the missile could be deployed aboard a ship like the PLAN’s Type 055 cruiser, which is the vessel class featured in the recently published visuals.

Using a “skip-glide” flight pattern, the missile has a range of at least 180 miles. This implies that it flies virtually straight up in the beginning, and then skips off the atmosphere one or more times upon re-entry, turning its downward momentum into horizontal motion.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1516449360694820865

The US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on China’s naval capabilities had earlier noted that “China reportedly is also developing hypersonic glide vehicles that, if incorporated into Chinese ASBMs, could make Chinese ASBMs more difficult to intercept.”

The United States does not currently have an anti-ship ballistic missile similar to the ones operated by China. The US Navy is apparently collaborating with the US Army on the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile system, which will be launched from land, ship, and submarine platforms.

The US has a range advantage for ship-launched weapons: the Tomahawk Block Va and Vb cruise missiles that have a range of more than 1,000 nautical miles, though they are subsonic and hence easier to defeat.

File Image: H-6J Strategic Bomber

While this video ended up creating ripples among military watchers, there was another YJ-21 visual released on social media atop the Xian H-6N bomber that excited netizens. The missile has been kept away from the public gaze by the Chinese military.

Xian H-6N with YJ-21 ASBM​

Another video has surfaced on the internet that provides an extraordinary glimpse of a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Xian H-6N bomber carrying an air-launched anti-ship ballistic missile, or ASBM. This missile, also known as the CH-AS-X-13 in the West, is still a mystery in many aspects.

The massive missile shown on the H-6N’s centerline appears to be related to the YJ-21, or Eagle Strike 21, a ship-launched version of the ground-based DF-21D, another anti-ship ballistic missile that supposedly went operational in 2010.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1516442650689298444

The DF-21D missile, dubbed the “carrier killer,” initially follows a ballistic trajectory similar to that of a strategic nuclear missile, then leaves the atmosphere and re-enters it to release a re-entry vehicle that propels down to hit an aircraft carrier.

The Western CH-AS-X-13 designation denotes a weapon in the early stages of development. According to the US Defense Intelligence Agency’s China Military Power assessment from 2021, the H-6N is currently operationally fielded, yet the same document makes no mention of the missile’s status.

The markings on the aircraft in the video suggest it could be in service, but we can’t be certain.

Xian H-6N bomber (via Twitter)

As per the March 8 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on China’s naval capabilities, top US commanders think China’s arsenal of anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) can strike moving targets.

The YJ-21 or the DF-21D differs from conventional MRBMs in the way that they can maneuver dynamically during reentry and can target huge vessels during the terminal phase of flight.

The DF-21D and by virtue of that, the YJ-21 appear to be a fantastic armament system, capable of keeping US carrier strike groups far enough away from Chinese coasts to render their fighter planes and cruisers ineffective.

With a hypersonic terminal velocity typical of ballistic missiles, the DF-21D — and, by extension, the air-launched ASBM — would pose a particularly difficult danger to warship captains.

File Image: Chinese DF-21 Missile

It’s essentially a carrier killer that engages at hypersonic speeds and severe angles of descent, rendering most typical defensive weapons ineffective. Depending on its stage of flight, even modern anti-ballistic missile capabilities would struggle to intercept a DF-21D.

China’s ‘Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD)’ doctrine has influenced the development of ultra-long-range weapons systems capable of knocking out adversary platforms from afar while avoiding close combat.

China has created missiles that outrange any US weapon in that class, based on the principle of “not allowing the enemy to reach near the mainland.” The DF-21D and the YJ-21 are based on the same philosophy.

"Extirpator Of US Super Carriers" - China Flaunts Its Hypersonic YJ-21 Missile That Can 'Knock-Off' America's Mightiest Warships

Anti-ship missiles are an important part of China’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities. These missiles can provide PLA a ‘home advantage’ by blocking the adversarial navies from accessing contested regions along China’s coast. One of the most lethal weapons in the Chinese armory is...

eurasiantimes.com

 

[Asif Mayet]

“Extirpator Of US Super Carriers” – China Flaunts Its Hypersonic YJ-21 Missile That Can ‘Knock-Off’ America’s Mightiest Warships​

April 21, 2022

Anti-ship missiles are an important part of China’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities. These missiles can provide PLA a ‘home advantage’ by blocking the adversarial navies from accessing contested regions along China’s coast.

One of the most lethal weapons in the Chinese armory is the YJ-21 anti-ship ballistic missile which remains shrouded in mystery.

However, in an unprecedented development, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has released what appears to be the first video footage of a Chinese warship, the Type 055 cruiser, firing a YJ-21 hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile.

The YJ-21 hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile in the video is related to the CM-401 developed by China, according to naval analyst H.I. Sutton. With 112 Vertical Launching System (VLS) cells, the Type 055 could carry a sizable hypersonic arsenal in a high-end battle.

Type 055 destroyer: CGTN

Earlier, the weapon manufacturer CASIC had stated that the missile could be deployed aboard a ship like the PLAN’s Type 055 cruiser, which is the vessel class featured in the recently published visuals.

Using a “skip-glide” flight pattern, the missile has a range of at least 180 miles. This implies that it flies virtually straight up in the beginning, and then skips off the atmosphere one or more times upon re-entry, turning its downward momentum into horizontal motion.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1516449360694820865

The US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on China’s naval capabilities had earlier noted that “China reportedly is also developing hypersonic glide vehicles that, if incorporated into Chinese ASBMs, could make Chinese ASBMs more difficult to intercept.”

The United States does not currently have an anti-ship ballistic missile similar to the ones operated by China. The US Navy is apparently collaborating with the US Army on the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile system, which will be launched from land, ship, and submarine platforms.

The US has a range advantage for ship-launched weapons: the Tomahawk Block Va and Vb cruise missiles that have a range of more than 1,000 nautical miles, though they are subsonic and hence easier to defeat.

File Image: H-6J Strategic Bomber

While this video ended up creating ripples among military watchers, there was another YJ-21 visual released on social media atop the Xian H-6N bomber that excited netizens. The missile has been kept away from the public gaze by the Chinese military.

Xian H-6N with YJ-21 ASBM​

Another video has surfaced on the internet that provides an extraordinary glimpse of a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Xian H-6N bomber carrying an air-launched anti-ship ballistic missile, or ASBM. This missile, also known as the CH-AS-X-13 in the West, is still a mystery in many aspects.

The massive missile shown on the H-6N’s centerline appears to be related to the YJ-21, or Eagle Strike 21, a ship-launched version of the ground-based DF-21D, another anti-ship ballistic missile that supposedly went operational in 2010.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1516442650689298444

The DF-21D missile, dubbed the “carrier killer,” initially follows a ballistic trajectory similar to that of a strategic nuclear missile, then leaves the atmosphere and re-enters it to release a re-entry vehicle that propels down to hit an aircraft carrier.

The Western CH-AS-X-13 designation denotes a weapon in the early stages of development. According to the US Defense Intelligence Agency’s China Military Power assessment from 2021, the H-6N is currently operationally fielded, yet the same document makes no mention of the missile’s status.

The markings on the aircraft in the video suggest it could be in service, but we can’t be certain.

Xian H-6N bomber (via Twitter)

As per the March 8 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on China’s naval capabilities, top US commanders think China’s arsenal of anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) can strike moving targets.

The YJ-21 or the DF-21D differs from conventional MRBMs in the way that they can maneuver dynamically during reentry and can target huge vessels during the terminal phase of flight.

The DF-21D and by virtue of that, the YJ-21 appear to be a fantastic armament system, capable of keeping US carrier strike groups far enough away from Chinese coasts to render their fighter planes and cruisers ineffective.

With a hypersonic terminal velocity typical of ballistic missiles, the DF-21D — and, by extension, the air-launched ASBM — would pose a particularly difficult danger to warship captains.

File Image: Chinese DF-21 Missile

It’s essentially a carrier killer that engages at hypersonic speeds and severe angles of descent, rendering most typical defensive weapons ineffective. Depending on its stage of flight, even modern anti-ballistic missile capabilities would struggle to intercept a DF-21D.

China’s ‘Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD)’ doctrine has influenced the development of ultra-long-range weapons systems capable of knocking out adversary platforms from afar while avoiding close combat.

China has created missiles that outrange any US weapon in that class, based on the principle of “not allowing the enemy to reach near the mainland.” The DF-21D and the YJ-21 are based on the same philosophy.

"Extirpator Of US Super Carriers" - China Flaunts Its Hypersonic YJ-21 Missile That Can 'Knock-Off' America's Mightiest Warships

Anti-ship missiles are an important part of China’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities. These missiles can provide PLA a ‘home advantage’ by blocking the adversarial navies from accessing contested regions along China’s coast. One of the most lethal weapons in the Chinese armory is...

eurasiantimes.com