The YJ-21 (Chinese: 鹰击-21; pinyin: Yīngjī-èryāo; lit. 'eagle strike 21') is a Chinese hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile.[1][2] The missile is possibly based on an export-oriented ballistic missile produced by China, named CM-401, but with more advanced features and capabilities.[3] According to a 2023 People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force article, the missile has a cruise speed of Mach 6, and a terminal speed of Mach 10.[4] The missile was revealed by Chinese Navy ahead of its 73rd anniversary, launching from a universal vertical launch system of the Type 055 destroyer.[1][5] An export version called YJ-21E was showcased in Airshow China 2022.[6]
| YJ-21 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile |
| Place of origin | China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2022–present |
| Used by | People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Specifications | |
| Length | approx. 8.3 metres (27 ft) |
| Warhead | Conventional |
Operational range | approx. 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) (claimed) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 6 – Mach 10 (7,400–12,300 km/h) (claimed) |
Launch platform |
|
Variants
edit- YJ-21
- Ship-launched ballistic missile.
- KD-21
- Air-launched ballistic missile. First shown in Airshow China 2022. The missile was marked with the designation 2PZD-21 (Chinese: 配重导弹; pinyin: Pèi zhòng dǎo dàn), which indicates that it is a missile counterweight or inert missile.[7] Four missiles can be carried at once by a H-6K bomber. This missile is derived from YJ-21[8] or CM-401 anti-ship ballistic missile.[9] The missile is speculated to serve both land attack and anti-ship roles, and serve alongside the larger KF-21 (NATO designation: CH-AS-X-13) aero-ballistic missile.[10][11]
Operators
edit
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Chan, Minnie (20 April 2022). "Chinese navy shows off hypersonic anti-ship missiles in public". South China Morninhg Post.
- ^ Brown, Larisa (14 July 2022). "US building global constellation of satellites to track hypersonic missiles". The Times UK.
- ^ Ozberk, Tayfun (20 April 2022). "China Test-Fires New YJ-21 Hypersonic Missile". Naval News.
- ^ O'Rourke, Ronald (30 January 2024). China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress (Report). 277. Congressional Research Service. p. 14. RL33153. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Gatopoulos, Alex (22 April 2022). "Russia's Sarmat and China's YJ-21: What the missile tests mean". Aljazeera.
- ^ Williams, Zachary (21 November 2022). "Takeaways From China's Zhuhai Air Show 2022". The Diplomat.
- ^ "Chinese bomber launches new ballistic missile". Janes. 3 May 2024. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024.
- ^ "Chinese H-6K bomber now carries twice the 2PZD-21 hypersonic missiles as previously believed". armyrecognition. 3 July 2021.
- ^ Barrie, Douglas (25 November 2022). "Chinas air show but dont tell weapons development". International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- ^ Newdick, Thomas (1 May 2024). "China's H-6K Bomber Seen Firing Air-Launched Ballistic Missile For First Time". The War Zone.
- ^ Barrie, Douglas (10 June 2022). "Catapulting China's Carrier Capabilities". International Institute for Strategic Studies.
 | This article relating to missiles is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |