Date Posted: 29 January 2002 Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems 37
CY-1 (YJ-8)
First seen in 1987, the Chinese appear to have produced an anti-submarine missile similar to the US RUR-5 ASROC system. CY-1 has been seen fitted to `Luda 3' class destroyers in four twin inclined launch canisters. The missile has a range of 18 km and carries a torpedo warhead. At launch, CY-1 is 5.5 m long and weighs 700 kg. It is believed to use a Ying Ji 1 (C-801) boost and sustainer motor assembly together with a torpedo similar to the Whitehead A244. The torpedo is reported to be 2.7 m long, to have a body diameter of 0.32 m, a 34 kg HE warhead and a total weight of 220 kg. The torpedo is believed to have a range of 6 km and a speed of 30 kt. It is possible that the CY-1 missile also has the Chinese designator YJ-8 and that the latest version of this missile, designated YJ-83, has been
encapsulated for launch underwater from the torpedo tubes of 'Kilo' and 'Song' class submarines.
However, there are contradictory reports suggesting that YJ-8 is in effect a reverse-engineered version of the SM-39 Exocet missile, with YJ-82 the encapsulated version for launch from torpedo tubes.
DF-25
The DF-25 (East Wind-25) mobile ground-launched IRBM programme was believed to be in development with an expected in-service date of 2000. This two-stage solid-propellant missile was reported to have a range of 1,700 km and a conventional HE warhead weighing 2,000 kg. The payload could be a unitary HE warhead, submunitions or chemical. The first two stages of the DF-31 missile are believed to have been used for DF-25. An unconfirmed report in 1993 suggested that this programme
missile weighing around 1,600 to 2,000 kg at launch, with a maximum range of 400 km. It is reported to cruise at 15 km altitude at M5.0, and to have a dual-mode active/passive radar seeker. The missile is believed to have a length of 6.0 m, a body diameter of 0.52 m and to carry a HE warhead between 150 and 410 kg. This missile would be too heavy for air-launch, and is expected only to be used for ground-or ship-launch.
TV-guided ASM
Unconfirmed reports in 1998 indicated that a new TV-guided air-to-surface missile was in development in China, with a range of 150 km and a launch weight of around 1,500 kg. The missile will be carried on the JH-7/FBC-1 and FC-1 aircraft, and possibly on the J-11 (Su-27/30 'Flanker'). The missile may have the designator AMR-1. A new missile, possibly similar, was displayed in Iran in September 1998, with four delta wings at mid-body and four moving delta control fins at the rear.
YJ-9
There were unconfirmed reports in 1995 that Israel had sold some STAR-1 anti-radar missiles to China and these had the Chinese designator YJ-9. However, these reports were denied. STAR-1 was based upon the Delilah UAV, itself based on an early USA BQM-74 Chukar UAV design. STAR-1 has a length of 2.71 m, a body diameter of 0.33 m, a launch weight of 190 kg and a blast fragmentation
warhead of 30 kg. The missile is guided by a broadband passive radar seeker and has a range of 100 km.
Reports also suggested that an improved version is now in development, with a range increased to 400 km and a larger warhead. It is believed that YJ-9 is also an anti-radar missile, but again there may be confusion between the STAR-1 design and the AS-17 'Krypton' programme, described below.
YJ-91/YJ-12
An air-to-surface missile, designated YJ-91, was first seen in model form in August 2000, under the centre fuselage of a FBC-1/JH-7 aircraft. The missile looks similar to the French ASMP, with two rectangular air-inlets each side of the body, four tail control fins, and a ramjet motor. It is believed that the YJ-91 has a range of 400 km. A similar missile has been seen, but with the designator YJ-12, and this was described as a supersonic anti-ship missile, with a HE warhead of 205 kg, and an active radar terminal seeker.
AS-17 'Krypton'/Kh-31/KR-1
A stealthy UCAV model was exhibited in China in 2000. This had a delta wing platform, with a rectangular body. Two turbojets were mounted on the top of the rear body, with a 'V' shaped tail. The UCAV had a planned range of 1,500 km.
Nuclear bombs
The Chinese first tested a nuclear device in 1964, and this was a nuclear bomb weighing 1,550 kg with a yield of 20 kT. Their second nuclear test was made in 1965, which was an air-drop from a Tu-16
'Badger'(H-6) bomber, and had a yield of 35 kT. It is believed that the Chinese developed three basic nuclear bomb types. A tactical nuclear bomb with a yield of 15 to 20 kT, and two strategic nuclear bombs with yields of 200 kT and 3.0 MT. The majority of the Chinese nuclear tests in the 1960s and early 1970s were using these bombs, but later tests then developed ballistic missile warheads. It is reported that the nuclear warheads were developed at the North West Nuclear Weapons Research and Design Academy, also known as the 9th Academy, at Haiyan, and at the Beijing Nuclear Weapons Research Institute. There are probably 150 tactical nuclear bombs available in China today.
Guided WM-80
A report in 1999 indicated that the Chinese company, NORINCO had developed guided (INS/GPS) and extended range versions of their WM-80 rocket series. The rockets have a length of 4.58 m, a body diameter of 0.273 m, a weight of 505 kg, and a range of 80 km. The extended range version has a range of 120 km. A 150 kg warhead can be unitary HE blast/fragmentation or 380 submunitions. The rocket motor has 205 kg of solid propellant, which gives a peak velocity of 1.1 km/sec. The launcher vehicle uses a modified TA-550 8×8 wheeled chassis, and carries 8 rocket canisters with a total loaded weight of 34,000 kg. The TEL has a crew of 5, and can travel at up to 70 km/hr on roads. The original WM-80 rockets entered service in 1983.
SS-N-22 'Sunburn' (Fu-Feng-1)
The Chinese bought some SS-N-22 'Sunburn' ship-launched anti-ship cruise missiles from Russia for their two 'Sovremenny' class (type 956) destroyers, which were delivered in 2000 and 2001. It is
believed that the Chinese are manufacturing these missiles under licence, and that they will be improved versions, with the Chinese designator Fu-Feng-1. It is possible that the improved version will be fitted to the new attack submarines, type 093 'Da Bie Shan' class. The SS-N-22 has a length of 9.39 m, a body diameter of 0.76 m, a launch weight of 4,150 kg and a HE warhead of 320 kg. The missile has a
supersonic cruise speed, with a solid propellant boost motor, and a ramjet for the cruise and terminal
3 Images