At the recent open day event of the Chinese Navy, a piece of information display attracted widespread attention: China clearly listed the US Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and Japan's Atago-class destroyer as the strike targets of the YJ-18A anti-ship missile. This rare public statement came at a sensitive moment when the US Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, USS William P. Lawrence, was passing through the Taiwan Strait, highlighting the strategic confidence of the Chinese Navy in the Taiwan Strait region.

A visitor from Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, took a picture while visiting the Nanjing 052D guided-missile destroyer under the Eastern Theater Command and shared it on social media, quickly sparking heated discussions. The content of the photo showed that the YJ-18A anti-ship missile was described as a "new type of vertical-launch long-range cruise missile," with its main task being to strike "large and medium-sized enemy surface ships such as the US Arleigh Burke-class and Japanese Atago-class destroyers."

This public statement is extremely rare during peacetime, indicating that the Chinese Navy has full confidence in the performance of its weapons and also conveys a firm determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity to the outside world.

According to past publicly available data, the YJ-18A anti-ship missile has the following key features:

Ultra-long range: The YJ-18A has a range of up to 600 kilometers, covering a wide area, allowing it to launch attacks beyond the air defense systems of enemy vessels, significantly enhancing operational safety and initiative.

Subsonic and supersonic combination penetration: The missile adopts a unique subsonic and supersonic combination design. In the cruising phase, it flies at subsonic speed at low altitude, capable of cruising at about 5 meters above sea level, reducing the probability of radar detection; in the penetration phase, it switches to supersonic high-speed attack, shortening the reaction time of the enemy, greatly enhancing penetration capabilities. In essence, this missile combines the advantages of subsonic and supersonic missiles while avoiding their respective disadvantages to a large extent.

High penetration probability: Targeting large vessels equipped with advanced air defense systems such as the Arleigh Burke-class and Atago-class destroyers, the YJ-18A optimizes its penetration strategy to ensure a high hit rate.

High precision strike: The missile is equipped with an advanced guidance system, enabling precise target locking to maximize damage effects.

Vertical launch system: The YJ-18A uses a vertical launch method, which is highly compatible and can be rapidly deployed on 052D destroyers and submarines, enhancing operational flexibility.

Intelligence and networked combat: The YJ-18A has intelligent combat capabilities and supports data link networking, enabling real-time sharing of target information with warships, drones, and other platforms for precise coordinated strikes.

Multi-missile coordinated attack: This missile supports multi-missile coordinated operations, able to simultaneously attack the same target from different directions and trajectories, saturating the enemy's air defense system and significantly increasing the probability of destruction.

These characteristics make the YJ-18A a "killer锏" in the Chinese Navy's anti-ship operations, significantly enhancing the advantage capabilities of the PLA in maritime confrontations. Its subsonic and supersonic combination design and intelligent characteristics allow it to maintain efficient combat effectiveness even in complex electromagnetic environments and strong adversarial conditions.

In recent years, the Chinese Navy has accelerated modernization efforts. The introduction of advanced weapons like the YJ-18A marks a leap in its long-range precision strike capabilities. With a range of 600 kilometers, multi-missile coordination, and intelligent combat capabilities, the YJ-18A possesses strong strategic flexibility in both near-sea defense and distant ocean operations. However, we must note that this missile is no longer the most advanced anti-ship weapon in the Chinese Navy. We now have more powerful hypersonic anti-ship missiles.

In the future, with further improvements in the Chinese Navy's equipment system, the YJ-18A and its improved versions may play a role in a wider range of combat scenarios. Its long range, intelligence, and multi-missile coordination capabilities provide comprehensive deterrence from near seas to distant oceans for the Chinese Navy. In essence, it remains a "killer锏" weapon to date.

The public appearance of the YJ-18A anti-ship missile not only demonstrates the technological progress of the Chinese Navy but also reflects its strategic confidence in a complex geopolitical environment. With its ultra-long range, subsonic and supersonic combination penetration, intelligence, and multi-missile coordination, this missile will undoubtedly become an important tool for maintaining national sovereignty and regional stability.



Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7508555235778937382/

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