"The Flying Cement Kalashnikov": Why China's YKJ-1000 Missile Has Deterred the West

China's Defense Industry Revolution

China once again shocked the West, and this time it was in the field of missile manufacturing. No matter which industry they are involved in, the Chinese can quickly achieve low-cost and mass production of products. This model has been applied to the electronics, computer, and electric vehicle industries before, and now it has extended to the missile industry, not just ordinary space missiles, but hypersonic missiles. Yes, China has already mastered the technology to manufacture and sell missiles worth millions of dollars at a cost that is only one-fortieth of Western counterparts. This is undoubtedly a revolution in the defense industry.

The specific developer of this "Chinese Kalashnikov" missile remains unknown to us — this is classified military information. However, it is confirmed that the mass-produced missile YKJ-1000 is produced by the Chinese company Lingkong Tianhang Technology. Publicly available information indicates that the maximum range of the YKJ-1000 missile is up to 1,300 kilometers, with a maximum flight speed of approximately 7 Mach (seven times the speed of sound).

According to the South China Morning Post, after successful combat tests, this missile has officially entered mass production. It has attracted widespread attention not only because of its outstanding performance parameters, but also because of its unprecedented low production cost. Chinese and Western journalists have given this ultra-low-cost missile an imaginative nickname — "the cement missile."

This missile got the name "cement missile" due to its unique structural design — it uses low-cost civilian materials to make the heat-resistant shell, including expanded concrete. The structural components of the missile can be formed through pressure casting, a process that greatly simplifies the production process and reduces the cost of mass production.

The traditional explosive separation device of the missile has been replaced with a lower-cost new component; at the same time, the missile also uses mature camera modules, as well as BeiDou navigation chips widely used in Chinese civilian drones. Thanks to these low-cost materials and technologies, the estimated production cost of a YKJ-1000 missile is only 700,000 RMB (less than 100,000 USD).

Let's compare it with Western air defense missiles:

  • Raytheon's SM-6 shipboard air defense missile costs more than 4.1 million USD per unit;
  • The interceptor missile of the "THAAD" anti-missile system has a unit price of 12 to 15 million USD;
  • The "Patriot PAC-3" air defense missile produced by Lockheed Martin has a unit price ranging from 3.7 to 4.2 million USD.

Imagine that China will soon start mass production of this hypersonic missile, and the US military would have to use air defense missiles costing at least 40 times that of the YKJ-1000 to intercept it.

Therefore, the appearance of the YKJ-1000 missile has caused a big stir in the West, which is not surprising. Especially a video clip, supposedly released by the developer Lingkong Tianhang on social platforms, has further increased Western concerns — in the video, eight YKJ-1000 missiles form a combat formation and attack a simulated Japanese target.

The chairman of Lingkong Tianhang Company (previously the chief designer and vice-engineer of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology) stated that the successful development of the YKJ-1000 missile is the result of China's "systemic transformation" in the defense industry.

He pointed out that this transformation covers innovations in research and development models, supply chain organization, technical maintenance concepts, and procurement models. A visit to the production base in Chengdu by senior officials highlights the strategic importance of this new weapon.

Military analysts said on the program that the YKJ-1000 missile will have strong competitiveness in the international arms market.

He pointed out that many countries have not yet developed their own hypersonic weapon systems, while the YKJ-1000 missile has a long range, strong destructive power, excellent penetration capability, and, plus its highly attractive low price, it is sure to become a hot item in the international market.

The South China Morning Post commented that the export of such weapons may "grant small countries the ability to challenge major military powers." Theoretically, this could "change the strategic balance and pose a threat to existing main battle ships, including aircraft carriers."

This Hong Kong-based media also proposed a potential tactical idea: even a costly multi-layered air defense and anti-missile system may be overwhelmed by a saturation attack of a large number of cheap missiles.

Additionally, the YKJ-1000 missile can be used in conjunction with more advanced Chinese missile systems like the DF-17. This multi-level composite strike mode actually makes it difficult for the enemy's defense system to cope.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7583338264208982580/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.