Today we are going to discuss the Chinese Navy is more dangerous with YJ-18 missile
Taiwan crisis occurred between the USA and China in 1996, proving that the Chinese naval
power needed to be modernized since the U.S. Navy operated at very close distances to the
mainland and showed off a significant threat to China during the crisis. So Chinese military
investments have focused on acquiring the capability to threaten the U.S. Navy’s surface
fleet and prevent it from operating in or near Chinese territorial waters in the event
of a war. Anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) are the most important source of threat for
the US Carrier Strike Group (CSG). China has dramatically improved its ASCM strike
capabilities through overseas acquisitions and indigenous development. ASCMs generally
approach the target at low altitudes (5–10 meters above the surface) and either impact
the target near the waterline or dive into it during terminal flight. Modern ASCMs receive
offboard targeting data via data link, locate the target using GPS and multimode sensor
packages, and strike maritime targets at long ranges (greater than 200 km). They can be
launched by ground elements, aircraft, surface ships, and submarines.
The Type 055 cruiser, with a well-integrated sensor suite and 112 VLS cells, will markedly
expand the PLAN’s range and firepower, which could substantially impact myriad potential
conflict scenarios, from the Indian Ocean to the Korean Peninsula many in between. Because
in addition to the Luyang III guided-missile destroyer and Renhai Carrier Group, Type 055
is equipped with the new vertically launched YJ-18 (based on Russian SSN-27), a long-range
supersonic ASCM. That's why Washington tends to get nervous about China's new missiles,
which Beijing rather likes. Now, let's have a look at YJ-18 in detail.
The YJ-18 is a Chinese cruise missile with variants for antiship and land-attack missions.
It is reportedly derived from the Russian 3M-54E “Klub” missile and entered service
around 2014. The YJ-18 was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation
(CASIC) Third Academy starting around the mid-1990s. In 2009, references to the YJ-18
program surfaced in Chinese documents exploring metallurgical requirements. Among the first
U.S. sources to discuss YJ-18 development was an August 2010 report which referred to
the missile as the “CH-SS-NX-13.” The missile was finalized in 2013 and entered
service in 2014. China first displayed the YJ-18 on state media in 2014 and again during
a military parade in 2019. The YJ-18’s specifications represent a notable
improvement over China’s older ASCMs, possessing two and three times the range of the earlier
3M-54 and YJ-83, respectively. The YJ-18’s range and lethality supports China’s broader
“anti-access, area-denial” strategy to defeat U.S. forces in a regional military
conflict. According to one report, the YJ-18 was “specifically designed to defeat the
Aegis Combat System.” Consequently, the People’s Liberation Army plans to deploy
the YJ-18 on its submarines and surface ships. The missile may also replace the YJ-62 fielded
by ground-based coastal defense units. In addition, the YJ-18 is an anti-ship cruise
missile bearing a close external resemblance to the supersonic 3M-54E. Though its physical
dimensions remain unknown, the YJ-18 likely approximates the 3M-54E’s 8.2 m length,
0.514 m diameter, and 1,579 kg weight, though one report claims it is shorter and lighter.
Like the 3M-54E, the YJ-18 features a multistage propulsion system, using an air-breathing
engine to cruise at Mach 0.8 and a solid rocket booster to travel at Mach 2.5-3.0 in a terminal
dash to its target. The YJ-18 has an estimated range of 220 to 540 km while carrying a 150
to 300 kg payload. The missile can fly at sea-skimming altitudes, using a combination
of satellite navigation (Beidou) and an active radar seeker for guidance.
In terms of variants, China has developed several YJ-18 variants, primarily differentiated
by their respective launch platforms. They are:
 YJ-18, is the first production model. It was designed to launch from submarine torpedo
tubes for anti-ship missions, and may have a shorter range than later variants. It entered
service in 2015.  YJ-18A, A model designed to fit shipboard
vertical launch systems (VLS). It is fitted aboard the Luyang III-class destroyer and
Renhai-class cruiser. It entered service in 2015.
 YJ-18B, A submarine-launched variant designed for land-attack missions. It fits in VLS tubes
aboard the Song-class SS, Yuan-class SSP, and Shang-class SSN. It entered service between
2016-2019.  YJ-18C, A March 2019 report said that
China was developing the YJ-18C, a land-attack variant designed to deploy in commercial shipping
containers. Russia has developed a similar containerized launch system for its 3M-54
Klub-K missile, which fits four missiles into a single container.
 And, Coastal Defense Variant, Images suggest China also deploys a truck-based YJ-18 variant
for coastal defense, although U.S. government sources have not confirmed this development.
It reportedly entered service around 2015. China may also be developing an aircraft-launched
variant as well. Talking its Service History, in April 2015,
the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence confirmed that the YJ-18 entered service with the People’s
Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN). The missile now reportedly equips:
 Luyang III (Type 052D)-class destroyer  Renhai (Type 055)-clas cruiser
 Song (Type 093)-class SS  Yuan (Type 041)-class SSP, and
 Shang (Type-093)-class SSN In June 2018, video footage reportedly showed
a YJ-18 fitted aboard China’s Shang-class nuclear submarines. Earlier reports from 2016
and 2017 also appear to show the submarine-launched YJ-18 variant.
In conclusion, In contrast to the situation in 1996, China can now hold the U.S. Navy’s
surface fleet at risk at significant ranges from the mainland. Moreover, the extent of
the threat to the U.S. surface fleet continues to grow. China’s anti-surface capability
is founded on four developments: the establishment of an increasingly capable long-range surveillance
system, which improves the PLA’s ability to detect and track surface ships at long
ranges; the deployment of sophisticated anti-ship cruise missiles and the development of an
ASBM with a range of 2,000 km; the acquisition of strike aircraft and surface ships with
more excellent range and power; and the deployment of new classes of larger and quieter submarines
armed with both torpedoes and cruise missiles. The actual capabilities of China’s new ASCM
are still unknown, but the revealed abilities prove that U.S. Navy carriers may not enjoy
unquestioned dominance for much longer. Thanks for watching and see you in the next
videos.