Missile C-802

The C-802 is a subsonic anti-ship cruise missile that precedes the closely related YJ-83. Developed as an export-oriented system, it is distinct from the YJ-82 development line. The missile entered service with the People's Liberation Army Navy in 1998 and forms a standard component of its surface and air-launched anti-ship inventory.

The system is powered by a turbojet engine and is compatible with surface and air launch platforms. Guidance is provided by a strap-down inertial reference unit for the cruise phase and active radar homing for terminal targeting. Variants include the YJ-83KH, which utilizes an imaging-infrared seeker, and the CM-802AKG, which employs television or imaging-infrared seekers and can receive course corrections via remote link. Warhead options include high-explosive fragmentation and semi-armour piercing designs. Combat analysis has also identified the use of explosively formed penetrator warheads in specific operational theaters. The missile maintains a set cruise altitude before descending to a lower altitude during the terminal phase.

The C-802 and its variants are widely deployed internationally. Beyond the People's Liberation Army, the missile is operated by the armed forces of Algeria, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Syria, Thailand, Yemen, and Venezuela. Iran operates the C-802 and produces a domestic derivative designated as the Noor. The system has also been utilized by non-state actors, including Hezbollah and Houthi forces.

The missile has been employed in several maritime engagements. During the 2006 Lebanon War, Hezbollah launched two missiles fitted with Iranian radar seekers. One struck a commercial freighter, and the second hit the Israeli Navy corvette INS Hanit, damaging the vessel and killing four crew members. In October 2016, Houthi forces in Yemen utilized the missile to strike the HSV-2 Swift, a transport ship operated by the United Arab Emirates, resulting in damage to the vessel's hull.