Missile YJ-12

The YJ-12 is a supersonic anti-ship and land-attack cruise missile that entered service around 2011. Development was first indicated in 2000 with the display of a missile model resembling the French Air-Sol Moyenne Portée. While the YJ-91 designation was initially associated with this design, that designation was eventually assigned to a Chinese development of the Russian Kh-31. The YJ-12 entered active service prior to 2015, following its appearance in the China Victory Day Parade.

The missile utilizes an integrated ramjet and booster propulsion system to maintain supersonic speeds. Its airframe design resembles a lengthened Kh-31. Guidance is provided by BeiDou satellite navigation with mid-course updates, transitioning to terminal active radar homing. The export version can also receive target updates via data-link. The missile is designed for sea-skimming flight and can perform evasive maneuvers to penetrate anti-missile defenses. It is produced in variants for air-launched, ship-launched, and land-based platforms.

The system is widely deployed by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, the People's Liberation Army Navy, and the People's Liberation Army Navy Coastal Defense Force. The air-launched variant is carried by Xi’an H-6 strategic bombers. The ship-launched YJ-12A variant entered service around 2020 on refitted Type 051B and Sovremenny-class destroyers. The land-based YJ-12B variant was deployed to the Spratly Islands in 2018. Internationally, the missile is operated by the Pakistan Navy in a ship-launched configuration and the Algerian National Navy in a land-based configuration.