“The systems can be launched from ships, aircraft and submarines.”, — write: www.unian.ua
The systems can be launched from ships, aircraft and submarines.
Beijing is expanding its capabilities for strikes in the western part of the Pacific Ocean / photo ua.depositphotos.comA recent military parade in China gave one of the clearest signals yet: the country is actively pushing ahead with the creation of a new generation of hypersonic anti-ship missiles – particularly those that can be launched from submarines.
According to Interesting Engineering, this significantly expands Beijing’s ability to launch long-range strikes in the western Pacific Ocean. During the September Victory Day parade, 4 new missiles of the YJ series were shown – YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-19 and YJ-20. State media said the systems could be launched from ships, planes and submarines. Three of them — YJ-17, YJ-19 and YJ-20 — belong to the hypersonic class and are capable of performing complex maneuvers at ultra-high speeds, which complicates the work of shipboard air defense systems.
“Chinese military observers note that the missiles represent different approaches to hypersonic flight. In particular, the YJ-17 and YJ-19 are built according to the “waveraider” scheme – the device creates lift by sliding on its own shock wave when flying at speeds exceeding the speed of sound. The YJ-20 has a double-cone body that forms an air stream at supersonic speeds and allows for controlled gliding flight in the atmosphere,” the article says.
What experts sayExperts who commented to China Media Group emphasized that the YJ-17 acts as a glider unit, receiving initial acceleration from a launch vehicle and then maneuvering in the air in a complex trajectory – similar to China’s DF-17.
The YJ-19 has an air intake, indicating the use of an air-jet engine. This approach reduces mass and allows you to maintain hypersonic speed for a long time.
It is noted that the YJ-20, the largest of the presented systems, is capable of almost vertical attacks on large ships, correcting the trajectory in the last phase of flight.
The launch of these missilesAnalysts believe that the demonstration of various aerodynamic solutions means China’s desire to develop several technological directions at once.
According to experts, each of the demonstrated configurations could potentially be launched from submarines. China has not officially confirmed this, but existing nuclear multi-role submarines are already capable of using cruise missiles, and the new YJ models appear to be compatible with existing launch systems.
Hypersonic weapons move at speeds of Mach 5 and above, but the key difference is maneuverability.
Glider units, like the YJ-17, launch on a rocket booster and then carry out controlled gliding flight. Jet-powered missiles like the YJ-19 can fly longer and maintain power throughout their range. Both types are designed to hit moving naval targets at distances where modern anti-missile defense systems are at their limits.
Chinese state media have suggested that the new missiles could be integrated into Type 052D and Type 055 class destroyers, as well as H-6 bombers. The addition of an underwater component creates a new level of operational flexibility – strikes are possible from hard-to-reach and obscure areas of the ocean.
The US and its allies are concernedThe US and its allies are increasingly concerned about the pace of development of China’s hypersonic programs. Such missiles are capable of unexpectedly changing direction, which significantly complicates decision-making in combat conditions. China, however, insists that the developments are aimed solely at defense and deterrence.
Although the details of the YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-19 and YJ-20 systems remain unconfirmed, their joint appearance at the parade was a showy gesture. Analysts say Beijing is signaling its intention to deploy a broader and more technologically sophisticated arsenal of anti-ship weapons — including ones that can be launched from submarines patrolling far from China’s shores.
Other gun newsIt will be recalled that the E-System Solutions company presented a new strike system based on the cheap LCCM Mk2 cruise missile at the Dubai Airshow in the UAE. This long-range missile is designed to destroy light and armored vehicles, command vehicles, radar reconnaissance vehicles, command posts, aircraft on airfields, launchers of missile complexes, etc. The range of the missile is up to 1000 km, the warhead is 25-50 kg. According to experts, E-System Solutions is a “Belarusian-Emirati company”.
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