China unveils naval defense system for attack on US aircraft carriers

First unveiling of ‘YJ-18E’ anti-ship missile capable of flying at subsonic and supersonic speeds at the Zhuhai Air Show
Demonstrating military power by introducing a large number of cutting-edge weapons such as stealth unmanned attack drones

[아시아경제 베이징=조영신 특파원] At the 13th Zhuhai Air Show (China International Aerospace Expo), China unveiled its maritime defense system, including the ‘YJ-18E missile’. China used the Zhuhai Air Show as a showcase for its cutting-edge weapons to show that it is not behind the United States in military power.

According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency and Global Times on the 29th, CASIC first unveiled its own YJ-18E missile at the Zhuhai Air Show that opened the day before.

The missile is known to be able to fly in two speed modes: subsonic (subsonic speed) and supersonic (five times the speed of sound). After a long-distance flight like a cruise missile, it can fly at supersonic speed when approaching a target, making the enemy’s defense system useless. It is presumed that the first stage rocket is designed for long-range cruise flight and the second stage rocket is designed for supersonic flight.

The existing YJ-18 missile is a supersonic missile for anti-ship attack. It is known that China’s anti-ship missiles have a range of 300 to 400 km, but the YJ-18E missile is expected to have a longer range than existing missiles.

Chinese media reported that the YJ-18E can fly at very low altitudes and can evade enemy radar and other defense systems. In fact, it suggested that it was an anti-ship missile developed with the US aircraft carrier in mind. In addition, he added that it can be used for various purposes, such as design and mobility, so that it can be launched from the sea (warships) as well as on the ground (mobile vehicles, etc.).

Chinese media added that the YJ-18E missile, along with the existing YJ-12E supersonic anti-ship missile, the CM-802B anti-ship missile, the CM-708UNB submarine anti-ship missile, and the CM-103 radar attack missile, plays an important role in China’s integrated maritime defense system. .

China also showed off its advanced air power by introducing stealth drones along with its maritime defense system.

The air force that received the most attention from the Chinese at this air show is the J-20 stealth fighter. The fighter was equipped with an engine developed by China.

Chinese military expert Song Zhongping said, “The fact that the J-20 stealth fighter flew at the air show means that domestic engine development is over. This means that the J-20 stealth fighter will be mass-produced and deployed in the future.” explained.

An improved version of the ‘J-16D’ fighter equipped with an electronic warfare pod was also unveiled on the ‘J-16’, a multi-purpose fighter foretold by Chinese media in advance. The J-16D model is equipped with electronic equipment capable of disrupting radars, etc., on the J-16 fighter. This fighter is expected to be used as a carrier aircraft.

The high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle ‘Cai Hong-6 (H-6)’ is also one of the aircraft that drew attention. It is capable of reconnaissance flight at a speed of 800 km/h at an altitude of 12 km. It is known that the drone can also be equipped with air-to-ground missiles.

A stealth attack drone prototype ‘Gungji-11 (GJ-11)’ was also exhibited. This unmanned attack aircraft appeared at the parade ceremony to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 2019. Chinese media praised the GJ-11 as the most advanced stealth attack drone.

The ‘WZ-7’ drone capable of flying more than 10,000 km and the ‘WZ-8’ drone without tail wings were also unveiled. Chinese media explained that the WZ-7 drone was designed to cross continents. He then introduced that the WZ-8 drone can perform high-altitude reconnaissance missions, and that its main mission is to collect high-resolution images. Chinese media described the WZ-8 drone as a spacecraft, but did not reveal the operational altitude at which it could operate.

Beijing = Correspondent Jo Young-shin ascho@asiae.co.kr