Create a free starter account, or log in.

Get access to four free articles per month, as well as our Decisive Edge Newsletters and Daily News Bulletin.

Email Address

Password

Forgot your password? Reset by clicking here

Create a Password

[[ req.met ? '✓' : '•' ]] [[ req.text ]]

Re-enter Password

Passwords do not match

First Name

Last Name

Country

Confirm your account

Please enter the four-digit pin below that has been emailed to you.

Didn't receive the pin yet?

This pin expires in 20 minutes.

[[ error ]]

By creating an account, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Stay informed with Shephard's award-winning journalism. Unlock unlimited access and in-depth analysis with a corporate or individual subscription.

Explore your options here

New Chinese ship-launched ballistic missile breaks cover

20th April 2022 - 21:10 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Christchurch

RSS

This is a screengrab of the launch of the launch of an YJ-21 anti-ship ballistic missile from the PLAN’s newly commissioned Type 055 cruiser Wuxi. (PLAN)

Chinese naval capability has taken another important step forward with the fielding of the world's first ship-launched anti-ship ballistic missile.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) released a video clip on 19 April that depicted a hitherto unknown missile being fired from a Type 055 guided-missile cruiser. Likely an anti-ship ballistic missile, analysts refer to it as the YJ-21.

The firing from the active-duty ship Wuxi (pennant number ‘104’), commissioned in Qingdao just last month, indicates the missile is almost certainly in service.

In the video clip, the missile can be seen to have small fins and a biconic nose. It was cold-launched from the stern VLS.

No specifications are known, although it appears that the weapon is what was previously

Already have an account? Log in