Yj 62Edit
YJ-62 is a subsonic, sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missile developed by the defense industry of the People’s Republic of China for use by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Entering service in the early 2000s, it represents a major step in China’s effort to improve maritime strike capabilities and to complement its growing fleet of surface ships, submarines, and aircraft. The weapon’s design emphasizes versatility, range, and the ability to threaten modern warships at distances that complicate peacetime naval patrols and crisis management in contested waters.
As part of a broader program of naval modernization, the YJ-62 has influenced regional security calculations by extending China’s coastal and near-sea deterrence and by complicating the maritime maneuvering space for adversaries. Its deployment underscores the emphasis on credible, long-range precision strike that can complicate the operating plans of aircraft carrier task forces and surface fleets alike. For context, the missile sits alongside other members of China’s anti-ship missile family and other arms programs within the PLAN’s overall strategy to secure sea lanes and deterrence in disputes over areas such asSouth China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
Development and design
The YJ-62 was developed in the late 20th century as part of China’s shift from older, shorter-range anti-ship missiles toward longer-range, more capable systems. It drew on a tradition of missile development within the country’s Aviation Industry Corporation of China and related defense laboratories, with the aim of achieving a balance between range, accuracy, and cost. The missile is designed primarily for launch from surface platforms, enabling PLAN ships to strike high-value surface targets at distances well beyond their own patrol areas. In practice, the weapon’s reliability, ease of integration onto a variety of ships, and its relatively economical unit cost have contributed to its widespread adoption within the PLAN fleet. For the broader family of maritime missiles, see Exocet and Harpoon missile for useful points of comparison.
Technically, the YJ-62 combines a turbojet propulsion system with an inertial navigation system and a terminal sensor package designed to acquire and home in on ship-sized targets in the final phase of flight. This blend of guidance enables the missile to maintain a stable flight path in potentially cluttered littoral environments and to adjust its terminal approach based on real-time radar information. The result is a weapon capable of engaging a range of surface ships, from small escorts to larger combatants, under a variety of weather and sea states. See also anti-ship missile for a broader overview of the class.
Operational history
The YJ-62 has been deployed by PLAN surface ships and has appeared in multiple publicized demonstrations and exercises intended to showcase China’s growing ability to threaten contested maritime zones from multiple vectors. While the exact inventories and export status are not always publicly disclosed, the missile is widely cited in defense assessments as a cornerstone of China’s maritime strike capability. In practice, YJ-62’s presence in a fleet raises considerations for allied planners, particularly regarding cockpit and sensor integration on ships, as well as the need for layered air defenses and electronic countermeasures to mitigate saturation attacks. For related maritime missile developments, see YJ-83 and CJ-10.
Technical characteristics
- Type: subsonic anti-ship cruise missile
- Range: on the order of several hundred kilometers (commonly cited figures place it around the 400 km mark)
- Propulsion: turbojet engine
- Guidance: inertial navigation system with terminal active radar guidance (and potential satellite navigation inputs)
- Warhead: high-explosive, designed for significant ship-target effect
- Launch platforms: primarily surface ships of the PLAN; discussions about potential variants for other launch platforms exist in defense literature
The YJ-62 sits alongside other Chinese missiles that provide a multi-layered maritime deterrent, including shorter-range coastal defense missiles and longer-range precision-strike weapons. In the broader system, it complements air power and naval surveillance, contributing to a multi-domain approach to coastal defense and power projection. See anti-ship missile for the general class, and compare with Exocet and Harpoon missile to appreciate different design philosophies in similar systems.
Strategic considerations and regional security
From a regional stability perspective, the YJ-62 is part of a broader trend toward greater capacity for sea denial and deterrence in a crowded maritime theater. Proponents argue that credible anti-ship missiles improve deterrence by increasing the costs and risks of any plan to threaten regional security, potentially stabilizing great-power competition by making even unfavorable moves less appealing. Critics, however, warn that rapid advances in anti-ship missile capabilities can heighten the risk of miscalculation or accidental escalation if naval forces mistake routine maneuvers for intentional aggression. In discussions of freedom of navigation and regional balance, supporters of robust defense postures emphasize that transparent deployment, predictable rules of engagement, and confidence-building measures are essential to reduce the chance of unintended conflicts in hot zones such as the South China Sea and surrounding theaters.
The debate touches on broader questions about arms competition and arms-control approaches. Right-leaning analyses often stress the importance of deterrence, capability parity with potential adversaries, and resilience of naval forces as a means of preserving access to international sea lanes. Critics may label such modernization as destabilizing, arguing that it prompts rival powers to accelerate their own weapons programs; defenders respond that a stable and predictable security environment rests on credible defense capabilities rather than on unilateral disarmament. While some assessments focus on the moral or political costs of weapons development, the practical emphasis in this literature is on deterrence, industrial capacity, and the ability to protect national interests at sea.
Controversies and debates
The YJ-62 sits at the center of debates about regional arms races, naval doctrine, and the interpretation of strategic signals. Critics from some quarters argue that expanding anti-ship capabilities contribute to a heightened risk of confrontation over sovereignty claims and disputed maritime spaces. Proponents counter that credible capabilities deter coercive moves, protect sea lanes, and reduce the likelihood of forceful unilateral actions by any party. In this view, the real risk lies not in possessing advanced weapons, but in failing to maintain credible deterrence alongside robust diplomatic channels.
When critics frame these issues in terms of “destabilizing change” or “threat inflation,” supporters of a strong defense posture argue that restraint without capability invites coercion and would leave a country exposed in a volatile region. This line of reasoning emphasizes the need for clear signaling, transparent force posture, and prudent export controls to prevent proliferation to actors with unstable reputations. It also argues that claims about “waking the dragon” or similar framing are oversimplifications that ignore the long-running patterns of naval modernization and alliance-building that characterize maritime security in East Asia.
A related set of discussions concerns export opportunities and nonproliferation policy. Some observers worry that missiles like the YJ-62 could reach buyers with destabilizing intentions. Advocates note that export controls, end-use monitoring, and adherence to international norms are in place to minimize such risks and that legitimate defense trade can support regional stability by giving allies credible deterrence against coercive actions. In this frame, the emphasis is on responsible management rather than blanket bans, and the goal is to balance deterrence with restraint in a complex security environment.