Supersonic Missiles Deployed on China’s New Warship

Members of the Chinese regime's People's Liberation Army Navy stand guard on a Navy Battleship of Wenzhou at Qingdao Port on April 22, 2009, in Qingdao of Shandong Province, China. The Chinese regime has deployed a new warship allegedly equipped with supersonic missiles. (Guang Niu/Pool/Getty Images)

The Chinese regime has commissioned a new naval ship, specialized in anti-ship warfare. Included in its arsenal is the YJ-83 supersonic missile.

Supersonic missiles are cutting edge, and the Chinese regime’s development of the new weapons which can reach speeds and distances that are difficult to defend against, has many defense experts worried.

“Department of Defense (DOD) officials believe the YJ-83 is part of China’s ongoing effort to develop a long-range strike capability against U.S. naval forces, especially aircraft carriers,” reports defense analysis website GlobalSecurity.org.

It notes the YJ-83 has a 155-mile range, which gives the Chinese regime’s military “a new weapon that it can fire from beyond the reach of U.S. Navy defensive systems.”

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Only a few countries have supersonic missiles, including the United States, Russia, and India. The Chinese regime has been working on the YJ-83 since the mid-1990s, although there were allegedly several set-backs in their development. Some experts question whether the YJ-83 is actually capable of supersonic speeds.

The missiles are equipped on China’s new Type 056 Jiangdao-class corvette. Images of it were shown on Chinese state-run television station CCTV, and Intelligence company IHS Jane’s reports it was likely commissioned by the Chinese regime’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

The Chinese regime's new Type 056 Jiangdao-class corvette is shown in video aired by its state-run CCTV. The warship is allegedly equipped with a supersonic anti-ship missile. (CCTV via IHS Jane's)

The Chinese regime demonstrated a supersonic anti-ship missile in November 2014. CCTV aired a military demonstration showing a ship being destroyed with an alleged CX-1 Ramjet Supersonic Anti-Ship Cruise Missile. There was some debate around the validity of the demonstration, but the general consensus among defense experts was that the test was legitimate.

The Type 056 Jiangdao-class corvette joins the Chinese regime’s large and growing arsenal of military assets, which the regime is using to grab and defend claims to territory in the South China Sea.

In addition to its anti-ship missiles, IHS Jane’s notes the warship also has systems for anti-submarine warfare. It’s equipped with towed array and variable depth sonars for detecting submarines. It is equipped with two triple-tube torpedo launchers and one 76 mm main gun.

It also has a flight deck that could be used by the Z-9C helicopter.