A recent video shared by Clash Report on the X social network showcases the launch of China’s YJ-12B supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, which successfully struck and reportedly sank a ship at sea. The video highlights a test that experts believe demonstrates the missile’s potential to penetrate U.S. defense systems and Taiwan’s natural barriers. The YJ-12B is designed for coastal defense and is ground-launched, featuring a ramjet engine enabling speeds over Mach 3 at high altitudes. With a range of 300 to 400 kilometers [186–249 miles], it can engage targets far beyond the horizon. The missile carries a warhead between 205 to 500 kilograms, typically high-explosive or fragmentation, aimed at causing maximum damage to large naval vessels.
This advanced missile employs a blend of guidance systems, including inertial navigation [INS], active radar homing [ARH], and terminal guidance for precision targeting. Its flight profile includes both sea-skimming and high-altitude approaches, enhancing its ability to evade detection and defense mechanisms. The YJ-12B’s supersonic speed and evasive maneuvers present a formidable challenge to modern naval defenses, even those equipped with advanced missile interception technologies.The exact timing of the video’s capture remains unknown. Nonetheless, the missile is quite familiar to Taiwan’s military, raising significant concerns. According to a Taiwanese military publication, Taiwan needs an innovative strategy to counter the YJ-12, mainland China’s most formidable supersonic cruise missile. This missile, deployed along mainland China’s coast and its artificial islands in the South China Sea, poses a direct threat to Taiwan and American aircraft carrier strike groups, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
