C-802 (YJ-82) Anti-Ship Missile

The Hizbollah terrorist group has deployed shore-based C-802 Chinese anti-ship missiles supplied by Iran recently. It was pointed out to me by a reader that the missile is not a Silkworm/Styx derivative. It is a sea-skimming missile with active radar guidance in the Exocet class developed by the China HaiYing Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy. The development began in the seventies and early examples were available in the mid-eighties.

Quoting from the Sino Defence Website:

"The YJ-82 has only developed shore-to-ship variant launched from land-based vehicles. The missile received no order from the PLA. Following the 1991 Gulf War, Iran purchased about 60 land-launched C-802 missiles, which were deployed in coastal batteries on Qeshm Island."

From the Sino Defence page:

Specifications

Length: (YJ-8) 5.814m; (YJ-82) 6.392m
Diameter: 0.36m
Wingspan: (YJ-8) 1.18m; (YJ-82) 1.22m
Launch weight: 815kg
Warhead: 165 kg time-delayed semi-armour-piercing high-explosive
Propulsion: (YJ-8) One solid rocket engine, one solid booster; (YJ-82) One turbojet engine, one solid booster
Max speed: Mach 0.9
Max range: (YJ-8) 42km; (YJ-81) 80km; (YJ-82) 120km; YJ-83 (150~200km)
Flight Altitude: 20~30m (flight); 5~7m (attacking)
Guidance Mode: Inertial and terminal active radar
Single-Shot Hit Probability: 75%

The warhead is 165kg in weight and should suffice in disabling any destroyer, frigate, corvette of 4000 tons and under.

The warhead did fail to detonate upon hitting the Sa'ar 5 corvette.

There are several implications:

1. The Chinese has developed a sea-skirmming missile. It is no longer reliant on those 30-year old Styx derivatives (ie Silkworms).

And the possible implications:

1. There was an intelligence failure. The Phalanx CIWS and Barak anti-missile systems were not switched on.

2. There was a procedural failure or lapse. Systems not switched on or ready.

3. The Phalanx CIWS and Barak anti-missile systems were inadequate in keeping out a subsonic sea-skirmmer. Very possible.

4. The corvette (1000+ tons) is an inadequate radar and anti-air platform. FAC and missile corvettes are inherently unable to deal with air threats due to stability issues and more.

Point 4 is very real and many nations are hesistant when it comes to addressing that. The US Navy and Royal Navy have rejected the deployment of such craft despite a long history of testing for a variety of reasons which I will not be discussing.