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China tests black-stealth variant of YJ-18A anti-ship missile
Experts say the black radar-wave-absorbing coating is designed to improve the missile’s penetration and make it harder to detect.
China tested a new variant of its YJ-18A anti-ship cruise missile during a ship-launched sea trial, according to experts cited by SCMP Economy, who pointed to footage released by state broadcaster CCTV.
The test involved a missile fired from a navy vessel’s vertical launch system in an unspecified sea area, and CCTV highlighted the missile’s black stealth coating. The broadcaster said the coating has radar-wave-absorbing properties intended to reduce radar energy reflected back, improving survivability against detection.
Experts identified the weapon as a variant of the YJ-18A, which they said travels at subsonic speed before a supersonic terminal attack. They linked the missile to deployment on destroyers including the Type 052D and Type 055 platforms.
CCTV said the test team captured detailed flight parameters despite “complex and severe” sea conditions, and that the total data collected was several times the original plan to support further improvements to the missile system. Song Zhongping, a Chinese military commentator and former People’s Liberation Army instructor, said the black coating was designed to improve detectability resistance while also boosting penetration capability.