A new variant of China's YJ-18A anti-ship missile has appeared with a black coating, which, according to experts, could make the weapon harder to detect by both radar and the human eye. The missile was seen during a test in an unidentified sea area. It was launched from a warship's vertical launch system as part of what was described as an extreme-performance test of a new type of anti-ship missile.
Footage released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV recently drew attention to the missile's black finish.
Military experts cited by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post identified the weapon as a new variant of the YJ-18A, an anti-ship missile that cruises at subsonic speed before accelerating for a supersonic terminal attack.
The YJ-18A is often carried by China's 7,500-tonne Type 052D and 12,000-tonne Type 055 destroyers.
According to Chinese military commentator and former People's Liberation Army instructor Song Zhongping, the black finish is a stealth coating with strong radar-wave-absorbing properties.
The coating reduces the amount of radar energy reflected back towards an enemy radar. This makes the incoming missile more difficult to detect.
Song said the colour could also provide the missile with visual camouflage while flying over deep water.
"Don't assume that the sea is always blue; in fact, the colour of the deep sea can be quite dark, even approaching black. So it provides both radar stealth and visual camouflage by matching the colour of the sea," he told the SCMP.
The combination could therefore improve the missile's chances of approaching its target without being detected and engaged.
The YJ-18A already relies on speed to help penetrate a warship's defensive systems.
"What matters most for an anti-ship missile is its ability to penetrate enemy defences," Song said. He added that there are two ways of achieving this — stealth and high-speed flight — and the YJ-18A combines the two.
"In its terminal phase, it can penetrate defences at supersonic speed while also employing stealth. Maintaining stealth throughout its flight can further improve its ability to penetrate enemy defences, particularly when striking large surface vessels," he said.
The missile cruises at subsonic speed before accelerating during its final approach to the target.
The original YJ-18, derived from the Russian 3M-54E submarine-launched anti-ship missile system, has a range of 540 km. It has a cruise speed of 966 kmph, while its warhead can accelerate to Mach 3 as it approaches the target, according to a China Daily report.
The appearance of the black-coated YJ-18A comes as the Chinese military increasingly focuses on stealth technologies across different platforms. These efforts include stealth fighter aircraft and naval frigates, as well as sixth-generation stealth aircraft, stealth drones, naval aviation and technologies designed to detect or defeat enemy stealth aircraft.
