In the previous month, the Indian Navy along with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a maiden flight-test of NASM-SR, an indigenously-developed Naval anti-ship missile that was launched from a helicopter from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur. As per reports, this weapon stands as the first air launched short-range anti-ship missile system that has been indigenously developed for the Indian Naval Forces.
During the test, the weapon reached the designated target with accuracy, guidance and mission algorithms, validating the control, and showcased sea skimming trajectory, said the Indian Navy. Crucially, the missile has the country-made launcher for the helicopter. Integrated avionics and state-of-the-art navigation systems have been included in the missile guidance system.
𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐌-𝐒𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐇-60𝐑𝐒
The new NASM-SR missile, tested by the Navy is equipped with a range of around 55 kilometres while it is believed to replace the Sea Eagle missiles currently being used by the Indian Navy. It is reported that the Naval Anti-Ship Missile (Short Range) (NASM-SR) can be hosted on the MH-60R helicopters.
The weapon is capable of traveling at 0.8 Mach subsonic speed and can carry a warhead of 100 kgs. The missile is set to boost the Indian Navy’s offensive capabilities. The missile can strategically target main areas of a large ship and then turn it dysfunctional and can be fired from the shore at a vessel in the sea.
The new missile is reported to cause widespread damage on larger vessels and is proven to be effective against smaller vessels like patrol boats. If the weapon targets certain key areas of a boat like the ones where the ammunition and fuel is stored, the smaller payload of the missile can still be effectively used.
It has already been proven in the modern naval conflict that due to the implosion caused by on-board ammunition and fuel, a modest strike by a missile can thereby sink a ship. The missile can be easily carried by helicopters due to its lighter size and this provides Naval Commanders with further options to opt from when it comes to tactical battlefields on the seas.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈-𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄
A video clip was released by the People’s Liberation Army Navy in April, which depicted a hitherto unknown missile that was fired from a type 055 guided missile cruiser.
Most commentators presumed this new missile to be an anti-ship ballistic missile that has been referred to under the nomenclature of YJ21 by analysts. China will secure its name as the first country in the world to operate such a missile from a Naval ship if the initial analysis on the YJ21 stands correct.
According to open sources, the above-mentioned weapon was launched from Wuxi, a Type 055 cruiser warship which was commissioned just a few months ago in Qingdao. The firing of this missile from an active-duty warship evidently states that the weapon is almost now serving in the PLA service.
As per the video released, the Chinese missile can be seen with a bi-conic nose and small fins. Due to the missile’s small control surfaces, It can be said that the missile is not a surface to air variant because this class needs to be extremely manoeuvrable for intercepting fast moving aircrafts.
Wuxi’s stern vertical launch system (VLS) cold-launched the YJ-21 which means that before the missile’s own engine ignited in the air after being clear of the ship, it was expelled from the launcher cell by gas. Missiles with an 850 mm diameter and up to 9 m long can be easily accommodated by the Chinese vertical launch system cells, so it can be said that the above mentioned missile must fall within these parameters.
For the moment, it is difficult to know about the specifications of the YJ21 but the range of the missile can we speculatively be anywhere between 1000 km to 1500 km. The missile is credited with a terminal velocity of Mach 10 or ten times the speed of sound, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
The Chinese weapon is believed to be developed from the CM-401 missiles which has been compared with Iskander short-range ballistic missile which was used by Russia against Ukraine in the previous weeks. Back in 2018, when the missile made its debut, it was said that the weapon was meant to be equipped by warships in the future. However, as compared to the CM-401, the YJ21 adds a large booster.
The short rocket booster and tapered and elongated manoeuvring re-entry vehicle has evidently been optimised to fit inside a confined vertical launch system cell onboard a naval vessel. Back in 2020, the United States Department Of Defence (DoD) suggested that China would arm its type 055 cruisers with a similar type of weapon.
𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓
In one of the reports on the state of the Chinese military, released by the Pentagon, the DoD said that “The Renhai (Type 055) has 112 VLS cells and can carry a large loadout of weapons including anti-ship cruise missiles, SAMs, torpedoes and anti-submarine weapons, along with likely land-attack cruise missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles when those become operational.”
With China’s first ever anti-ship ballistic missile now appearing to be operational, the latter part of the above quote stands relevant.
The DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile is already used by the People’s Liberation Army, though it can be launched from land-based vehicles. From the Chinese coast, the approximate range of the missile i.e. 1200 km is limited to waters comparatively lesser than the given distance. On the other hand, the YJ-21 provides a major boost in capability to Chinese naval warfare since the weapon can travel across the world’s oceans onboard ships.
𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐍
This type of ballistic missile with a large warhead can help overwhelm the defences of surface combats due to the high speeds, and are also capable to target adversary’s capital ships such as American aircraft carriers. For any particular targeted warship, a combination of hypersonic ballistic missiles and supersonic cruise missiles would be a formidable one.
Even though it is not necessary for the YJ21 to have a great range to offer a serious threat, it hugely extends the strike range of the Type 055. Instead of relying on a vulnerable and complex chain of satellites and drones, if the YJ21 makes use of the ship’s own sensors, it can presumably receive targeting information from other assets and could become extremely effective.
𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐇𝐌𝐎𝐒 𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄
The anti-ship version of the 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐇𝐌𝐎𝐒 supersonic cruise missile can stand as another option for India to compete with the YJ21 missiles. While the range of the advanced version of 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐇𝐌𝐎𝐒 has been extended to around 350 km from 290 km, the missile travels at a speed of almost three times the speed of sound or Mach 2.8, and has been successfully test-fired just a few days ago from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The missile can be universally used for multiple platforms and is based on the “fire and forget” principle. The weapon is reported to have a low radar signature and can maintain high speed throughout its flight. 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐇𝐌𝐎𝐒 can intercept its target with high accuracy with lethal power. The 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐇𝐌𝐎𝐒 regiment was inducted for the first time in 2007, by the Indian Army.
On the other side, the export variant of the Chinese missile which is known as the CM-302 that is likely to be the main weapon aboard the four new Chinese frigates being developed for the Pakistan naval forces, matches both the range and supersonic speed of the 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐇𝐌𝐎𝐒 anti-ship cruise missiles which is already equipped by various frontline destroyers and frigates of the Indian Navy.
Considering all the above, the Chinese weapon still has a better proven speed, effectiveness and range. At the moment, in terms of comparision, the Indian anti-ship missiles demand significant development which are in the pipeline but we cannot neglect the fact that China stands equipped with a much enhanced arsenal.
𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐎-𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂 𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐃 𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒
With the Indo-Pacific being at the centre of geopolitics, India’s Maritime strategy lays in focus. The role of the Indian Navy stands critical as the country’s geographical location makes it a major player in the Indian Ocean.
𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐀’𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐀 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄
The Indian Navy closely watches as the events unfold, as the Indian subcontinent is buzzing with activity. India has been closely observing Chinese activities as the state has its growing presence in the Indian Ocean since nearly a decade now.
𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐒 𝐔𝐏 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓
India along with other major Nations across the world are concerned that the PLA could end making use of such ports for defence purposes. In order to counter China’s rise, the United States, Japan, Australia and India are jointly working in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.
To counter China’s increasing deployments, India alone is taking steps by levelling up its own overseas deployments. The country has secured agreements with several other nations for defence access to their respective bases.
However, new armaments such as the air launched ballistic missiles and the YJ21 shipped launched ballistic missile, represent a serious threat to land and naval targets. The development of these weapons also reflects China’s growing progress and in several ways leaving the United States and the other nations in its wake.
– The writer is an Aerospace and Defence Analyst & Director ADD Engineering Components (India) Pvt Ltd (An Indo- German Company).
-The author is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily carry the views of Raksha Anirveda
