Last year, in a report to US Congress, the Department of Defense said new Chinese LACMs would enter service early this decade. It said the first would be a derivative of an air-launched cruise missile.
These include the 100km (60 miles)-range YJ-6 (C-601), 200km-range YJ-62 (C-611), or a modified version of the YJ-2 (C-802), with range estimates of 130-400km. There are reports that an LACM called the Hong Niao, or "Red Bird", similar to Russia's Kh-55, may be in production.
China's cruise missile development is conducted under the aegis of the Third Academy of China Aerospace. Its LACM programme started in the 1970s, and has benefited from Israeli and Russian technology. China also obtained an intact Tomahawk from Afghanistan, which may have helped with developing guidance systems.
The LACMs are expected to be deployed initially in the Nanjing Military Region, opposite Taiwan. Their multiplicity indicates that each of the three services is likely to have its own system.o
Source: Flight International