The PLAAF is currently equipped with a land-attack variant of the YJ-81 air-to-ship missile known as KongDi-88 (KD-88). The weapon was first revealed during the 2006 Zhuhai Air Show. The fielding of the weapon by the PLAAF was confirmed by a TV footage of Chinese state media in November 2006.
The KD-88 is similar in concept to the U.S. Stand-off Land Attack Missile (SLAM), which was originally developed as an anti-ship missile but later adopted for use on aircraft to attack high-value land targets. Powered by a small turbojet engine, the missile can deliver a 165kg conventional HE warhead at subsonic speed (Mach 0.9) over a distance of 180~200km. The missile may use an inertial navigation system (INS), with datalink command for mid-course correction and an active radar homing for terminal guidance.
The missile is claimed to be capable of engaging ships in harbor or fixed land targets. Given that the missile is fitted with a radar seeker only, land targets would need to provide a high radar contrast. The missile can be launched from the JH-7A fighter-bomber and H-6 medium bomber. More capable guidance methods such as GPS and TV-homing may be adopted In the future to achieve higher accuracy. Other variants using the GPS or passive radar radiation guidance methods may have also been developed.
The introduction of the KD-88 is yet another example of the PLA’s active pursuing of the stand-off precision strike capability. Such a weapon would give the PLA commanders flexibility in targeting key command, communications, or political nodes.
Gallery
A KD-88 missile waiting to be loaded onto the JH-7A fighter-bomber
The KD-88 missile for the export market
The KD-88 land-attack cruise missile equipped by the PLAAF
