In the early 1980s, the PLA Navy experimentally deployed the YJ-8 (C-801) anti-ship missile onboard a modified Type 033 (Romeo class) diesel-electric submarine (pennant number 351), with six missiles carried in external launch tubes. However, the missiles could only be launched after the submarine has surfaced. This limited the effectiveness of the weapon system and increased the possibility of the submarine being detected by its enemy. As a result, no further deployment of this kind has been spotted thereafter.
In the late 1980s, 3rd Space Academy finally grasped the underwater missile launch technology, and introduced the YJ-82 submarine-launched anti-ship missile. The missile is carried inside a watertight cylinder-shape container, which is launched from the submarine’s 533mm torpedo tube at periscope depth. The container floats to the sea surface with its own buoyancy. When the container reaches the sea surface, the lid on the container is blasted off and the missile fired. The YJ-82 missile system was deployed on most Chinese-built submarines such as Type 093 Shang class, Type 091 Han class, Type 039 Song class, and Yuan class.
The YJ-82 appears to be identical to the YJ-8A (C-801A) in external appearance, but lacks the solid rocket booster at the rear end of the missile. The wings of the missile are folded when the missile is stored in the container and expanded after launch. No technical details regarding the missile is available.
Gallery
A model of the YJ-82 missile and its container show how the missile is stored
PLA Navy crew loading a YJ-82 missile container into the submarine torpedo tube
