Munitions

YJ-83 anti-ship cruise missile

Also known as
  • YJ-83
  • Yingji-83
  • CSS-N-8 Saccade
  • C-803

The YJ-83 is a Chinese subsonic anti-ship cruise missile in the YJ-8/C-802 lineage. U.S. Army ODIN and NDU Press references describe it as a CTJ-2 turbojet missile with active-radar terminal homing, a roughly 190 kg warhead, and shipboard or aircraft launch variants; the Type 022/Houbei missile boat carries it as its main strike battery.

YJ-83 anti-ship cruise missile, Subsonic anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions
Image source: YJ-83.jpg
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
China
Type
Subsonic anti-ship cruise missile
Service note
1998-present
Designer
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Third Academy
Produced
1998-present
Developed from
C-802 / YJ-8 anti-ship missile lineage

Specifications

Length
6.38-6.86 m in public references
Diameter
0.36 m
Weight
About 850 kg
Warhead
About 190 kg high-explosive fragmentation or semi-armor-piercing warhead
Speed
Mach 0.8-0.9 cruise
Range
About 180 km for the surface-launched YJ-83 in NDU Press reporting
Guidance
Inertial navigation with active radar terminal homing
Propulsion
CTJ-2 turbojet with solid-fuel booster
Family Context

The YJ-83 sits inside a designation family where Chinese domestic names, NATO reporting names, and export names often overlap. The record is kept relationship-only because no direct YJ-83 conflict-use row was supported during this pass; the page exists to support sourced links from PLAN launch platforms.

DesignationContextSource-backed note
YJ-83PLAN surface-launched missileNDU Press describes it as an improvement over YJ-8/YJ-8A and the exported C802.
YJ-83KAir-launched memberNDU Press identifies the air-launched YJ-83K and gives a longer rated range than the ship-launched missile.
C-802AExport-family relationU.S. Army ODIN treats C-802/C-802A as closely related export members of the same broader family.
Variants
VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
YJ-83KAir-launched anti-ship missile

NDU Press identifies the YJ-83K as the air-launched member of the YJ-83 family.

Sources: A Potent Vector: Assessing Chinese Cruise Missile Developments

C-802/Noor anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsC-802AExport-family relative

U.S. Army ODIN treats C-802/C-802A as closely related export members of the YJ-83 family.

Sources: C-802 Chinese Short-Range Anti-Ship Cruise Missile

Launch Platforms

Open references identify the YJ-83 as the missile battery fitted to several PLAN surface combatants.

LauncherLauncher typeLaunch evidence
Type 022 / Houbei-class missile boat, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy catamaran missile boat class, Naval SystemsType 022 / Houbei-class missile boatMissile boat launcher

WeaponSystems.net identifies eight YJ-83 launchers as the main armament of the Type 022/Houbei missile boat.

Sources: Type-022 class - WeaponSystems.net

Media

YJ-83 anti-ship cruise missile Images

YJ-83 anti-ship cruise missile, Subsonic anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions - view 1
Source: YJ-83.jpg
YJ-83 anti-ship cruise missile, Subsonic anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions - view 2
Source: YJ-83.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
C-801 anti-ship missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsC-801 anti-ship missileAnti-ship cruise missileThe C-801 is the export designation of China's YJ-8 family, a solid-propellant, sea-skimming anti-ship missile built by CASIC's Third Academy. Open references place the surface-launched YJ-8/C-801 in 1987 service with a 42 km range and 165 kg warhead, while later YJ-81/C-801K and YJ-82 members carried the same short-range family into air- and submarine-launched roles. Yemen's pre-war C-801 stocks and the C-801/C-802 identification caveat make the missile relevant to Houthi anti-ship attacks in the 2014 Yemen Civil War.
Type 022 / Houbei-class missile boat, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy catamaran missile boat class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsType 022 / Houbei-class missile boatChinese People's Liberation Army Navy catamaran missile boat classThe Type 022 or Houbei-class is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy catamaran missile boat built around fast littoral anti-ship attack. Public references describe a wave-piercing, radar-signature-reduced hull carrying eight YJ-83 anti-ship missiles, a 30 mm H/PJ-13 or AK-630-derived gun, waterjet propulsion, and enough sensors for local engagements while relying on wider PLAN targeting networks for longer-range missile employment.
Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsAl-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileAl-Mandab-2 is a Houthi designation for an anti-ship cruise missile displayed in 2022 and associated by UN, defense, and component-analysis sources with the C-802-derived Iranian Noor/Ghader/Ghadir family. Houthi-affiliated media claimed a seven-meter missile with a 300-kilometer range and micro-turbojet propulsion, while outside assessments differ on whether the public evidence best matches Ghader, Ghadir, or a broader C-802 derivative.

Sources

YJ-83 (CSS-N-8 Saccade) Chinese Short-Range Anti-Ship Cruise MissilePublisher: U.S. Army ODIN | Note: Supports YJ-83 missile identity, CTJ-2 propulsion, active-radar terminal guidance, warhead context, and technical profile. | Accessed: 2026-07-01A Potent Vector: Assessing Chinese Cruise Missile DevelopmentsPublisher: National Defense University Press | Note: Supports YJ-83/YJ-83K development context, CASIC Third Academy lineage, service-entry period, range and warhead details, and the distinction from the exported C802. | Accessed: 2026-07-01YJ-83 - WeaponSystems.netPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports YJ-83 dimensions, weight, speed, guidance, propulsion, and family background. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Type-022 class - WeaponSystems.netPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports the relationship to the Type 022/Houbei class by identifying YJ-83 as the missile boat's main armament. | Accessed: 2026-07-01C-802 Chinese Short-Range Anti-Ship Cruise MissilePublisher: U.S. Army ODIN | Note: Supports C-802/C-802A export-family context and the relationship to the broader YJ-83 family. | Accessed: 2026-07-01YJ-83.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a YJ-83 missile image used as the primary media item. | Accessed: 2026-07-01YJ-83J Missile 20170902.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a YJ-83J missile gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wuhu (539) Frigate - YJ-83 Missile.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a YJ-83 launcher gallery image on a Type 054A frigate. | Accessed: 2026-07-01