The YJ-83 uses microprocessors and a strapdown inertial reference unit ; these are more compact than the equivalent electronics used in the YJ-8 and the export C-802, allowing the YJ-83 to have a 180-km range at Mach 0.9. The missile is powered by the Chinese CTJ-2 turbojet, and carries 190-kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead. Terminal guidance is by an active radar. The YJ-83K, the air-launched variant, has a range of 200 km. This data may be for an improved YJ-83A; the original YJ-83 may have shorter range, at 120 km and 130 km for the surface- and air-launched versions, respectively. The YJ-83KH has an electro-optical seeker, and may receive course corrections by remote link. The YJ-83 entered service with the People's Liberation Army Navy in 1998-1999 and has equipped a large number of its surface warships. The YJ-83K equips the Chengdu J-10, Xian JH-7 and H-6G.
C-802
The C-802 is the export version of the YJ-83; It is powered by the French TRI 60-2 turbojet and has a range of. The C-802A and C-802AK are the export surface- and air-launched variants. The C-802A has a range of.
The US military considers the C-802 and C-802A as parts of the YJ-83 family. The C-802 precedes the closely related YJ-83; strictly speaking, only the C-802A is the export development of the YJ-83. The C-802 is sometimes and erroneously considered the export version of the YJ-82; the two are separate developments. A prospective "C-803" was erroneously promulgated as the export version of the YJ-83 by enthusiasts in the late-1990s. As yet, no such missile exists.
Operational history
News reports indicate that this was the missile used on 14 July 2006, in the 2006 Lebanon War when Hezbollah fired two missiles at Israeli warships. One missile hit the corvette INS Hanit, causing significant damage and four fatalities. Iran, the reported supplier of the missile to Hezbollah, refused to formally confirm or deny the claim. The Hanit suffered severe damage, but stayed afloat, got itself out of the line of fire, and made the rest of the journey back to Ashdod for repairs on its own. The Israeli ship possessed sophisticated multi-layered missile defense capability: a Phalanx CIWS gun, Barak 1 anti-missile missiles, Chaff and ECM. These should have been able to prevent an anti-ship missile attack such as the YJ-82, but according to the Israeli military, these were intentionally disabled at the time of the alleged missile hit due to:
Lack of intelligence indicating Hezbollah possessed such a missile.
Presence of many Israeli Air Force aircraft conducting operations in the vicinity of the ship which might have accidentally set off the ship's anti-missile/aerial threats system, with the danger of shooting down a friendly aircraft. However, the ship has an Identification friend or foe interrogator system to prevent attacking friendly aircraft.
On 9 October 2016, the United States Navyguided-missile destroyer USS Mason reported coming under attack in the Red Sea by cruise missiles fired from territory in Yemen controlled by the Houthi group. The missiles appeared similar to one fired from Yemen a week earlier that damaged HSV Swift, a leased transport ship under the control of the United Arab Emirates, who are supporting the Yemeni government in a civil war against the Houthis. Analysis of the damage caused by that missile led experts to believe it was a C-802. None of the missiles fired at USS Mason hit their targets; U.S. authorities claimed that defensive countermeasures were used, including firing defensive missiles.
