Since its inception, the Republic of China (Taiwan) has feared attack from the People's Republic of China and has been constantly modernizing its armed forces. One of the latest steps in this direction was the adoption of the new Yun Feng cruise missile. This product has been in development since at least two thousand years, and in 2019, after long years of waiting, entered service.
Secret history
The Yunfeng (Cloudy Peak) project was first officially announced in 2012, but work began long before that. According to some estimates, the development of new missile weapons was a direct result of the so-called. The third crisis in the Taiwan Strait (1995-96). However, the work encountered certain difficulties, and the desired results were obtained only at the end of the tenth years.
The missile was created by the Zhongshan Institute of Science and Technology, the head scientific and design organization of the Ministry of National Defense. The work was carried out in an atmosphere of strict secrecy. Measures were also taken to conceal the events. For example, flight tests of Yun Feng products were carried out "under the cover" of testing the Hsiung Feng III missile, already known to a potential enemy.
According to reports from previous years, the Yunfeng missile was supposed to enter service in 2014-15, but this did not happen. Moreover, in 2016, there were reports in Taiwanese and foreign media about the possible termination of the project. By this decision, Taipei was supposed to show its peacefulness to Beijing. However, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense soon denied such reports and indicated the continuation of work.
In early 2018, there were reports of further development of the Yun Feng rocket. As part of the project with the Qilin code, it was proposed to upgrade the product and increase the flight range. It was also planned to work out the issue of using the Yunfeng product as a launch vehicle for small spacecraft. The cost of the Qilin project was estimated at 12.4 billion Taiwanese dollars (approx. 390 million US dollars).
In August 2019, the Ministry of National Defense announced the launch of the production and operation of new weapons. 10 self-propelled launchers and 20 Yun Feng cruise missiles have been ordered for the army. Work is also ongoing on the Qilin project. The first tests of the upgraded rocket are scheduled for 2021.
Technical secrets
According to known data, the Yun Feng product is a supersonic cruise (in some sources it is mistakenly referred to as ballistic) vertical launch missile capable of striking ground targets at ranges of up to 1,500 km. In the near future, it is expected to create new modifications of such weapons with improved characteristics and fundamentally new capabilities.
The rocket is built in a cylindrical body with an ogival head fairing (probably released when the main engine is started). The wing is foldable; the tail set of rudders at the start is in the unfolded position. The missile is equipped with guidance systems of an unknown type. The dimensions and starting weight of the product are unknown.
Yun Feng is equipped with a solid-propellant rocket engine that provides de-launching, ascent to a predetermined height and acceleration to the required speed. When the set parameters are reached, the ramjet propulsion engine is switched on. With its help, the rocket develops a speed of about 1000 m / s.
The starting and main engines consistently provide ascent to a considerable height, where the main part of the trajectory lies. In the target area, the missile begins to descend. Such a flight profile makes it possible to reduce air resistance losses and in a certain way increase the range. In the existing configuration, this parameter reaches 1500 km.
To defeat targets, an armor-piercing high-explosive warhead weighing 225 kg is used. This type of warhead is typical for anti-ship missiles, but nothing is known about such capabilities of the Yun Feng product.
The Yunfeng is launched from a ground-based launcher. Initial plans called for the deployment of fixed installations in the mountainous parts of Taiwan, but they were later canceled. Simulation of combat situations has shown that such objects are at great risk and can be quickly destroyed by the enemy. In this regard, the missile system was made mobile.
The Yun Feng launcher is reportedly based on a five-axle special chassis and carries only one missile. It is also likely that the complex includes other vehicles for various purposes. It is assumed that placing the complex's assets on self-propelled chassis will increase mobility and reduce the risks of an enemy strike.
Project development
For several years now, work has been underway on the Qilin project, which has two main goals. The first is the improvement of the power plant to improve the flight performance of the rocket. After such modernization, Yunfeng is expected to be able to hit targets at ranges of up to 2000 km.
The upgraded weapon will also be able to become a carrier rocket. In this configuration, a cruise missile will have to deliver cargo weighing 50-200 kg to near-earth orbits up to 500 km high. Probably, obtaining such opportunities is directly related to improving flight performance, which is the main goal of the current project.
Practical results
Last summer, the Ministry of Defense of Taiwan announced the launch of the production of new weapons. An order has been placed for 10 mobile launchers (possibly together with other missile systems) and 20 Yunfeng missiles of the first batch. According to foreign media reports, a new order is planned or has already been implemented. In total, in the foreseeable future, the army wants to receive 50 missiles of a new type.
In its current form, the Yun Feng complex is a very interesting strike system with fairly wide combat capabilities. Open data suggests that the new Taiwanese missile could pose a serious threat to mainland China should a conflict break out. However, the full potential of such a threat has not yet been realized.
The range of the Yunfeng product in the basic version is 1500 km. This means that such missiles, depending on the launch point, are capable of hitting targets on the territory of the PRC at a depth of about 800-1000 from the coastline of the Taiwan Strait. A lot of PRC military facilities fall into the danger zone, incl. of strategic importance.
The mobile execution of the complex makes it difficult to detect it and timely defeat it by forces of one or another combat arms. The cruise missile is capable of speeds of approx. 1 km / s, which becomes a serious challenge for the enemy's air defense. The 225-kg warhead is capable of striking various ground targets that do not have special protection.
In the foreseeable future, the appearance of a modernized missile with a range of up to 2000 km is expected, which will become a new challenge for the PRC. Even Beijing could fall within the coverage area of such a product - with understandable strategic risks.
However, the new Taiwanese missile should not be overestimated. Its real potential is seriously limited by quantity. So far, only 10 launchers have been ordered, which is not enough for a massive strike on all the main targets of a potential enemy. In addition, the question of breaking through the air defense of mainland China remains open. The PLA has developed means of protection that can detect and hit all launched missiles in a timely manner.
A tool of confrontation
Taiwan seriously fears possible aggression from the PRC and is preparing its armed forces for an open conflict. One of the methods of building up military power is the creation of new types of weapons, such as the Yun Feng cruise missile. The duty of such complexes will begin in the near future and, as expected, will have a beneficial effect on the overall defense capability of the country.
For a number of objective reasons, the Yunfeng complexes will not become a "miracle weapon" capable of preventing possible aggression alone or delivering a powerful retaliatory strike and ending the war. Nevertheless, in this case, the project is of great interest - like other independent developments in Taiwan in the field of rocketry.
