The YJ-12 () is a Chinese supersonic anti-ship cruise missile. Description The YJ-12 is an air-launched missile that resembles a lengthened Kh-31 and is close in shape to the GQM-163 Coyote aerial target. A 2011 article in the United States Naval War College Review credited the "YJ-91/YJ-12" with a range of 400 km and a 205 kg high explosive warhead, compared to the range of a Harpoon anti-ship missile. Furthermore, an aircraft could launch the "YJ-91/YJ-12" while still 230 km beyond the range of SM-2 and Sparrow anti-air missiles, which have ranges of less than 170 km. According to Chinese sources, the YJ-12 has a speed of around Mach 2 if launched from low altitude and up to Mach 3.2 if launched from high altitude, with a maximum range of around depending on launch altitude; terminal attack altitude is 15 meters. In a September 2014 article published in Joint Forces Quarterly, the missile was credited with a range of up to 250 km and a speed of Mach 2.5. In February 2015, military expert Li Li claimed the YJ-12 has a warhead and a range of when traveling at Mach 3, or 400 km at a speed of Mach 4. The YJ-12 can also do evasive maneuvers to avoid anti-missile threats. A saturation attack by YJ-12's fired at long range would pose a grave threat to American carrier strike groups; once the wave of sea-skimming missiles appeared over the horizon and was detected by ships' own sensors, they would only have some 45 seconds to engage before impact and if there were enough, short range defenses would be overwhelmed. Given that fighters such as the Su-30MKK and J-11B have a combat radius of about 1,500 km, equipping them with the YJ-12 gives them a potential strike range out to . The U.S. Navy's counter is to use the Cooperative Engagement Capability to detect and destroy the YJ-12's launch aircraft with SM-6 missiles and fighters at long range before they can be fired. It has been test-launched from Xian H-6 bombers and will be fitted on the JH-7B. Reportedly, they may also be launched from the J-10, Su-30MKK, the J-11 and J-16, For warships, it equips the Type 051B destroyer and PLAN overhauled Sovremenny-class destroyer. Development In August 2000, the Chinese unveiled a model of an air-launched missile labelled as the YJ-91, resembling the French Air-Sol Moyenne Portée. Later, a similar