China test-fires stealth anti-ship cruise missile

Experts say China tested a variant of the YJ-18A. PIC COURTESY/CCTV

China has test-fired a stealth anti-ship cruise missile, bearing a black coating to evade radars, a media report said on Wednesday.

The missile, identified as a new variant of the YJ-18A with a black radar-absorbing finish, would improve penetration and visual camouflage over deep water, according to military experts.

The YJ-18A is an anti-ship missile that cruises at subsonic speed before making a supersonic terminal attack, often equipped on the 7500-tonne Type 052D and 12,000-tonne Type 055 destroyers.

The black coating was a type of stealth coating with strong radar-wave-absorbing properties, making the missile harder to detect.

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