YDJ-83
| YDJ-83 | |
|---|---|
| File:YDJ-83.png YDJ-83JON with IIR seeker and HE warhead | |
| Type | air-to-surface missile |
| Place of origin |  Menghe |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2013-present |
| Used by | Menghe |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Chŏnggong design bureau |
| Designed | 2010-2012 |
| Unit cost | $180,000 (est) |
| Produced | 2013-present |
| Variants | YDJ-83RGN, YDJ-83NRG, YDJ-83JOG, YDJ-83JON, YDJ-83NRN |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 98 kilograms |
| Length | 2.38 m |
| Diameter | 21 cm |
| Wingspan | 49 cm |
| Propellant | solid fuel |
Operational range | 25 km (stationary launch) 30 km (fixed-wing aircraft) |
| Speed | 410 m/s (Mach 1.2) |
Guidance system | see "variants" |
Steering system | aerodynamic surfaces |
| Accuracy | claimed 1.2 meter CEP |
Launch platform | GHZ-28, GHZ-32 Ikchirei, GHZ-34 Hoksan, Sŏngrim SL-6, Sŏngrim SL-8 |
The YDJ-83 (Menghean: 유도탄,대지 Yudotan, Daeji "Missile, Anti-Ground") is a type of air-to-surface and surface-to-surface guided missile developed and produced in Menghe. Though technically a long-range variant of the YDJ-82, it is classified as a separate missile. Depending on the warhead variant, it can be used against tanks, light structures, and small warships, at a range of 25-30 kilometers.
Development
A mockup of the YDJ-83 missile was first unveiled in 2012 at the Hŭksan Arms Exposition, where it was provisionally designated YDJ-82JG (Janggŏri, "long range"). Some sources claim that working prototypes had already undergone testing before then, which would be consistent with the missile's acceptance into operational service the following year.
The reasoning behind its re-designation as YDJ-83 is unclear, but may have been motivated by a desire to minimize confusion in Army logistics. The two missiles can be carried on the same rail mounts for helicopter or aircraft use, but due to their different lengths, YDJ-82 and YDJ-83 enclosed launch boxes are not compatible with the same ground-launch vehicles.
Design
Design-wide, the new missile consists of a YDJ-82 with an extended fuselage, allowing it to hold a larger and more efficient solid-fuel sustainer stage. This grants it nearly double the range of the original design. The control surfaces and stabilizing wings are also lengthened to offset any loss of maneuverability from the increased weight, and the hardpoint interface is shifted slightly further to the rear.
It uses the same guidance units manufactured for the YDJ-82, and is capable of being carried on open mounts designed for the latter weapon, but due to its length it is not compatible with the box-type mounts carried on surface vehicles.
Variants
The YDJ-83 comes in several variants, based on its warhead type and guidance system.
- YDJ-83RGN: Laser-guided, high-explosive warhead
- YDJ-83NRG: Millimeter-wave active radar, anti-tank warhead
- YDJ-83JOG: Imaging-infrared guidance, anti-tank warhead
- YDJ-83JON: Imaging-infrared guidance, high-explosive warhead
- YDJ-83NRN: Millimeter-wave active radar, high-explosive warhead
The "G" type anti-tank warhead consists of a tandem HEAT charge, designed to negate the effects of reactive armor. With a range of 25 kilometers when launched from land, and the ability to acquire targets after being launched toward approximate coordinates, it is capable of functioning as "anti-tank artillery," with a single battery of launchers providing long-range indirect fire against enemy armored forces.
The "N" type is identical in dimensions, but uses a precursor HEAT charge followed by a high-explosive warhead with a prefragmented sleeve. While it can be used against light structures on land, it was originally designed as a lightweight anti-ship missile for the Coastal Defense Forces. It can be programmed to detonate on impact, or after a brief delay, causing it to explode within the target ship and maximize damage to internal systems.
According to the manufacturer, variant "N" is optimal for use against light warships displacing under 500 tonnes - for example, missile boats, patrol boats, and fast attack craft - but can also inflict critical systems damage on corvettes and frigates, especially if multiple missiles are fired. It is particularly effective against air-cushioned landing craft, making it a preferred weapon for defense against amphibious landings.
Launch platforms
In its open-air form, the YDJ-83 is compatible with all launch platforms capable of firing the YDG-82, though it requires a minor update to the fire-control software. When fired from fixed-wing aircraft at medium to high altitudes, it can achieve a range of 30 kilometers, due to the combination of initial forward momentum and reduced air resistance.
In 2013, the Coastal Defense Forces issued a procurement order for light wheeled launchers using the Chŏnsŏ-G544 4-by-4 utility vehicle. This vehicle is armed with two YDJ-83JON missiles, which are carried in fixed, angled box launchers facing to the left. Compared to the tracked variants, it is poorly protected, carries fewer missiles, and has more limited flexibility, but it is also lighter and faster on roads with reduced maintenance demands, making it better for a dispersed defensive force. The Coastal Defense Forces use it as a component of their layered anti-landing defense, though border units of the Army have not accepted it for service.
A variant with a thin metal shell over the cabin to protect the crew from rocket exhaust, JYDJ-82/2N, was introduced in 2016 and now accounts for all new orders.
In early 2017, the Coastal Defense Forces unveiled a new launch system, designated JYDJ-83/8. This carries eight missiles in reloadable launchers inside a rotating box array on the back of a Chŏnsŏ-288 utility truck. It can be loaded with any YDJ-83 missile variant, but usually uses a combination of IIR-guided and radar-guided high-explosive variants. The launch vehicle has a crew of four, two of whom ride in a fire-control compartment behind the cab. Though more capable than the smaller JYDJ-83/2N, the JYDJ-83/8 has so far been procured in only small numbers, as it is heavier and harder to disperse.