YDH-24
| YDH-24 | |
|---|---|
 Artist's impression of a YDH-24. | |
| Type | Anti-ship missile |
| Place of origin | Menghe |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1994-present |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Institute 55 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 900 kg |
| Length | 6.2 m |
| Diameter | 40 cm |
| Warhead | 160 kg warhead |
Detonation mechanism | Contact fuse |
| Propellant | solid fuel |
Operational range | 160 km |
| Flight altitude | sea skimming (10 m) |
| Speed | Mach 0.8 |
Guidance system | inertial guidance, terminal active radar homing |
The YDH-24 (Formal designation: 24식 대함 유도탄 / 二四式對艦誘導彈, i-sal-sik daeham yudotan, "Type 24 anti-ship missile;" Short designation 유대함-24 Yudaeham-isal "YDH-24") is a type of subsonic anti-ship missile designed in Menghe.
Development
The YDH-24 traces its lineage back to efforts in the DPRM to develop an improved version of the YDH-20, a licensed copy of the P-15 Termit. In the interim, this resulted in the YDH-22, which was longer and had a solid-fuel engine. The YDH-22's size, however, remained a concern, and it was seen mainly as an interim solution. With the lifting of the international embargo on Menghe in 1988, work on a new anti-ship missile resumed. When the frigate Ansa was commissioned in 1993, observers noted four unfamiliar anti-ship missile launch boxes on her hull, evidence of a new missile in service; other sources claim that these boxes were empty when installed, with the missile entering mass production in 1994 or 1995.
Description
The YDH-24 has a conventional subsonic missile layout, similar to the MM40 Exocet and Type 88 SSM. It has large cruciform wings about halfway down its length, with control surfaces in the rear. In its surface-launched variant, it is equipped with a solid-fuel booster to launch it into the air, at which point the booster falls off and a solid-fuel sustainer motor kicks in. In flight, the YDH-24 follows a sea-skimming trajectory, at an altitude of 10 meters above wave level.
For the first stage of its flight path, the YDH-24 relies on inertial guidance to approach a designated point near the target. As it approaches, it activates an active radar seeker for terminal guidance. Later variants added improved seekers with infrared imaging backup and home-on-jam capability, though these were absent in the initial versions.
Variants
- YDH-24G: Surface-launch version with folding wings and a solid-fuel booster.
- YDH-24N: Version launched from fixed-wing aircraft. It lacks the solid-fuel booster, and its wings are non-folding.
- YDH-24D: Submarine-launched version. Little is known about this variant, except that it is fired from 650mm torpedo tubes and has a different folding wing layout. Apparently considered unsuccessful.
- YDH-24R: Upgraded surface-launch version, unveiled in 2008. Features an underslung infrared camera for backup targeting, as well as passive guidance and home-on-jam capability, all of which increase its resistance to countermeasures. Mainly marketed for export.
Launch platforms
Warships
- Ansa-class frigate
- Chanjok Jachido-class cruiser
- Plan 215 corvette (1990s refit)
- Pyŏng'an-class destroyer
Aircraft