Myanmar may have bought new anti-ship missiles from China: Kanwa
Staff Reporter 2013-08-02 13:54
The C-602 anti-ship missile is the export version of the YJ-602. (Internet photo)
Myanmar may have become the first foreign nation to import the C-602 anti-ship missile from China according to Kanwa Defense Review, a magazine published by Andrei Pinkov, a military analyst from Canada.
The PLA Navy is currently the only operator of the YJ-602 anti-ship missile designed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation based in Beijing. However, a source from the Chinese defense industry told Kanwa Defense Review that the C-602, the export version of the missile, had recently been sold to an unknown nation, which is very likely to be Myanmar.
If this report is true, the article said Myanmar's navy will have the best anti-ship missile of any country in Southeast Asia. Myanmar currently deploys two other types of anti-ship missile from China, the C-802 and C-802A, it said. Reports in Russian media meanwhile state that the anti-ship missiles on board two of Myanmar's most advanced frigates, the F11 and F12, are the Russian-built Kh35 with a range of 130 kilometers, but Kanwa Defense Review said they are more likely to be C-602 missiles judging from their size.
Since the two Myanmar frigates each have a displacement of over 3,000 tonnes, the article said the missile launchers on these two vessels should be able to carry eight Kh35 missiles. However, a photo shows only four missiles in the launchers, suggesting they are likely to be the 6.1-meter-long C-602 rather than the 3.85-meter-long Kh35. Kanwa Defense Review said even larger PLA ships like the Type 052C guided missile destroyer with its displacement of 7,000 tonnes is able to carry only eight YJ-602 missiles.
Kanwa also said Myanmar is constructing a stealth missile boat with the hull number 491 which looks very similar to the 500-tonne fast attack craft the PLA Navy turned over to Pakistan last year. The new stealth missile boat will likely carry the C-802 or C-802A like its counterpart in Pakistan, the article said. This demonstrates that China still has strong influence over Myanmar despite the end of the nation's military regime. Islamabad is also negotiating with Beijing to purchase the C-602 missile, according to Kanwa.
