Container ship turned missile battery spotted in China
BEIJING : On the Christmas Day of this year, images of a Chinese shipping vessel carrying several containerized vertical launch cells systems appeared online. The basis of the Vessel in question appears to be a standard civilian container carrier, further augmented with radars, Vertical Launch Systems, and other systems.
The otherwise unremarkable vessel features several sets of containerized Vertical Launch Cells, numbering at least 48, split into 3 rows of 16 with what appears to 4 cells per container with each row 4 containers wide. The vessel in question also is fitted with a Type-1130 Close in Weapons system and at least 3 decoy launchers (presumably six when accounting for the possibility of mountings facing the opposite direction) towards the bow.
Sensors have also been fitted within shipping containers, in addition to carried decoys and weaponry with both sensors mounted towards the bridge to the stern of the ship. A Type-344 Fire Control Radar is visible in the foreground, as the array is a standard PLAN sensor built for guiding radar-controlled guns of various calibers up to 130mm, with it usually present on destroyers to assist in prosecuting targets with the main cannon.
An unknown, flat faced, likely AESA array is also mounted slightly to the port and one container higher in height relative to the Type-344, possibly for additional air search or missile guidance capability.
At present, the types of missiles to be carried still remains largely a mystery, although the VLS cells housed within the containers are likely to be able to fire the standard suite of Chinese anti-ship and land attack missiles. Munitions could potentially include the already ship borne CJ-10 land attack cruise missile, the YJ-18 series of anti-ship/land attack cruise missiles, and the YJ-21 anti-ship ballistic missile.
The container ship’s capability to leverage surface to air missiles is also presently unknown, although the capability may be present if the GJB 5860-2006 universal Vertical Launch System and cells are used, potentially allowing for the use of the HHQ-9 series of SAMs.
Throughout the past decade, containerized missile systems have begun to be proliferated around the globe due the flexibility afforded by their use. One of the most notable systems would be the Club-K containerized missile system developed in Russia. The concept detailed that 4 VLS cells would be stored in each container, with the main munition being the Kalibr series of land attack/anti-ship cruise missiles.
The United States has also pursued similar capabilities, with Lockheed’s MK-70 MOD 1 containerized vertical launch system already tested. The MK-70 utilizes 4 strike length Vertical Launch Cells housed in a large container, granting the ability to fire munitions such as the RIM-156 SM-3, the RIM-174 SM-6, and the Tomahawk land attack cruise missile from land or sea platforms.
The U.S Army has also developed a currently designation-less system, featuring the ability to fire 2 HIMARS pods out of a standard size container, shorter than the that of the MK-70. HIMARS PODs and their use entails munitions such as the standard GMLRS or GMLRS-ER series of guided rockets (6 to a pod), to tactical ballistic missiles in the MGM-140 ATACMS (1 to a pod) or the upcoming PRSM (2 to a pod).