TL-10

TL-10
YJ-9E anti-ship missile (bottom-left) in a display of Hongdu L-15 aircraft
Type	anti-ship / air-to-surface missiles
Place of origin	China
Service history
In service	prior to 2006 – present
Used by	China
Production history
Manufacturer	Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation
Produced	prior to 2006
Specifications
Mass	105 kg (231 lb)
Length	2,500 mm (98 in)
Diameter	180 mm (7.1 in)
Wingspan	568 mm (22.4 in)
Warhead	30 kg (66 lb)
Detonation mechanism	Semi-armor-piercing
Engine	rocket motor
Propellant	dual thrust chamber, solid rocket motor
Operational range	4–25 km (2.5–15.5 mi)
Maximum speed	≈ Mach 0.85
Guidance system	INS, active radar homing (ARH), imaging infrared (IIR), TV/CCD, semi-active laser (SAL)
Launch platform	Air & surface

The YJ-9 (Chinese: 鹰击-9; pinyin: yingji-9; lit. 'Eagle Strike 9') is a Chinese lightweight anti-ship missile manufactured by Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation.¹²³ The export version of YJ-9 is called TL-10 (Chinese: 天龙-10; lit. 'Sky Dragon-10') anti-ship missile by Hongdu, or FL-8 (lit. 'Flying Dragon-8') by China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC). The missile was part of a bidding competition against C-701 missile for Iranian Kowsar missile program.²

During the Falkland War, the Royal Air Force (RAF) used Westland Lynx to launch Sea Skua anti-ship missiles against Argentinian patrol boats. Helicopter-based anti-surface operation was seen as a viable option in any potential Taiwan Strait operation by the Chinese military industry. In the 1990s, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) Third Academy and Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (Hongdu) both initiated small anti-ship missile projects, resulting in CASIC's C-701 missile and Hongdu's TL-10 missile. Both missiles shared very similar specifications, but with a slight deviation in launch profile. The initial model of the C-701 focused on surface launch from boats, while TL-10 focused on helicopter air-launch integration.⁴

Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation began the development of TL-10 and TL-6 missiles in the mid-1990s, and conducted test fires in the same period.² The TL-10 was unveiled in the 2004 Zhuhai Airshow.²⁵ According to a representative of Hongdu in 2004, the TL-6 and TL-10 programs were purely designed for export, and no missiles would be inducted into the People's Liberation Army.² Three missile variants were showcased in 2004: the air-to-surface KJ/TL-10B, the surface-to-surface JJ/TL-10A, and the surface-to-surface JJ/TL-6B. TL-6B also had a radar-guided version under development.²

Jane's Defence Weekly suspected that the reason behind the similar roles, dimensions, and performance of the C-701 and TL-10 was that they were part of a competition bid intended for Iran's Kowsar missile program.² Sources conflict regarding which missile variant ultimately entered service with the Iranian military; one account states that the TL-10/FL-8 and TL-6/FL-9 became the Kowsar and Nasar missiles,⁶ while another suggests that the C-701⁷ and C-704⁸⁹ were the ones developed into these two systems.

The domestic variant of the TL-10, named YJ-9, first appeared in Chinese media reports in 2013. Four YJ-9 missiles can be carried by a PLA Navy Harbin Z-9D helicopter.¹⁰ In 2025, YJ-9s were carried by Harbin Z-20F helicopters on Chinese ships.⁴

The YJ-9 (TL-10) is a lightweight anti-ship missile designed to engage small targets at sea.¹¹ The TL-10 is armed with a television seeker, but can be modified to carry other guidance methods.⁴

TL-10A

TV/CCD version.²

TL-10B

Active radar version.²

FL-8

Alternaive name for TL-10.²

TL-1

Rebranded TL-10, showcased at Zhuhai Airshow 2008.¹²

YJ-9

Active radar version for People's Liberation Army usage. The missile's length is extended for additional range.⁴¹³

•  Iran: Islamic Republic of Iran
•  China: People's Republic of China: YJ-9