Chinese Cruise Missiles on NATO’s Southern Flank: Algeria Demonstrates Mach 4+ YJ-12 in Live Fire Test

Algeria has demonstrated the launch of a Chinese YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missile, specifically the CM-302 export variant, providing rare visual evidence of the advanced coastal defence system in service with the African state’s armed forces. Footage released by Algeria’s Ministry of National Defence shows a mobile coastal missile launcher firing during the Mediterranean Falcon 2026 exercise, with the weapon subsequently striking a maritime target off the country’s western coastline. The missile has a declared range of approximately 290 kilometres and carries a warhead weighing more than 250 kilograms. Its combination a Mach 4 and low-altitude sea-skimming flight is intended to reduce the time available for defending warships to detect, track and intercept an incoming weapon. The missile reportedly uses a rocket booster for launch and a ramjet engine for sustained propulsion, with an inertial navigation system supported by China’s BeiDou satellite navigation network and an active radar seeker for terminal targeting.

The exercise took place on November 10 near the city of Oran and was supervised by Algerian Chief of Staff General Saïd Chanegriha, as part of the armed forces’ 2026–2027 combat preparation programme. Algeria’s Ministry of National Defence stated that the target was destroyed with great precision. The mobile launcher appears to carry three rectangular transport and launch containers, consistent with the configuration associated with the Chinese coastal defence system. Reports of an Algerian acquisition of the system first emerged in 2021, while photographs of vehicles believed to be associated with the system circulated in 2022. The procurement reflects a broader trend of Chinese armaments making up a growing portion of Algerian defence orders. 

For Algeria, the YJ-12 provides an important means of threatening hostile surface combatants without requiring its own warships or aircraft to approach the opposing force. Mobile coastal launchers can be dispersed along the Mediterranean coastline, creating uncertainty over the location of anti-ship missile batteries and complicating the planning of naval operations. When integrated with coastal surveillance radars, maritime patrol aircraft and other intelligence assets, such systems can contribute to a wider network for detecting and engaging vessels operating within range. This is considered invaluable for the country’s sea denial strategy, which has focused on asymmetrically countering much larger NATO forces in the event of an attack on the country. 

The Algerian Air Force has procured a number of Chinese missile systems, with the HQ-17 short-range surface-to-air missile system first seen in the country in September 2026, complementing the longer ranged HQ-9B by system that was reportedly acquired earlier in the decade. Algeria’s extensive investment in ground-based air defences has seen it both expand procurements of Russian systems, and increasingly rely on Chinese equipment which has in many cases provided a more advanced alternative. Algeria is also confirmed to have poured the CHL-906 mobile integrated electronic reconnaissance and electronic attack system. The Algerian Army is reportedly expected to procure its first Chinese tank, the VT-4, near the end of the decade, providing advanced active protection systems, while there has been considerable speculation that alongside procurements of Russian Su-57 fifth generation fighters, more advanced Chinese J-35 fighters will also be acquired.