Cruise missiles are 'useful' sea defense

The People's Liberation Army Navy has a series of cutting-edge anti-ship cruise missiles that can form a powerful defense line at sea, military experts say.

"The deployment of the latest YJ-18, together with the YJ-12 and YJ-100, has enabled the Navy to deter any foreign navies from approaching its defense areas," a strategy researcher in the PLA, who asked not to be named, said on Monday.

"Compared with anti-ship ballistic missiles, the YJ-18 and YJ-12 will prove to be more useful, because even though ballistic missiles have a longer range and larger destructive power, their launch preparations are more complicated and their use is more likely to escalate a conflict," he explained.