In the fall of 1983, the
People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) test fired YJ-8 missiles from a modified
Type 033 submarine; the submarine had to surface to fire, and six missiles could be fired in six to seven minutes. The missile's short range and surface launch left the submarine vulnerable. The YJ-82 was developed by placing the missile inside a buoyant launch capsule; the capsule technology was acquired from Pakistan. The YJ-82 was first test fired from a
Type 039 submarine in 1997; initial tests did not go well. The first photographs of the missile appeared at the 2004
China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition. The YJ-82 was often erroneously referred to in the West as C-801Q or YJ-8Q, implying an export version of YJ-82. However, the destination does not exist. ==Variants and derivatives==