During the Cold War, China was far behind the United States and the USSR in the field of high-tech weapons. Until the mid-1980s, the military doctrine of the PRC was based on the concept of "people's war", in which, in the course of hostilities against an external aggressor, the main stake was placed on numerous infantry units and the armed masses. It is clear that with this approach, the militias recruited from the peasants were for the most part equipped with light small arms, and against enemy tanks they had to use hand grenades and outdated rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The main anti-tank weapons in the personnel units of the PLA in the mid-1970s were: in the platoon unit - 80-mm Type 56 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers (a copy of the RPG-2) and Type 69 (a copy of the RPG-7), in the company unit - 75-mm recoilless guns Type 56 (copy of the American M20) and 82-mm Type 65 (copy of the Soviet B-10). The anti-tank reserve of the Chinese infantry battalion was four 105-mm Type 75 recoilless guns (a copy of the American M40) mounted on jeeps. Personnel infantry regiments were assigned anti-tank batteries armed with 57-mm Type 55 cannons (copy of the ZiS-2), as well as 85-mm Type 56 guns (copy of D-44) and Type 60 (copy of D-48).
The main feature of all these anti-tank systems was the simplicity of design and relatively low cost of production; they were available for development by military personnel with a minimum educational level. At the same time, hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers and recoilless guns with a relatively small mass had a small effective firing range, and the anti-tank artillery available in the PLA did not ensure reliable destruction of the frontal projection of tanks created in the USSR and the USA in the second half of the 1960s.
The first samples of the Nord SS.10 and Cobra guided anti-tank missiles were obtained by Chinese intelligence in the second half of the 1960s. In the early 1970s, BGM-71 TOW missiles were delivered from Vietnam. The unexploded American-made ATGMs had mechanical damage and did not give an idea of the guidance system. Much closer and more understandable for Chinese specialists was the 9K11 Malyutka ATGM, which had been used by Viet Cong fighters since 1972. With the help of wire-guided missiles, the Vietnamese fought counter-attacking armored vehicles and attacked strong points of the South Vietnamese defense. In total, the North Vietnamese ATGM crews destroyed and disabled up to a dozen M48, M41 and M113 armored personnel carriers.
In the late 1960s, an attempt was made in the PRC to independently create an anti-tank missile system. On the basis of the French ATGM Nord SS.10 in the early 1970s, specialists from the Beijing Institute of Technology and the First Artillery Academy created a complex designated J-265. According to Chinese sources, in the design of this ATGM, some technical solutions were also used, borrowed from the Soviet 3M6 Bumblebee complex, which Chinese specialists got acquainted with during their training in the USSR.
ATGM J-265 at the stand in the research institute
As in the French prototype, the commands to the missile after launch were transmitted via a wired communication line, and it was manually guided to the target. The starting mass of the J-265 ATGM is more than 15 kg, the length is about 1 m. The flight speed is about 90 m / s. Firing range: from 500 to 1800 m. The missile carried a cumulative warhead weighing 5 kg. The J-265 anti-tank missile system was produced in small series at the factory number 724 in Shenyang and since the early 1970s has been in trial operation. However, by that time, this ATGM clearly did not meet modern requirements and the Chinese military were not satisfied with its low performance and combat characteristics.
The Chinese ATGM, known as the J-201, was a clone of the West German Cobra complex. The firing range of the J-201 was 400-1600 m. The mass of the ATGM was about 10 kg, and the normal armor penetration was 350 mm.
Tests ATGM J-201 began in 1964, but slowed down greatly due to the outbreak of the "cultural revolution". In 1973, an attempt was made to start mass production. But due to economic difficulties and a fall in production culture, a very limited number of anti-tank systems were produced, and their reliability left much to be desired.
An improved modification of the J-202 was submitted for testing in 1977. The missile could hit targets at a range of 200-2000 m, normal armor penetration was 470 mm. But, like the early model, the J-202 ATGM was not very reliable. So, during the acceptance tests, after launch, one of the missiles turned 180 ° in the air and, without exploding, fell next to the selection committee. Although no one was hurt, the incident made an extremely negative impression on the top leadership of the PLA and party officials. Like the previous model, the J-202 ATGM was not transferred to mass production. By the early 1980s, all anti-tank systems J-265, J-201 and J-202 were removed from service.
The independent creation of a reliably functioning guidance system and compact missiles satisfying launch range and armor penetration proved to be an overwhelming task for the Chinese defense design bureaus. After the failure with their own anti-tank systems in China, they went the beaten path - they began to copy the Soviet anti-tank complex "Baby". It is not known whether the Vietnamese handed over the anti-tank systems received from the USSR to the Chinese comrades, but already in 1979 the PLA entered service with the HJ-73 ATGM (Hong Jian, "Red Arrow"), which is a Chinese copy of the Soviet 9K11 "Baby" complex. It is possible that Soviet-made ATGMs with China could be shared by North Korea or Egypt.
In the course of hostilities in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, the 9K11 Malyutka ATGM with a firing range of 500 to 3000 m and armor penetration along a normal of 400 mm has proved to be a very effective means of fighting armored vehicles. But the effectiveness of its use was directly related to the level of training of the operator and the combat situation. The operator guided the missile at the target manually using a joystick, guided by the tracer in the rear of the ATGM. The effectiveness of the use of the complex strongly depended on the degree of training and the psychophysical state of the operator. This was confirmed by the statistics of launches of the 9M14 ATGM at the range and in combat conditions. In the calm conditions of the test site, the most experienced operators achieved the probability of hitting the target 0, 8-0, 9. Being in a stressful situation, the same operators hit the target 5-6 times on average out of 10 launches. In addition, at a low cost and a very simple design, preparing an ATGM for combat use was not very convenient. The rocket was required to be removed from the suitcase-knapsack, to attach the warhead, to open the wing consoles, to place the missiles on the launchers, which previously also had to be deployed in position. To ensure the safety of the operator from the impact of the gas jet of the rocket engine, the control panel was placed farther from the launcher. It also took time to launch a missile launched from the side to the line of sight, which, in turn, imposed a restriction on the minimum launch range. The rocket, flying at a speed of no more than 115 m / s, was clearly visible visually, which gave the crew of the attacked tank a chance to make an evasion maneuver, fire at an ATGM position or put a smoke screen.
The basic version of the HJ-73 complex practically did not differ from the 9K11 Malyutka ATGM. As in the case of the Type 69 grenade launchers, the new Chinese anti-tank systems were primarily sent to military units deployed along the Sino-Soviet border. At the first stage, in one of the battalions of the PLA infantry regiment in the anti-tank platoon of 105-mm recoilless guns, the HJ-73 ATGM was replaced. The platoon was supposed to have three squads. The ATGM squad included: a commander, an operator-gunner carrying a suitcase with a control panel, and two soldiers with suitcases containing disassembled missiles. They were assisted and covered by four more soldiers in position.
In the mid-1980s, the PLA entered service with the HJ-73V ATGM, which used a semi-automatic guidance system. Now, for guidance, the operator only needed to keep the target in the sight, and the automation itself brought the missile to the line of sight.
Thanks to this, the probability of hitting became much less dependent on the skill of the shooter, and on average eight out of ten missiles hit the target. In addition to the guidance equipment, the missile itself has undergone improvements. The firing range remained the same, but the armor penetration was increased to 520 mm. The missiles of the new modification could be fired from the old complexes, but at the same time they had to be guided manually using the joystick. In the 1990s, it became possible to install replaceable high-explosive fragmentation warheads on the HJ-73V ATGM missiles, which expanded their scope.
The most perfect modification of the Chinese clone "Baby" was the HJ-73S ATGM. The introduction of a heat direction finder based on a new element base made it possible to reduce the missile guidance error. To supply power to the complex, a 30-volt nickel-cadmium battery was used, which can launch more than 30 missiles on a single charge. The improved ATGM, thanks to the use of an improved fuel formulation in the engines, can hit targets at a range of up to 3500 m. The missile was equipped with a new tandem warhead, the armor penetration of which, according to Chinese sources, is 800 mm. Based on the operating experience, in the event of a contact fuse failure, the missile was equipped with a self-destruct mechanism.
Despite the improvements, all modifications of the HJ-73 ATGM are currently considered obsolete. Although the armor penetration of the latest models has been significantly increased and they are theoretically able to overcome the protection of modern tanks, in terms of the aggregate combat characteristics, the HJ-73 ATGM is inferior to other complexes. The newest ATGM modifications have a low flight speed - no more than 120 m / s. When the rocket is launched, a clearly visible cloud of dust and smoke is formed, unmasking the position. Deploying the complex in position and reloading the launchers takes too long. The guidance system is highly vulnerable to illumination by an infrared searchlight and optical-electronic countermeasures. Nevertheless, despite all these shortcomings, the HJ-73В / С ATGM system, due to its relative cheapness and mass scale, continues to remain in service with the ground and airborne forces, marines and parts of the PLA coastal defense. ATGM HJ-73 were exported and used during the hostilities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya. In connection with the implementation of the program of cardinal modernization of the Chinese armed forces and large-scale rearmament to modern models, it can be expected that in the next decade all ATGMs of the HJ-73 family will be replaced in the PLA with new anti-tank complexes.
Copying the Soviet first-generation ATGM 9K11 "Baby", the Chinese experts understood that it no longer fully meets modern requirements. In this regard, in the early 1970s, the design of a second-generation anti-tank guided missile system began. The ATGM, designated HJ-8, cannot be called a complete copy of any particular Soviet or Western complex, but it shows the features of the American TOW ATGM and the Franco-German Milan. Western sources write that the process of creating the HJ-8 stalled until the Chinese gained access to the missiles and control equipment of the Milan ATGM.
The end of the refinement of the HJ-8 ATGM occurred a few years after the start of active military-technical cooperation between the PRC and Western countries. The formal adoption of the HJ-8 ATGM into service took place in 1984, but mass production of the complex began only in 1987.
As in other anti-tank missile systems of the second generation, to guide the missile, the operator of the HJ-8 ATGM was enough to keep the target in the crosshair of the sight.
The HJ-8 complex includes a tripod launcher on which an optical sight, an infrared receiver, a calculator and a transport and launch container with a rocket are mounted. There is also ancillary equipment for the maintenance of the control system and checking the serviceability of the ATGM.
The first serial version of the HJ-8 ATGM can hit targets at ranges from 100 to 3000 m. A 120-mm guided anti-tank missile is launched from a TPK 1566 mm long, whose curb weight is 23 kg. The rocket itself weighs about 11 kg. The maximum flight speed of the rocket is 220 m / s. The mass of a tripod launcher with an aiming and control unit is about 25 kg. The first serial modification of the HJ-8 ATGM was equipped with a cumulative warhead capable of penetrating 500 mm of homogeneous armor when hit at a right angle.
The production of the HJ-8 was carried out on a very large scale, complexes of various modifications were produced in a portable version, installed on vehicles and armored vehicles. At the beginning of the 21st century, this complex supplanted the early models of the HJ-73 ATGM in the anti-tank units of the PLA.
Soon after the adoption of the first modification, supplies began to the troops of the improved HJ-8A ATGM with a more reliable fuse and a warhead with armor penetration up to 600 mm. Due to the increase in the weight of the warhead and the fuel charge in the jet engine, the starting mass of the later missile modifications is 12-14 kg.
Since the mid-1990s, the production of HJ-8C missiles with a tandem cumulative warhead capable of overcoming dynamic protection and penetrating 800 mm homogeneous armor has been carried out. On the HJ-8D modification, the firing range was increased to 4000 m. The HJ-8E ATGM received a newly designed digital control system with improved firing accuracy and a PTI-32 night sight. The HJ-8F and HJ-8AE missiles are redesigned HJ-8C and HJ-8A ATGMs with increased firing range and armor penetration. The HJ-8N ATGM uses a more compact filling, which made it possible to increase the warhead and bring the armor penetration up to 1000 mm of homogeneous armor. A number of sources say that the ATGM ammunition includes a missile with a thermobaric warhead, apparently, we are talking about the HJ-8S.
The most advanced modification of the complex today is the HJ-8L. In addition to the possibility of using new missiles with increased range and armor penetration, the new model received a lightweight launcher and is equipped with a periscopic sight, which made it possible to reduce the operator's vulnerability to enemy fire. ATGM HJ-8L can use ATGMs of all early modifications, and the control system automatically recognizes the type of missile installed and selects the control mode. But, judging by the available information, the HJ-8L complex is offered exclusively for export, if an ATGM of this type is available in the PLA, then in a minimum quantity. This is due to the fact that the anti-tank units of the Chinese army are very well saturated with second-generation guided missile systems, which, subject to the use of new ATGMs, are able to overcome the protection of the most modern armored vehicles. In addition, the PLA command relies on ATGMs operating in the "fire and forget" mode, and considers it inappropriate to further procure ATGMs with a wired control command transmission system.
According to information published in the Chinese media, by the beginning of the 21st century, the PRC industry had produced more than 200,000 HJ-8 guided missiles of various modifications. ATGM HJ-8 are installed on various armored chassis and off-road vehicles.
Chinese complexes of the second generation HJ-8 have a good balance of cost and efficiency. They are popular in the global arms market, are in service in about 20 countries and have been used in hostilities in the former Yugoslavia, Shiri Lanka, Iraq, Syria and Libya.
The HJ-8 anti-tank complex in the 1980-1990s was fully consistent with the views of the Chinese military on what should be the ATGM of the battalion and regimental level. But to equip anti-tank divisions, it was desirable to have a longer-range and anti-jamming complex with a missile with an increased flight speed. The development of the HJ-9 ATGM with a laser guidance system began in the early 1980s, for the first time the complex was demonstrated to the general public in 1999. Due to the significant dimensions, the weight of the equipment of the complex and the rocket, it was designed from the very beginning in a self-propelled or transportable version. The main part of the HJ-9 ATGM, available in the PLA, is located on the chassis of the WZ-550 armored personnel carriers.
This self-propelled missile system is known as the AFT-9. This vehicle has a movable turret with four guides for the TPK, periscopic optical and thermal imaging sights, a laser emitter, horizontal and vertical guidance mechanisms, built-in diagnostic equipment and ammunition storage for eight missiles. Combat work is automated as much as possible - the missile is guided to the target in a semi-automatic mode, the complex is reloaded automatically, including while moving. A semi-automatic control system with television equipment for tracking a missile and transmitting control commands by a laser beam has a range of up to 5500 m. In the dark, a thermal imaging sight is used with a detection range of up to 4000 m. Transport and launch container equipped with a 152-mm rocket weighs 37 kg and has a length of 1200 mm. It provides destruction of ground targets at a distance of 100 to 5000 m. Normal armor penetration is 1100 mm.
The missile carries a tandem cumulative warhead, which allows it to overcome dynamic protection. According to the manufacturer, the probability of hitting a tank-type target is 90%. ATGM HJ-9 can also be equipped with high-explosive fragmentation or thermobaric warhead. This makes it possible to fight the enemy's manpower, destroy firing points and field fortifications.
In addition to the self-propelled AFT-9 complexes, part of the laser-guided anti-tank systems is installed on light off-road vehicles, which are the anti-tank reserve of the rapid reaction forces and airborne units. If necessary, the transportable HJ-9 complex can be removed from the vehicle and used from the ground.
The newest modification is the HJ-9A ATGM with a radio command missile guidance method. This modification has a semi-automatic guidance system and is equipped with a radio command transmitter operating in the millimeter frequency range. To detect and track a target in this case, the ATGM operator uses optical or thermal imaging sights. It is believed that the radio command method of ATGM guidance to the target is more preferable in conditions of low transparency of the atmosphere and when the enemy is setting a smoke screen.
After launch, the angle of misalignment between the line of fire and the position of the rocket in space is calculated using a television goniometer, control commands are transmitted by a microwave transmitter to the onboard missile control system. The dimensions and weight of the HJ-9A missile, the firing range and armor penetration are the same as on the laser-guided modification.
Chinese developers are closely following the trends in the development of weapons of war. And it would be strange if the PRC did not start creating an ATGM system operating in the “fire and forget” mode. Generous funding of fundamental and applied scientific research in combination with the developed production of electronic components for various purposes made it possible to create and launch into serial production the anti-tank complex HJ-12. It is not excluded that once again Chinese intelligence had a hand in the creation of a new ATGM.
For the first time, the layout of the HJ-12 ATGM under the export name Red Arrow 12 was presented in June 2014 at the Eurosatory 2014 exhibition, held in Paris. At that time, the tests of the complex had not yet been completed and its mass production was not carried out. However, the demonstration of the exhibition model testified to the confidence of the developers that the HJ-12 ATGM would be able to confirm the specified characteristics and would be adopted.
In appearance, the HJ-12 anti-tank complex resembles the American FGM-148 Javelin and has a similar operating principle. The Chinese ATGM is equipped with an IR seeker, to which information about the target is sent from the thermal imaging sight, after which the target is captured and launched. The design of the seeker uses solutions aimed at increasing the efficiency of capture and tracking of a contrasting target in the infrared range against the background of natural and artificial interference.
The launch weight of the rocket is 17 kg, the length is 980 mm, and the diameter is 135 mm. The ATGM has a cylindrical body with a transparent head fairing. Folding wings and rudders are located in the central and tail parts of the hull. The defeat of armored targets is carried out by a tandem cumulative part. At the stands of the manufacturing company it is said that the missile can be equipped with high-explosive fragmentation or thermobaric warheads. The maximum firing range is up to 4000 m. In the dark and in poor visibility, the firing range is limited by the sight's ability to detect and lock on to a target. On a moonless night, the range of night optics does not exceed 2000 m. NORINCO also offers a version of the rocket with a television seeker, the flight adjustment of which can be carried out from the operator's console.
The mass of the ATGM in the equipped form is 22 kg, which makes it possible to carry it by one serviceman. A strap and handle are provided for carrying. The rocket is stored in a disposable composite TPK, which is connected to the sighting device through electrical connectors. At the ends of the container there are protective washers made of expanded polystyrene. After firing, the empty TPK is replaced with a new one. The rocket is ejected from the container by a starting powder charge, the main engine is started at a safe distance from the launcher. The missile is guided completely autonomously, and the operator can immediately take cover or reload the complex for a second shot. Depending on the selected firing mode, the rocket can fly to the target either along an arcuate trajectory or along a flat trajectory. The declared armor penetration of the HJ-12 is 1100 mm after overcoming the reactive armor. This makes it possible to guarantee the destruction of any modern tank when hitting it from above. The use of "cold" start ATGM allows firing from enclosed spaces and field shelters.
Apparently, the HJ-12 ATGM is currently in trial operation and is being actively tested in the combat units of the PLA. In open sources, there is no data on the level of technical reliability and the real probability of hitting a typical target. Nevertheless, in March 2020, information appeared about the order by a foreign buyer of a batch of HJ-12E (export modification). The buying country has not been named, but it appears to be one of the Arab oil monarchies.
Provided that the HJ-12 ATGM really meets the declared characteristics, is strong and reliable enough, the Chinese developers can be congratulated on the successful creation of the third generation anti-tank complex, which surpasses the American FGM-148 Javelin in a number of parameters.
Unfortunately, third-generation anti-tank systems are not yet in service with the Russian army. Our armed forces continue to use second-generation systems, when firing from which it is necessary to keep the target in sight until a missile hits it.
