On December 18, 2017, at a military parade in Doha, the capital of Qatar, the Qatari military for the first time demonstrated the Chinese operational-tactical missile systems BP-12A, which is called a competitor of the Russian Iskander-E OTRK. The parade in the capital of Qatar was organized in honor of the National Day of this state. Traditionally, it is celebrated on the anniversary of the accession to the throne in 1878 by Sheikh Jassim bin Muhammad Al Thani, who is considered the founder of modern Qatar.
Qatar became the first documented buyer of this Chinese missile system. Earlier at the beginning of the year, information appeared that OTRK SY400 / BP-12A was also acquired by Myanmar, but there is currently no official confirmation of this information. The BP-12A missile system was designed by engineers from the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) and is a development of the B-611 solid-propellant short-range ballistic missile, which began development in 1995. An offshoot of this family was the BP-12A missiles, which received a satellite guidance system. The range of their flight is 300-400 km (estimated), the mass of the warhead is 480 kg. A feature of the rocket is that it can be used on the chassis of the SY-400 high-precision missile system.
Chinese-made OTRK with BP-12A ballistic missiles at the military parade of the Qatar armed forces. Doha, 18.12.207 (c) qatar.liveuamap.com
The BP-12A missile manufactured by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) is often confused with another Chinese M20 missile from their competitors from another Chinese corporation, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). Moreover, these are different ballistic missiles and different systems. The launcher demonstrated at the parade in Qatar is the carrier of the BP-12A missiles.
On this chassis, CASIC is actively promoting a modular missile system to the market, including SY400 missiles with a range of up to 180 km and BP-12A with a range of up to 300 km (the maximum official range for export missiles with a payload of 500 kg is declared, according to the missile control regime technologies). With missiles with a range of 300 km, Qatar is able to strike at the main objects of the Saudi Arabian oil industry located on the Persian Gulf coast.
Most likely, for the sake of demonstrating such capabilities, this operational-tactical missile system was acquired from China. At the same time, the BP-12A missile itself can potentially fly further than 300 kilometers. There is information that its maximum range is 400 km, but even this figure may be far from the limit of its capabilities. As you know, you can write one thing on paper, but in fact get something completely different, especially if the customer is such a rich state as Qatar. Moreover, the PRC is not a party to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), although the country has previously stated that it is an adherent of its observance.
The SY400 / BP-12A modular tactical missile system is being actively promoted for export. It consists of two types of launchers for different missiles, which can be easily placed on one 8x8 mobile chassis. On such a launcher, you can install two transport and launch containers with ballistic missiles BP-12A or two blocks of 4 SY400 missiles (a total of 8 missiles). The installations demonstrated in Qatar had only two TPKs for BP-12A missiles. Also at the parade were demonstrated transport-loading machines with cranes from this complex.
The Chinese OTRK SY400 / BP-12A is designed for covert preparation and delivery of sudden, highly effective missile strikes against particularly important targets (both small-sized and area targets) in the depths of the operational formation of enemy forces: its fire weapons (artillery, launchers), aircraft and helicopters in bases, military units, warehouses, communication centers and control points, columns of equipment on the march and important industrial infrastructure facilities. China presents the complex as a competitor to the Russian Iskander-E complex, which is already in service with at least two countries: Armenia and Algeria.
For the first time, the modular missile system was demonstrated at the International Airshow China (Zhuhai) in 2012. There was shown a full-scale model of a modular high-precision weapon system under the designation SY400 / BP-12A. The launcher of the complex is based on a four-axle chassis of an off-road vehicle WS2400, wheel arrangement - 8x8. This chassis is characterized by high mobility and excellent cross-country ability, including over rough terrain. The launcher can be equipped with two BP-12A ballistic missiles with a diameter of 600 mm and a firing range of up to 300-400 km or eight SY400 missiles with a diameter of 400 mm and a maximum firing range of up to 180 km. There is also a variant with a combined placement of missiles - one BP-12A missile and 4 SY400 missiles in their transport and launch containers. The mixed armament of the complex allows this system to solve a very wide range of tasks. Practically in front of us is a hybrid of the Russian MLRS "Smerch" and OTRK "Iskander-E".
OTRK developed and manufactured by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) with a demonstration of the simultaneous deployment on one launcher of transport and launch containers with one BP-12A ballistic missile and four SY400 missiles.
In fact, the SY400 is the MLRS with guided munitions or, as they are classified in the West, the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS). For SY400 missiles, 4 types of warheads were created: cluster with 560 or 660 ready-made anti-tank cumulative warheads; high-explosive fragmentation, with pre-prepared striking elements - steel balls; high-explosive, with increased power; volumetric explosion. The mass of the SY400 missile warhead is estimated at about 200 kg.
The BP-12A ballistic missile is equipped with a satellite-based inertial targeting system. The missiles are launched in the vertical position of the transport and launch containers. In the initial phase, its flight is corrected by four control surfaces, as well as a stabilizing tail. The missile uses a low rate of descent towards the target to increase its range. In one launch, missiles can be aimed at different targets.
The performance characteristics of the SY400 / BP-12A:
Launcher:
Chassis - 8x8 Wanshan WS 2400.
Overall dimensions: length - 12 m, width - 3 m, height - 3 m.
Chassis weight - 19 tons, carrying capacity - 22 tons.
The mass of the complex is about 35 tons.
The power plant is a 517 hp Deutz diesel engine.
The maximum speed is 60 km / h.
The power reserve is 650 km.
The width of the trench to be overcome is 2.5 m.
The depth of the ford to be overcome is 1, 2 m.
The overcome vertical wall is 0.5 m.
Missiles of the complex: SY400 and BP-12A.
SY400 - caliber 400 mm, warhead - 200 (according to other sources, up to 300 kg), flight range - up to 200 km.
BP-12A - caliber 600 mm, warhead - about 500 kg, flight range - up to 300-400 km.
TPK options - 8 SY400 (2 to 4), or 2 BP-12A, or mixed - 4 SY400 and one BP-12A.
