Improving the air defense system of the People's Republic of China against the background of strategic rivalry with the United States (part 8)
To ensure the air defense of small units in the PLA, anti-aircraft large-caliber machine guns are still used. In the 21 century, the main part of the 12,7-mm machine gun Type 54 (copy DShKM) was replaced with 12,7-mm machine gun Type 77 and QJZ89 (Type 89). Compared to DShKM, the mass of new Chinese 12,7-mm machine guns is significantly reduced. Thus, the weight of the Type 77 along with a tripod machine and sight is 56,1 kg. A machine gun QJZ89 managed to make a record light, its weight in the combat position on the tripod machine - about 32 kg.
At the end of 50-x in China, the release of a copy of the single-barreled 14,5-mm anti-aircraft gun ZPU-1 was adjusted. it weapon actively used during the Vietnam War and in many regional conflicts. But the mass of weapons in a combat position of more than 400 kg hampered transportation by the forces of calculation. In 2002, the QJG02 lightweight anti-aircraft gun was adopted.
Externally, the QJG02 resembles the Soviet mining installation ZSU-1, but the Chinese 14,5-mm machine gun uses a vapor system for the operation of automation. The ballistic characteristics and practical rate of fire of the QJG02 anti-aircraft gun remained at the level of the Soviet ZPU-1. With a mass in the combat position of about 140 kg, the QJG02 installation can be disassembled into six parts and transported in packs. The weight of the heaviest pack is a little over 20 kg.
At the end of the 1990-s in China, production of Type 35 90-paired anti-aircraft with centralized radar guidance and a laser rangefinder began. This anti-aircraft artillery system is a copy of the Swiss 35-mm GDF-002 Oerlikon GDF, which, together with the Skyguard towed millimeter-wave radar, was purchased at the end of 1980-x. Compared to the original, the Chinese Type 902 guidance station has significantly more capabilities. The detection range of airborne targets by radar is 15 km. Due to the introduction of a laser rangefinder and an optoelectronic optical system, it was possible to significantly increase the effectiveness of the fight against UAVs, cruise missiles, airplanes and helicopters operating at low altitudes. There is a possibility of firing at visually unobservable targets: at night and in difficult weather conditions. At the same time, data on the course, height and speed of flight of the target are transmitted to anti-aircraft installations via a wired communication channel from the guidance station, 35-mm paired machine guns are carried out in an automated mode, and the calculations give the command to open fire, control the availability of ammunition and replenish the shell ducts.
Towed 35-mm coaxial anti-aircraft installation Type 90 in a combat position weighs 6700 kg. The effective range of firing at air targets - up to 4000 m, reach height - 3000 m. The rate of fire: 1100 rds / min. To increase mobility around 60, 35-mm anti-aircraft guns are placed on the chassis of a Shaanxi SX2190 off-road 3x cross-country truck.
This ZSU received the designation CS / SA1. There are more than 200 towed 35-mm paired anti-aircraft guns in the PLA. The positions of Type 90 anti-aircraft batteries are mainly located on the coast of the Taiwan Strait, as well as in the vicinity of airfields, ports, bridges and tunnels.
In the last decade, China has seen serious qualitative and quantitative strengthening of army air defense. In the past, air defense of the battalion unit was provided by 12,7 and 14,5 mm anti-aircraft machine guns, but now to protect against attacks aviation from low altitudes in the PLA Ground Forces there is a significant number of man-portable air defense systems.
During the Vietnam War, Chinese intelligence managed to get the Soviet Strela-2 MANPADS. At the end of the 1970-x, the Chinese Army launched the HN-5 MANPADS - an unlicensed copy of the Strela-2.
An improved version of the HN-5A corresponded to the Strela-2M MANPADS. In the middle of the 1980, several Soviet Strela-3 MANPADS were purchased from the UNITA Angolan movement. The Chinese copy, which appeared in 1990 year, is known as HN-5В. According to Western data, up to 1996 in China, around 4000 launchers for MANPADS of the HN-5 family were manufactured. Typically, MANPADS were used as part of anti-aircraft brigades along with 23, 37 and 57-mm anti-aircraft guns. Currently, outdated portable systems are available in parts of the “second line” and are in “storage”.
Currently, the PLA operates around 4000 MANPADS launchers: QW-1, QW-2, QW-3 - created on the basis of the Soviet “Needle-1”. As they say in Western sources, Chinese intelligence managed to get several Igla-1 MANPADS from Angola in the second half of the 1980's. The QW-1 series production began in the middle of the 1990's.
The QW-2 MANPADS, which was put into service in 1998, uses a dual-range IR GOS rocket and has a selection of heat traps. This modification weighs about 18 kg, and can hit air targets at a distance of up to 5500 m, the ceiling is 3500 m.
The most long-range modification of the QW-3 is a functional analogue of the French mobile complex short-range Mistral. The Chinese QW-3 mobile complex, with a mass of 21 kg loaded with PU, has a maximum launch range of more than 7000 m, its height reach is up to 5000 m. The rocket is equipped with a semi-active homing head not sensitive to heat traps that lead missiles with IR GOS.
Currently, the latest FZ-6 MANPADS are delivered to the troops. Adoption of this complex was adopted in 2011 year. In the Chinese sources write that MANPADS FN-6 is the original design. The portable complex, weighing in the combat position of about 16 kg, has a range of 6000 m, reach height - 3800 m. The probability of hitting in the absence of organized interference - 0,7.
The pyramid-headed missile is equipped with a cooled thermal homing head with digital signal processing and protection from interference. The nose fairing of the rocket has a characteristic pyramidal shape, under which is placed a four-element IR sensor. In the stowed position, the head part is covered with a removable cover.
MANPADS calculations are carried on ZSL-92A (WZ-551) wheeled armored personnel carriers, which have displays of the air situation. If necessary, the launch of the rocket is possible with armor. Also developed paired versions of MANPADS, similar to the Russian short-range anti-aircraft complex "Dzhigit." SAM with infrared guidance system is also actively used as part of the Chinese self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and missile-artillery systems.
According to the state, each motorized rifle battalion has an air defense platoon on three armored personnel carriers. The BTR ZSL-92A transports the calculation of MANPADS with portable tactical information tablets and communications equipment. In the laying of an armored personnel carrier there are four spare missiles. For self-defense and firing at low-flying air targets, an 12,7-mm machine gun was mounted on the BTR.
According to the staff list of the Air Defense Brigade of the Ground Forces, it consists of two anti-aircraft artillery divisions and one division of MANPADS. In total, there are 18 towed 57 mm X-Type 59 guns (C-60 replica) or 37-mm Type 74 X-vehicles, and 24 23-mm Type 85 anti-aircraft guns (copy Z-23).
On 27 off-road vehicles are placed calculations MANPADS, at the disposal of which 108 missiles. There are several anti-aircraft brigades in the PLA, where the separate divisions include the HQ-6D, the FN-6 MANPADS and the Type 90 towed anti-aircraft guns. The task of the anti-aircraft brigades is the air defense of the areas of concentration of troops, headquarters, communications centers, warehouses, crossings and bridges, as well as other important military installations.
To provide air defense for motorized rifle and tank regiments and divisions are intended for self-propelled artillery and missile-artillery systems on tracked and wheeled chassis.
In the 80-90, the Chinese army had quite a few ZSUs with openly installed paired 23-mm anti-aircraft guns of Type 85 - copies of the Soviet ZU-23. In 1987, the 25-mm version of Type 80, which was used to create the Type 95 anti-aircraft missile system, entered service.
This vehicle, adopted by the 1999, was based on the WZ-551 tracked BMP and equipped with 4 25-mm assault rifles and 4 rockets equipped with QW-2 or FN-6 infrared guns. In terms of its combat capabilities, the Type 95 ZRPK is close to the Shilka modernized ZSU-23-4M4.
Detection of air targets and instrument guidance on the Type 95 ZRPK is performed using a millimeter-range locator, an optoelectronic system and a laser rangefinder. The radar is capable of escorting a MiG-21 type fighter at a distance of 11 km. The anti-aircraft battery consists of a Type 6 95 ZRPK and a radar command station with a CLC-2 on the BMP WZ-551 chassis with a range of 45 km.
In 2007, the tests of the Type 09 self-propelled self-propelled guns began. The ZSU, armed with two 35-mm cannons on the chassis 155-mm SAU Type 05, received the designation Type 09. In fact, this is a self-propelled version of the 35-mm towed installation Type 90 with its own fire and radar control system.
Surveillance radar with an antenna mounted above the tower has a detection range of 15 km. In the case of the use of electronic warfare by the enemy, it is possible to search for air targets of a passive optoelectronic station with a laser rangefinder.
In 2004, the mobile XRUM Type 92 Yitian mobile military system was introduced to the general public. It is designed to protect troops on the march and stationary objects from low-flying aircraft and helicopters of army aviation, as well as the destruction of unmanned aerial vehicles and enemy cruise missiles at any time of day and in adverse weather conditions. The combat vehicle has 8 ready-to-use missiles in sealed transport and launch containers. For self-defense designed remotely controlled 12,7-mm machine gun.
As part of the mobile air defense missile system, a missile with a TIS-90 IC GOS is used, originally created for arming combat helicopters. The homing head of the TY-90 UR has a viewing angle of ± 30 ° and is able to see the target against the background of the earth and is said to emit target radiation in the case of heat traps. The missile guidance system allows you to capture the target, both before launch and after it. With a starting weight of 20 kg, the TY-90 rocket is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 6000 m. Reach height - 4600 m. Maximum target speed - 400 m / s. The missile is equipped with a core warhead with a mass of 3 kg, with a radius of destruction of 5 m. The stated probability of hitting one missile - 0,8.
To detect an airborne enemy and to issue target designation over sensors of an optical-electronic aiming-viewing system, a foldable antenna of a radar with a phased antenna array is placed between TLC with missiles. The MiG-21 type target can be detected at a distance of up to 20 km, the detection range of a cruise missile is 10-12 km. After detecting the target, the operator turns the turret in its direction and prepares for launch. When the target approaches a distance of 10-12 kilometers, it is taken to tracking a thermal sight and using a laser rangefinder, the range is controlled. The moment of launch of the missile defense is determined by the calculator based on the parameters of speed and course of the target. The Type 92 Yitian SAM system can be used separately or as part of an anti-aircraft battery of six combat vehicles and a command post with an IBIS-80 three-dimensional radar capable of detecting low-altitude targets at a distance of up to 80 km.
The Type 92 Yitian air defense missile system has been adopted by the PLA Ground Forces Air Defense Forces. This Chinese complex is conceptually close to the Soviet military-type Strela-10 air defense missile system, but surpasses it in launch range, in the number of missiles ready for launch, and has its own surveillance radar.
The Chinese equivalent of the Pantsir-С1 ZRPK is FK-1000 (Sky Dragon 12). This car was first demonstrated at the Airshow China 2014 exhibition. The armament consists of two 25-mm cannons and 12 anti-aircraft missiles. Chinese bikaliber missiles very much resemble rockets used in Russian complexes.
According to Chinese sources, the ZRPK on the cargo chassis can simultaneously fire four targets at a distance from 2 to 12 km, altitudes from 15 to 5000 m. The complex is equipped with the FW2 shooting control system and the IBIS-80 target radar.
In the period from 1997 to 2001, 35 TOR-M1 was delivered to the PRC from Russia. As with other imported models of air defense equipment, the Chinese successfully copied the Russian short-range complex. In April, 2014 for the first time, Chinese television officially unveiled a Chinese copy of the Thor air defense system, known as HQ-17. It was reported that the air defense system HQ-17 is produced serially and operated in units of the military air defense.
Externally, the Chinese air defense system is different from its Russian prototype of the radar detection of air targets. It was stated that in terms of its combat characteristics, the Chinese complex proved to be more productive than the Russian counterpart, due to the installation of more advanced electronics and radar. According to Western sources, in parts of the army PLA air defense system as of 2018, there could be up to 30 SAMs HQ-17.
In the past, Chinese developers of air defense equipment largely went by copying foreign designs or borrowing certain technical solutions. The accumulated experience, developed scientific and technical base and significant financial investments in R & D allow developing the whole range of anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems independently. The defense industry of the People's Republic of China is able to establish a serial production of anti-aircraft systems in its capabilities, which are not inferior to modern foreign analogues. Today, China is in a very limited circle of countries that can independently create the entire line of anti-aircraft systems: from MANPADS to long-range anti-aircraft systems that also perform anti-missile defense tasks.
The ending should ...
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- Linnik Sergey
- Improving the air defense system of the People's Republic of China against the background of strategic rivalry with the United States (part 1)
Improving the air defense system of the People's Republic of China against the background of strategic rivalry with the United States (part 2)
Improving the air defense system of the People's Republic of China against the background of strategic rivalry with the United States (part 3)
Improving the air defense system of the People's Republic of China against the background of strategic rivalry with the United States (part 4)
Improving the air defense system of the People's Republic of China against the background of strategic rivalry with the United States (part 5)
Improving the air defense system of the People's Republic of China against the background of strategic rivalry with the United States (part 6)
Improving the air defense system of the People's Republic of China against the background of strategic rivalry with the United States (part 7)
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