DEX 2015: Blue Arrow 9 further expands Chinese UAV weapon options
Richard D Fisher Jr - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
25 February 2015
Norinco provided new details for its Blue Arrow 9 missile, seen here next to the larger Blue Arrow 7, during the IDEX show in Abu Dhabi. Source: Rick D Fisher Jr
China's promotion of domestic weapons competition has resulted in customers getting a wider choice of missiles for their unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's AR-1 missile for UAVs on display at IDEX 2015 next to a model of the CH-4 UAV. (Rick D Fisher Jr)
The two Chinese companies leading this competition are Norinco and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), which have unveiled several new missiles for UAVs in recent years.
Norinco's Blue Arrow 7 lightweight, air-launched, ground-attack missile was revealed in 2010. Later that year, the Blue Arrow 7, which weighs 47 kilogrammes and uses semi-active laser guidance, was seen integrated on the CAIC Z-10 attack helicopter and has subsequently been seen in use during People's Liberation Army exercises.
Norinco revealed its Blue Arrow 9 at Zhuhai 2014 airshow, but did not provide performance details until the IDEX 2015 in Abu Dhabi. At 26.5 kg, the much-lighter missile is the company's attempt to address the UAV weapons market. It uses a semi-active laser guidance system and has a range of 6 kilometres.
While it is not yet confirmed, the Blue Arrow 7/9 likely arms the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation Pterodactyl (Wing Loong) UAVs that have reportedly been sold to the United Arab Emirates.
CASC unveiled its first UAV missile, the AR-1, in 2008. The semi-active laser-guided missile can be used with CASC's CH-3, CH-3A, and CH-4 UAVs, which a Chinese source at IDEX said have been sold to around 5-10 countries.
While it has been test-fired 30-40 times, including from Chinese helicopters, the 8-10 km-range AR-1 is currently designed only for use with UAVs. Future plans include expanding the AR-1's seeker options to include infrared/TV imaging.
China's sale to Nigeria of CH-3 UAVs armed with AR-1 missiles was revealed recently when one of the aircraft crashed in late January, apparently during a sortie against the Boko Haram militant group in the northeast of the country.
UPDATE: IDEX 2015: Blue Arrow 9 further expands Chinese UAV weapon options - IHS Jane's 360
