The HQ-9 (HongQi-9) is a long-range, all-altitude, all-weather surface-to-air missile system to counter aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles. It also has limited capabilities against tactical ballistic missiles. Developed by China Academy of Defence Technology (CADT), the missile system may have entered service with the PLAAF Surface-to-Air Missile Corps in limited numbers since 1997. A shipborne version is being deployed onboard the PLA Navys Type 052C air defence missile destroyer. An anti-radiation variant known as FT-2000 has also been promoted to the export market.
The HQ-9 was developed by China Academy of Defence Technology (CADT), Chinas leading surface-to-air missile designer and manufacturer located in the western suburb of Beijing. A subordinate of China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation (CASIC), the academy is also known as China Changfeng Mechanics and Electronics Technology Academy, or 2nd Aerospace Academy. An export variant FT-2000 fitted with an anti-radiation seeker has been promoted by China National Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CPMIEC) to the international market.
HQ-9 Model: The model of what was described as a "medium- to long-range surface-to-air missile" was displayed during the exhibition to mark the 80th anniversary of the PLA in 2007 (Source: Chinese Internet)
The HQ-9 development programme began in the early 1980s. The missile design was initially based on some limited U.S. Patriot air defence missile technology, but was later incorporated with Russian S-300 missile design and technologies. Like the Patriot, the HQ-9 uses a Track-Via-Missile (TVM) terminal guidance system. The early prototype was launched from a Patriot-style slant-positioned box-shape container launcher, but the missile was seriously oversize due to Chinas substandard solid fuel rocket technology. After China imported the S-300PMU missile from Russia in the early 1990s, the HQ-9 missile was redesigned to incorporate Russian missile rocket, aerodynamic layout, and launch system. The resulting HQ-9A is cold-launched vertically from a S-300-style tube launcher system.
The HQ-9 was initially developed to replace the PLAs bulk of obsolete HQ-2 (Chinese copy of the Soviet/Russian SA-2 Guideline), but the slow progress in the development forced the PLA to purchase the S-300PMU missile from Russia. By the time the HQ-9 was ready for operational deployment in the late 1990s, the missile was already behind foreign air-defence missiles such as U.S. PAC3 and Russian S-300PMU2 in terms of technology and performance. Only a small number of the HQ-9A are being deployed by the PLA for operational trial and evaluations. The naval variant of the HQ-9A is deployed onboard the Type 052C destroyer which was commissioned in 2004.
The HQ-9 is reported to have a slant range of 200km up to an altitude of 30km. The missile has a proximity fuse with an effective range of 35m, which goes active when the missile is 5km away from its target. The missile is transported and launched on Taian TAS5380 8X8 transport-erector-launcher (TEL), which has four canisters that look almost identical to those used in the S-300PMU1. Like the S-300, the FT-2000 is cold-launched.
Guidance & Fire Control
The HQ-9s guidance is very similar to that of the Patriot missile, consisting of inertial initial guidance + radio command midcourse correction + track-via-missile (TVM) terminal guidance. Midcourse correction commands are transmitted to the guidance system from the ground engagement control station. The target acquisition system in the missile acquires the target in the terminal phase of flight and transmits the data using the TVM downlink via the ground radar to the engagement control station for final course correction calculations. The course correction commands are transmitted back to the missile via the command uplink.
The HQ-9 system reportedly uses a large HT-233 3D C-band mono-pulse planar phased array radar, which operates in the 300MHz bandwidth and has a detection range of 120km and tracking range of 90km. The radar can detect targets in azimuth (360 degrees) and elevation (0 to 65 degrees), and is capable of tracking some 100 airborne targets and simultaneously engaging more than 50 targets. The radar system is carried on a Taian TAS5380 8X8 heavy-duty cross-country vehicle.
The HQ-9 may also be compatible with the Russian tracking radar, making it suitable to be deployed in combination with the S-300.
HQ-9 Targeting Radar: The HT-233 3D phased array radar used by the HQ-9 SAM system for surveillance and target acquisition
FT-2000
FT-2000 Anti-Radiation SAM: CPMIEC introduced the world's first anti-radiation SAM FT-2000 in 1998. The missile was believed to be associated to the HQ-9 technology (Source: Chinese Internet)
In 1998 CPMIEC revealed a unique anti-radiation surface-to-air missile system FT-2000, which was designed engage airborne warning and control system (AWACS) and other electronic warfare aircraft at long ranges. Based on the HQ-9 design, the FT-2000 is fitted with a passive radar-homing seeker and is launched from a 8X8 transport-erector-launcher (TEL) vehicle carrying four missile tube launchers.
The FT-2000 is a scaled down version of the HQ-9 fitted with a passive radar seeker that homes the missile using the electronic emission of enemy AWACS and electronic warfare (EW) aircraft. When the missile detects and locks on to the radar or jammer, it can home on the target autonomously at 1,200m/s while sustaining a 14G overload. The FT-2000 can also be used in co-operation with friendly aircraft when the onboard radar warning receiver detects hostile signal. In addition, the FT-2000 missile has a built-in inertial navigation system, so that whenever it has acquired a lock-on, it will continue towards the target even if the emitter is shut down, although the missile's accuracy would seriously degrade in this case.
For the detection and localisation of hostile radar emissions and jammers the FT-2000 makes use of four ground-based Electronic Support Measures (ESM) sensor posts, each of which is mounted on wheeled vehicles and can together track 50 targets simultaneously. The ESM sensor posts are deployed at a distance 30km from each other. The missile launchers are deployed near the central ESM sensor station at a distance of 150 metres. Additionally, the missile can also be used in conjunction with surveillance and target acquisition radars.
Despite being regarded as the first of its kind in the world, the real effectiveness of the FT-2000 in operation was somehow doubtful. The missile caught great attention when it was first revealed in 1998, but did not enter production due to lack of interest from either domestic or international market.
from sinodefence