The development of anti-tank missiles in China began in the late 1950s and early 1960s. At that time, China's alliance with the former Soviet Union, the big brother of the world socialist countries, took a sharp turn for the worse. Overnight, the Soviet Union not only withdrew all kinds of experts who helped China, but also tore up all kinds of cooperation agreements signed with us. So, thousands of kilometers on the originally peaceful Sino-Soviet border? Yarn badger deer? Camel paddle, I forgive you for stealing 2? Star frequency technology international building is pregnant with a lawsuit? Is it better to restore barium than to bury it? Is it jealous to wash bran and discredit loyalty? So Huang Yun provided pong? こさささ?
The development of anti-tank missiles in China began in the late 1950s and early 1960s. At that time, China's alliance with the former Soviet Union, the big brother of the world socialist countries, took a sharp turn for the worse. Overnight, the Soviet Union not only withdrew all kinds of experts who helped China, but also tore up all kinds of cooperation agreements signed with us. As a result, on the originally calm border between China and the Soviet Union, thousands of kilometers, both sides are eyeing up, and the Soviet Union is facing a million soldiers, as if a national war were on the verge! However, what our leaders are most worried about is not the Soviet nuclear weapons or their new missiles, but the Soviet world-class flood of steel and armor-all kinds of tanks and armored vehicles. At that time, China faced great threat from Soviet armored assault cluster in Inner Mongolia grassland and Sanjiang Plain, especially in Inner Mongolia grassland. Soviet armored cluster can attack China's strategic heart, the capital, without hindrance. Therefore, the Central Military Commission put forward the slogan of "three strikes and three defenses", the first of which is to fight tanks. Therefore, how to attack the Soviet fast armored assault group became the primary task of our army at that time. Especially after the Sino-Soviet armed conflict at the beginning of 1968, the demand for anti-tank weapons by China's frontline troops became more urgent. In addition to vigorously developing all kinds of flat-fire anti-tank guns and their ammunition, China has followed the world trend and started to develop its own first-generation anti-tank missiles.
Former Soviet Union AT- 1 Anti-tank Missile
First, a quiz.
1in July, 958, the development of 265-I anti-tank missile was mainly started with the then Beijing Institute of Technology (now Beijing Institute of Technology). This is an anti-tank missile weapon system independently developed by China's weapon technicians with reference to the French SS- 10 anti-tank missile and the design experience of AT- 1 Turtle anti-tank missile of the former Soviet Union. After two flight tests of this weapon prototype, the relevant personnel mastered the preliminary working principle of anti-tank missiles, and then the relevant state departments formally established a new anti-tank missile development institution with the artillery science and technology research institute as the main body and the Beijing Institute of Technology and the 724 Factory as the joint venture. 1962 started a new research and development work, during which the problems such as manual control principle, powder loading and non-stop pay-off of guide wire were overcome. 1969 completed the design and trial production, and 1973 completed the development of anti-tank missiles. This type of missile was officially named J-20 1 anti-tank missile. This kind of anti-tank missile adopts visual tracking, manual control and wired guidance. The missile has a range of 400-2000 meters, the armor-piercing thickness can reach 120 mm at an angle of 65 degrees, and the flight speed is 85 meters per second. Its performance lags behind the world's major anti-tank missiles at the same time. In particular, this type of missile has some shortcomings, such as short range, small armor-piercing thickness, slow flight speed, long exposure time of operators and difficult control. The relevant military departments were not satisfied with the shooting test of this type of missile. After being sent to the army for trial use, an improved model called J-202 was developed after further modification. Due to many shortcomings of this type of anti-tank missile, it was discontinued after the successful development of Red Arrow -73. However, J-20 1/202 anti-tank missile, as the first generation anti-tank missile in China, has not been put into mass production, but it is through the all-round development of this missile that it has accumulated experience and trained talents for China's weapons researchers and laid a solid foundation for the subsequent development of "Red Arrow -73".
Based on the international environment in which China was located at that time, our army researchers were able to complete the development of J-20 1/202 anti-tank missiles with their own scientific research strength, which was indeed a remarkable scientific and technological achievement. This type of anti-tank missile won the "National Science Conference Award" at the 1978 National Science and Technology Conference, and the participants in the development were commended and rewarded by the state.
The improved version of China Red Arrow -73 anti-tank missile is still in use today.
Second, a comprehensive breakthrough.
Because the J-20 1/202 anti-tank missile could not fully meet our army's new requirements for anti-tank firepower, and at that time, faced with the emergence of new main battle tanks such as Soviet T-62, T-64 and T-72, the military urgently needed a new advanced anti-tank missile system that could penetrate these tanks. Considering China's weak industrial base and limited human resources at that time, it was impossible to develop anti-tank missiles that the country urgently needed overnight. Therefore, the relevant departments sized up the situation and decided to copy and improve the production of an anti-tank missile suitable for China's national conditions based on the Soviet AT-3 "Firebox" anti-tank missile obtained through special channels, which was later called "Red Arrow -73" (also known as AFT-73).
The standard "Red Arrow -73" also belongs to the first generation of anti-tank missiles. It was designed in 197 1. Like AT-3 "Firebox" anti-tank missile, it adopts visual aiming, tracking, wired command transmission and manual guidance. The total weight of the missile is 1 1.3 kg, and the length of the missile is 0.88 kg. The maximum effective range is 3,000m, the minimum range is 500m, the maximum flying speed is 1.20m/s, the firing rate is 2 pieces/min, the single cone warhead with hollow charge weighs 2.5kg, and the dynamic armor-piercing power is 1.50mm/65 degrees. The whole system is divided into two parts: warhead cabin and carrier cabin, which are usually packaged separately. When launching, the shooter can hide at a certain distance from the launcher to prevent the enemy from calculating the shooter's position from the missile launching position and attacking it, or taking measures to interfere with the missile flight. In the process of development, the first problem is electronic components. At that time, the level of semiconductor devices was very low, the reliability and environmental adaptability could not meet the requirements, and the whole machine was always broken in high and low temperature tests. Then there is the problem of throwing bullets at close range, which took more than two years to overcome. The main reasons for this failure are the eccentric thrust of rocket engine and the eccentric mass of missile. Because the take-off rocket engine of "Red Arrow -73" adopts four symmetrically arranged reflux nozzles, if the position error exceeds the specified value in the process of processing and assembly, it will inevitably produce eccentric thrust, which will lead to excessive initial disturbance when the missile takes off, and even an accident of losing control or even dropping the missile. There is also the problem that the transmission line suddenly breaks during the missile flight, which is a common phenomenon of wire-guided anti-tank missiles. Chinese researchers have gradually reduced the failure rate of wire breakage by tackling key problems in wire strength, bonding mode and pay-off channel design. Another technical difficulty is the delayed ignition of the endurance engine. The so-called "late ignition" means that the ignition time of the endurance engine is delayed. If there is a late failure, not only will the speed not go up, but the missile will also get out of control. After focusing on the research and improvement of durable charge, coating and igniter, this problem was finally solved.
1979 successfully developed the "Red Arrow -73" standard. After a lot of shooting tests, it can basically meet the requirements of our first-line combat troops. However, "Red Arrow -73" also has the general weakness of the first generation of anti-tank missiles, that is, the hit rate is low, only 70%, which may be lower in actual combat. After the finalization of "Red Arrow -73", its improvement has been in progress. As one of the key equipment renovation projects at that time, the improvement of "Red Arrow -73" was highly valued by the military, and several improved models such as A/B/C were developed one after another.
These include:
Compared with the prototype, Type A has specially developed a TV goniometer and a digital ground control box. The guidance mode has been changed from manual control to semi-automatic control and upgraded to the second generation anti-tank missile. After the missile is launched, the shooter does not need to manually control the flight of the missile. As long as the crosshair is pressed on the target, the missile will automatically fly along the line of sight, which improves the hit accuracy and reduces the requirement for the shooter's proficiency in operation. We know that before the improvement of "Red Arrow -73", missile shooters had to undergo strict training and selection to achieve a hit rate of about 60%. The improved "Red Arrow -73A" bomb, with a little training, can basically reach the hit rate of about 90%.
The improvement of type B is mainly to deal with more and more reactive armor, and series warhead is adopted. The first charge is used to detonate the reaction armor on the enemy tank, and the second main charge directly destroys the main armor of the enemy tank. The mobile armor-piercing power of Type B is also increased to 1.80mm/65 degrees, and the manual operation function is still retained, and it can also be used as the first generation anti-tank missile if necessary.
The improvement of Type C includes four aspects: First, compared with Type B, the power of main warhead (second-stage main charge) is greatly improved. By optimizing the shape and structure of metal shaped charge and adjusting the blasting height, its power is close to that of foreign heavy anti-tank missiles to counter the third generation of new main battle tanks. The second is to improve the rocket engine and use rocket propellant with higher impulse. Although the weight of the improved missile is 1 kg more than that of the prototype, its flying speed is 15% higher than that of the prototype. Thirdly, the infrared thermal imager is added, which greatly improves the ability of night fighting. Fourthly, the follow-up launcher is developed, and the missile-target linkage is realized.
Model C can be said to be the most successful model in the whole "Red Arrow -73" series. Although it is still launched in a rack, it is superior to most second-generation anti-tank missiles in some main performance indexes. First of all, the compatibility is the best, and the ground guidance equipment can be compatible with various missiles previously developed and equipped; Secondly, it is one of the most powerful and best portable anti-tank missiles in the world; Moreover, it has the strongest anti-interference ability, and its TV goniometer adopts unique anti-interference technology, which can not be affected by other messy light sources on the battlefield; Finally, the cost performance is the best. Therefore, Type C has been welcomed by the vast number of commanders and soldiers in the army, and has also opened up a good military foreign trade market.
At present, the position of "Red Arrow -73" series anti-tank missiles in China's army has been replaced by "Red Arrow -8", but it will still exert its afterheat for a long time. In addition, the "Red Arrow -73" anti-tank missile is not only convenient for infantry to carry, but also installed on domestic 85-type and 86A-type infantry fighting vehicles and Beijing 2 12 jeeps, becoming the first-line anti-armor equipment of our armored forces. Although the "Red Arrow -73" anti-tank missile is no longer the main anti-armor missile of China Army, it is still working and has been modified and applied to attack beaches and coastal defense projects. Its circular deviation is 0.5 m, and its penetration into reinforced concrete engineering 1.5 m can't be underestimated by anyone!
China Red Arrow -8 anti-tank missile
Third, improve step by step
The successful development of "Red Arrow -73" anti-tank missile has greatly inspired the morale of our army and trained the scientific research team of anti-tank missile in China. On this basis, according to the latest development of armor technology in the world, China researchers started the research and development of a new anti-tank missile-"Red Arrow -8" (also known as AFT-8) on 197 1. "Red Arrow -8" belongs to the second generation anti-tank missile, and its design adopts optical aiming and tracking, infrared semi-automatic guidance and wired command transmission. The missile weighs 1 1.2kg, has a diameter of 120mm, and has a total length of 875mm. Shaped charge armor-piercing warhead and piezoelectric fuze can be used to attack armored targets or fortifications in the range of100 ~ 3000m, with a firing rate of 3 rounds per minute, a static armor-piercing thickness of about 800mm and a dynamic armor-piercing thickness of. This kind of missile was successfully developed in the early 1980s. After a series of live-fire tests, the military agreed that the missile reached the design index and was finalized and produced in 1984.
"Red Arrow -8" is the main anti-tank missile of our army in active service. It has strong versatility and can be launched by individual soldiers, off-road vehicles, tracked or wheeled armored vehicles, helicopters and other platforms. Many models have been developed to deal with main battle tanks with reactive armor. Among them, "Red Arrow -8A" is the first improvement of "Red Arrow -8", which mainly improves the warhead power, and its armor-piercing ability is NATO standard three-layer interval target. "Red Arrow -8B" is a model specially developed for helicopters. It is loaded on the Zhi -9W/G helicopter gunship and used to attack enemy armored targets on the ground 4000 meters away. "Red Arrow -8C" was developed for reactive armor. The front of the warhead is equipped with a probe with built-in charge, which can ensure that the warhead can detonate the reactive armor at the best explosion point. In recent years, "Red Arrow -8" has introduced two new improvements, "Red Arrow -8E" and "Red Arrow -8L". "Red Arrow -8E" has greatly improved its range and power. With the new rocket engine, the range can reach 4,000m, and the static armor-piercing power of the new series of warheads can be increased to more than 1 1,000mm, which can make the reactive armor a decoration. "Red Arrow -8E" also adopts digital control system and thermal imaging aiming system, which improves the guidance accuracy and has all-weather combat capability day and night. The "Red Arrow -8L" anti-tank missile is a light model of "Red Arrow -8", but its performance has not decreased, reaching the level of "Red Arrow -8E". The weapon system of Red Arrow -8L anti-tank missile adopted many new technologies and was successfully developed in 1990s. It is a portable long-range anti-tank weapon. Its main target is enemy tanks, and it is also used to attack other armored targets and fortifications. Red Arrow -8L has miniaturized and lightened the weapon system, and its launch guidance device weighs only 22.5 kg, which is much lower than that of Red Arrow -8. Red Arrow -8L also improves the anti-jamming capability and night combat performance, and is also compatible with launching Red Arrow -8 anti-tank missiles with a range of 3,000m and 4,000m. From the range alone, as a portable anti-tank missile, Red Arrow -8L is the best of its kind in the world. "Red Arrow -8L" can be carried by two people. It is also equipped with thermal imaging and digital control system. It is the first time to adopt prone launching technology in China, and the shooter aims through periscope, which minimizes the exposure time of the shooter and is very conducive to improving the battlefield survivability.
The main loads of "Red Arrow -8" series anti-tank missiles are: 1, NJ22 1-B 4×4 jeep. This four-wheel drive off-road vehicle is equipped with a cylindrical launcher, which can be lifted and lowered hydraulically, and the rear canvas cover can be closed when traveling; 2.63 tracked armored vehicle, which can carry four missile launchers, can be lifted by hydraulic pressure, and can be quickly reloaded after missile launch; 3.ZDF89 tracked anti-tank missile launcher, with YW-534 (Type 85) armored transport vehicle as the chassis, has excellent off-road performance and amphibious combat capability, and has been mass-produced and equipped with troops; 4.4X4 wheeled armored transport vehicle, equipped with 1 quadruple hydraulic lifting missile launcher above the rear war room. The launcher is usually located in the bullet slot, which makes the whole vehicle low in appearance and good in concealment. When fighting, the launcher rises to the launching position to complete the search, tracking and launching work, and then descends into the car after launching, which is convenient for the loader to load; 5. Zhi -9W/G helicopter gunship can mount four Red Arrows -8 as the main ground attack and anti-tank weapons, realizing the anti-armor dream of our domestic air gunship missiles. It is said that the "Little Antelope" anti-armor helicopter imported from France in the 1980s was also equipped with the "Red Arrow -8" anti-tank missile, and its strike capability exceeded that of its original "Hult" anti-tank missile.
The "Red Arrow -8" anti-tank missile and its launch vehicle not only passed through Tiananmen Square in a phalanx on the 35th anniversary of the National Day, but also accepted the review by the party and state leaders and won the special prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award! "Red Arrow -8" not only equipped our army, but also exported to many countries. A country in South Asia conducted thousands of live-fire tests on "Red Arrow -8" in desert environment. The results show that the system reliability and hit probability of "Red Arrow -8" have reached more than 90%, surpassing similar weapons in western countries and winning glory for China's military industry.
China Red Arrow -9 Heavy Anti-tank Missile
Fourth, by going up one flight of stairs.
"Red Arrow -9" (also known as AFT-9) is the third generation heavy anti-tank missile newly developed by our army, belonging to the "young generation" of domestic anti-tank missiles, but it came from behind and surpassed Big Brother in power. At present, any main battle tank is vulnerable and is an out-and-out "tank killer". Red Arrow -9 is more advanced than Red Arrow -8, but it will not completely replace Red Arrow -8. Because "Red Arrow -9" is a heavy anti-tank missile, the system weight is relatively large, and the requirements for the launch platform are also high, so it is difficult for individual soldiers to launch. "Red Arrow -8" can provide reliable anti-tank capability for infantry, while "Red Arrow -9" is relatively expensive and suitable for dealing with the most advanced main battle tank targets. It is enough to use "Red Arrow -73" modification and "Red Arrow -8" for ordinary armored targets and strong fortifications. Therefore, "Red Arrow -8" and "Red Arrow -9" can complement each other and are good partners on the battlefield.
The design of "Red Arrow -9" adopts optical aiming, launcher launching, TV angle measurement, laser command transmission, three-point guidance and digital control technology. After the launch, what the shooter has to do is always aim at the target, and the guidance device automatically sends out laser instructions according to the flight situation of the missile to control the missile to fly to the target. Laser beam steering has strong anti-interference ability, which can overcome the interference of smoke, fog, fire and background, and can also deal with the active interference of the enemy. "Red Arrow -9" is also equipped with a thermal imaging system with all-weather combat capability. The launcher loaded with missiles weighs 37kg, has a diameter of 152mm, an effective range of 6000m and a firing rate of 2 pieces per minute. The series hollow charge warhead is adopted, with the maximum static armor-piercing power 1200mm and dynamic armor-piercing power of 320mm /68 degrees, which can penetrate all kinds of active tanks in the world. "Red Arrow -9" anti-tank missile system can be loaded on off-road vehicles, armored vehicles, ships, helicopters and other platforms, with strong versatility.
"Red Arrow -9A" is an improved version of "Red Arrow -9", which adopts advanced millimeter wave guidance mode and has stronger anti-interference ability than "Red Arrow -9" laser command guidance mode. The missile launch control device uses millimeter wave as carrier or fundamental wave to transmit instructions, and sends the information that the missile deviates from the target and instructions on how to correct the trajectory to the missile flying to the target, so that the missile can continuously correct the flight trajectory until it hits the target accurately. Millimeter wave is superior to optical and infrared modes in penetrating fog, haze, dust and battlefield smoke, and has the advantages of small structure, wide bandwidth, narrow beam and low atmospheric loss, and is superior to optical fiber and other guided weapons in use, manufacture and price. The "Red Arrow -9A" anti-tank missile is also equipped with an infrared thermal imaging device, which can attack the enemy's important armored targets at night or in other complex weather environments. In this case, the operator can find the target at a distance of not less than 5000 meters, identify the target at a distance of 4000 meters and make a decision on whether to strike. The hit probability of the whole missile system can reach more than 90%, and it is an ideal heavy anti-armor weapon.
"Red Arrow -9A" adopts a series warhead with the best liner and a metal explosion rod that can control the best explosion height. Its high explosive charge can penetrate 1200mm homogeneous steel armor plate and reaction armor. This missile can not only attack the enemy's heavily armored targets, but also attack the enemy's various field fortifications. It can also be used to attack enemy hovering helicopters or destroy ground planes. It is an ideal multi-purpose weapon.
The vehicle of "Red Arrow -9" anti-tank missile is basically the same as that of "Red Arrow -8", which can be loaded on various vehicles and planes to realize the transportation and launch of various vehicles. It is said that China's newly-developed helicopter gunship Zhi 10 carries "Red Arrow -9" multiple rocket launchers, which are used to carry out air strikes on enemy armored targets. The "Red Arrow -9" anti-tank missile and its vehicles also passed through Tiananmen Square in the military parade on the 50th anniversary of the National Day, and were reviewed by party and state leaders and hundreds of millions of spectators.
From J-20 1, Red Arrow -73, Red Arrow -8 to Red Arrow -9, the development of China's anti-tank missiles has experienced a process from scratch, and gradually caught up with the advanced level of anti-tank missiles in the world. It is no exaggeration to say that the advanced level of China's active anti-tank missiles is not lost to any country in the world! These anti-tank missiles have been successfully developed and put into service one after another.