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Country:	China
Associated Country:	Russia

Details

The Hongqi-2 (HQ-2) is a long-range, medium- to high-altitude, surface-to-air missile developed and manufactured by China. It is based on the Russian S-75 (NATO: SA-2 Guideline) missile, designed to intercept strategic bombers, reconnaissance aircraft, air-to-ground missiles, and ballistic missiles. The HQ-2 became famous after shooting down several Taiwanese-flown U-2 spy planes during the 1960s.(1)

 

The Russian S-75 entered Soviet service in 1956, and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) bought a limited number of these SAMs in the early 1960s. Simultaneously, China obtained a license to build its own S-75s, designated as the Hongqi-1 (HQ-1). In its early years of deployment, the HQ-1 shot down several Taiwanese U-2 spy planes and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles.(2) But after the U.S. added advanced jamming devices to its reconnaissance aircraft, the HQ-1 could no longer shoot down the U-2s. China urgently needed a new surface-to-air missile with strong anti-jamming capabilities.(3)

 

In 1965, China began designing an upgraded version of the HQ-1, designated the HQ-2. Dozens of technical measures were incorporated into the new missile in order to provide anti-jamming capability, as well as increase the missile’s range and improve its overall kill ratio. The HQ-2 passed its certification test in 1966 and began mass production that same year.(4) The final version was 10.7 meters long, 0.5 meters in diameter, with a launch weight of 2,211 kilograms. It had an altitude of 3-25 kilometers, and a range of 12-32 kilometers.(5)

 

Propelled by a two-stage rocket (the first-stage used solid fuel, while the second-stage used liquid-fuel), the HQ-2 could reach a maximum speed of 1,150 meters per second. Since the HQ-2’s second-stage was a large liquid rocket, it was inconvenient to transport the missile from place to place. Each missile had to be carried by a semi-trailer, and then loaded onto a fixed launcher prior to firing (unlike newer surface-to-air missiles that use mobile launchers). It took approximately five minutes to transfer the HQ-2 from the semi-trailer to the fixed launcher.(6)

 

Each HQ-2 carried a 190 kilogram high-explosive warhead, and had a single-shot hit probability of approximately 68 percent—although according to U.S. intelligence, this ratio dropped significantly when the missile was used against a target with advanced jamming capability. Nevertheless, on September 8, 1967, the new HQ-2 successfully tracked and destroyed a Taiwanese-flown U-2 that was flying above China’s east-central region, thus proving the effectiveness of the new SAM’s anti-jamming devices.(7)

 

By 1970, the HQ-2 had shot down four more Taiwanese-flown U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and significantly altered the balance of power in the region.(8) From that moment until the late 1980s, the HQ-2 served as China’s main air defense system, and was deployed around the nation’s critical military bases, industrial complexes, and population centers.(9) In later years, China manufactured a range of HQ-2 variants, including the HQ-2A, the HQ-2B, the HQ-2F, the HQ-2J, and the HQ-2P.(10)

 

In 1984, China conducted a series of HQ-2 tests against the Tuqiang-3 guided target missile. According to reports, the HQ-2 and the Tuqiang-3 were launched approximately 100 kilometers apart and the HQ-2 SAMs were fired in “salvo shots” of two to three missiles per Tuqiang-3. Four out of five target missiles were shot down. In more tests the following year, the HQ-2 shot down seven out of eleven guided targets. In light of these two tests, China expanded the HQ’s role to include anti-missile functions.(11)

 

During this same period, China was busy selling the HQ-2 throughout Asia and the Middle East, most notably to North Korea, Pakistan, Egypt, and Iran.(12) Iran used its Chinese-made SAMs extensively during the Iran-Iraq War, in particular during the Fao Offensive in February 1986.(13) The following year, Iran bought an additional eight battalions of HQ-2 missiles.(14) During that same period, China modified the HQ-2 into a short-range, solid-propellant, road-mobile, ballistic missile known as the CSS-8 (also: M-7, “Project 8610”). A number of CSS-8s were exported to Iran in 1992, and there is speculation that China simultaneously sold the CSS-8 to Iraq.(15)

 

More recently, China incorporated the HQ-2 into its advanced anti-radiation surface-to-air missile system, the FT-2000A, which emerged in the late 1990s. According to a recent Chinese sales brochure, the FT-2000A uses a highly-modified HQ-2 missile that has been equipped with passive radio frequency homing seekers. Each HQ-2 is armed with a 60-kilogram fragmentation warhead and has a range of 60 kilometers and a maximum altitude of 18 kilometers.(16)

 

At present, China has deployed approximately 10,000 HQ-2 missiles and over 1,000 launchers around its major cities, military bases, and industrial complexes. On average, each medium- to large-size Chinese city is protected by one HQ-2 regiment operated by the PLA Air Force’s Air Defence Missile Troops. Each regiment consists of three surface-to-air missile battalions, each of which in turn includes six launchers, 18 missiles, an early-warning radar, a homing radar, and support vehicles. The PLA Navy’s Coast Defence Troops have also deployed HQ-2 missiles to protect China’s most important seaports. (17) In 2002, it was reported that China had upgraded and reconfigured its HQ-2 missile sites closest to Taiwan.(18)

 

 

 

 

Footnotes

 

 

1. Jia Qinggui, Peng Chao, and Song Yanqing, “World to Exhibit China’s First Generation Surface-to-Air Missiles during National Day Golden Week,” Zhongguo Tongxun She (Hong Kong), 27 September 2003; SinoDefence.
2. Jim O’Halloran, “New Missile for Chinese FT-2000 SAM System,” Jane’s Defence Weekly, 9 August 2001; SinoDefence.
3. GlobalSecurity.
4. Ibid.
5. SinoDefence.
6. Ibid.
7. GlobalSecurity; SinoDefence.
8. David J. Smith, “ASIA, Sun Tzu, and the Modern Art of Countering Missile Defence,” Jane’s Intelligence Review, 1 January 2000.
9. SinoDefence.
10. Miroslav Gyürösi, “Dual-Band Radar Improves SA-2 Anti-Jam Performance,” Jane’s Missiles and Rockets, 1 September 2000; Jim O’Halloran, “New Missile for Chinese FT-2000 SAM System,” Jane’s Defence Weekly, 9 August 2001; SinoDefence.
11. GlobalSecurity.
12. Jim O’Halloran, “New Missile for Chinese FT-2000 SAM System;” Zachary Lum, “Introducing the Threat: An Arms Bazaar Special,” Journal of Electronic Defense, 1 January 1997.
13. Dilip Hiro, “Iran: Up in Arms, With a Big Hand From the Chinese,” The Wall Street Journal, 5 June 1987.
14. “Special Report: Strategic Delivery Systems,” Jane’s Intelligence Review, 1 June 1995, p. 18.
15. Duncan Lennox, “Features: Ballistic Missiles,” Jane’s Defence Weekly, 17 April 1996, p. 40; “Iraq Developing SAM-Based Surface-to-Surface Missile?” Jane’s Missiles & Rockets, 1 August 1998, p. 3. 
16. U.S. Department of Defense, “Annual Report on the Military Power of the People’s Republic of China,” January 2000; “US DoD Reports China’s Growing Missile Power,” Jane’s Missiles and Rockets, 1 August 2000. 
17. SinoDefence.
18. Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough, “Inside The Ring,” The Washington Times, 22 November 2002, p. A12.

Iran Parades Missiles

September 22, 2005 :: News

Iran conducted a military parade today to mark the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, the beginning of what Iran calls “holy defense” week. The parade took place conducted south of Tehran, near the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini. At his first military parade since taking office, President Mamhoud Ahmadinejad addressed dozens of top Revolutionary Guard officials, as well as generals in the regular army. (The Revolutionary Guard operates Iran’s ballistic missiles.)“Those who decide to misuse our nation’s honour and dignity and want to test what has been tested in the past, should know that the flames of the nation’s wrath are very hot and destructive,” said Ahmadinejad. The parade’s announcer repeatedly cried “God is Great!” when six Shahab-3 missiles went past the presidential viewing platform. The announcer said too, “If world arrogance wants to attack Iran … [it] will destroy their countries with these missiles.” Some of the missiles had banners saying, “Israel should be wiped off the map” and “We will trample America under our feet,” “Death to America,” and “Death to Israel.” The banners and verbal attacks prompted a number of European military attaches, from France, Italy, Greece, and Poland, to leave the parade. One diplomat is quoted as saying, “there was a common position among the European Union members that, if the military parade included any slogans that attacked our allies, we would leave.”

        The major media services report the display of the Shahab-3, but there were a number of others. According to a summary of the parade provided on live Iranian television (Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1) and translated via BBC Monitoring, the missiles displayed included:

• Shahab-3, 2,000km range
• Zelzal 1 and Zelzal 2, range 150-400
• M-11 Variant/Tondar-68, purchased from China, range 400km
• Nazeat
• “M-6”(see below)
• HQ-2 air-/missile-defense system, purchased from China

        The reference to an “M-6” missile may well be a typographical error. It more likely refers to the M-9 variant, which Iran purchased from China. The term “Nazeat,” however, has been used to describe a primitive 150km range missile.

• M-9 missile, range 600km, purchased from China

        Summary of parade provided by Iranian television: (More »»») 

» AFP Summary of parade

» Iranian TV account of parade, via BBC Monitoring

» More stories on: China, Chinese Missile Defenses, Iran, Proliferation

» Missile details: M-9 variant, M-11 variant, Shahab-6, Zelzal-1/2/3

» Missile system details for: Hongqi-2 (HQ-2)

Jane’s: China Developing Two Versions of FT-2000 Missile Defense System

December 10, 2004 :: Jane's Information Group :: News

The December issue of Jane’s Missiles and Rockets notes that China is developing two versions of the FT-2000 air and missile defense system, namely the FT-2000A and FT-2000B. The report of the two versions is not by itself new. The article rather seems to have been prompted by a leaflet distributed at the recent Zhuhai air show. New information added by the leaflet also includes that the full system, which China reportedly hopes to market around the world, would include a “passive radar,” 12 launchers with one missile each, a single support station, and three slave or relay stations.
        The -A and -B versions vary in range and capability, and are based on the Chinese HQ-2 and Chinese HQ-9 respectively.  (Link) 

» More stories on: China

» Missile system details for: FT-2000, Hongqi-2 (HQ-2), Hongqi-9 (HQ-9)