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| An armored HJ-10 BVR anti-tank missile launch vehicle |
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| Inside HJ-10 launch vehicle |
HJ-10 top-attack ATGM launching
Current version HJ-9 anti-tank missile with a range of 5,000 meters beyond the range of the gun of enemy tank. HJ-9 missile is not for beyond visual range (BVR) attack.
In 2011,
China completed its research and development of HJ-10 BVR antitank
missile with range of 10 and 25 km.
The missile is for hitting enemy
tank found by drone or satellite but as a tank moves quite fast, GPS
information cannot guide an antitank missile in hitting a tank beyond
visual range.
The optical sensor in the warhead of HJ-10 missile sends back the
image of enemy tank back to its launch vehicle, where an operator guides
the missile like a drone to hit the tank.
The launch system of the missile weighs 150 kg and is installed on an
armored vehicle.
The missile is 185 cm long with a warhead of 43 kg. It
is a powerful BVR weapon to hit enemy troops far away whether it has
tanks or not.
China, in addition, is developing a warship version of HJ-10 so that
its warship will be able to destroy an enemy tank on land 25 km away
from it.
Portable Infrared-imaging-guided Antitank Missile HJ-12
Red Arrow 12 (HJ-12) antitank missile
Red Arrow 12 (HJ-12) top-attack launcher
As HJ-73 antitank missile is outdated due to exposure of the
missile operator, China has developed its new third-generation portable
antitank missile HJ-12 (Red Arrow-12).
It is a fire-and-forget missile with infrared imaging guidance, which makes it expensive.
Due to its soft launch system, it can be fired within buildings and
bunkers and allows its operator time to hide after firing as the missile
leaves its launcher at a slow speed to avoid generating too much smoke
and flame and then gain speed with more smoke and flame to hit its
target.
Though HJ-12 can pierce armor 1100 mm thick, but is designed to hit
the top of its target, the vulnerable point of a tank. Therefore, it can
destroy such advanced main battle tank as M1A2 and T90S though it is a
light portable missile.
It can also be used to hit targets other than tanks and armored vehicles