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| HHQ-9 naval surface to air missile |
The HHQ-9 naval surface to air missile (SAM) is the primary air
defence weapon aboard the 052C class DDG, and is likely to be present
aboard the improved 052D class DDG, as well as the future 055 class
large DDG.
Therefore, HHQ-9 can be considered to be the Chinese Navy’s mainstay long range anti air and anti missile SAM system.
HHQ-9 VLS detail aboard 052C, with VLS cover opened
However, considerable ambiguities regarding the capability and the
nature of the HHQ-9 still remain, due to a lack of official information
regarding the HHQ-9. The capabilities of HHQ-9 are sometimes further
confused with that of the land based HQ-9 SAM (from which HHQ-9 is
derived) and the export variant FD-2000, but there is reason to believe
the naval HHQ-9 may feature some substantial differences to the land
based HQ-9 and export FD-2000.
Land based HQ-9 SAM system, which the HHQ-9 SAM is derived from
Range:
The HHQ-9’s range is a subject of some debate. It should be prefaced
that the effective range of any type of missile is dependent on the
target it is assigned to engage – a naval SAM or a beyond visual range
air to air missile would have a substantially higher effective range
against a high flying, low speed target such as a maritime patrol
aircraft, compared to an incoming supersonic cruise missile at low
altitude. Therefore, following discussion of HHQ-9’s range is done so in
this context, and is assumed to be maximum slant range against a high
flying aerial target.
The range for HHQ-9 has been cited between 100 to 120 kilometers; in a
report by the US Office of Naval Intelligence, HHQ-9 has been cited as
having a range of 55 nautical miles or slightly over 100 kilometers, but
the export variant FD-2000 is said to have a range of 120 kilometers,
and various Chinese language sources including state media (CCTV) have
reported 052C to be equipped with a SAM whose range exceeds 150
kilometers.
Additional confusion exists, one when considers that initial HHQ-9
variants may have been superseded by improved capability HHQ-9 variants
with longer range, therefore it is difficult to ascertain just which
variant of HHQ-9 may be present aboard current ship classes.
However, taking this array of differing information into consideration,
it is possible to judge that the maximum effective range of current
variant HHQ-9 is likely to be between 100 kilometers and 150 kilometers.
Minimum Altitude:
Ambiguity surrounding HHQ-9’s minimum altitude has received less
coverage than that of its maximum range, but it is potentially as
equally important.
The minimum altitude of a SAM would very much determine its ability to
destroy low flying targets such as sea skimming cruise missiles,
especially during the terminal phase.
HHQ-9’s minimum altitude has been cited to be anywhere from 500 meters
to 25 meters. The 500 meter altitude has been associated to past
brochures for the land based HQ-9, however it is unlikely that the land
based HQ-9 would have such a poor minimum altitude given it is
insufficient to intercept even relatively low flying aircraft, therefore
the 500 meter minimum altitude is likely to be an incorrect number. The
25 meter minimum altitude is cited for the export variant FD-2000, and
while it is far more realistic for a land based SAM, it still appears
excessively high to effectively intercept sea skimming cruise missiles
whose terminal altitude may be as low as five to ten meters above sea
level. On the other hand it is notable that the naval HHQ-9 likely
features the same 180 kilogram fragmenting warhead as HQ-9 and FD-2000,
which may feature a blast radius large enough to compensate for an
insufficiently low minimum altitude and thus retain the capability to
kill a sea skimming target.
But despite all the above, there is reason to question whether the naval
HHQ-9 may have a minimum altitude even lower than 25 meters, as land
variants and naval variants of the same SAM may feature differing
minimum altitudes, possibly due to the nature of more alternating
terrain for a land based SAM which may produce greater clutter when
trying to track a low flying target, as well as vertical features such
as trees or buildings which may further limit the minimum range of a SAM
(but also any incoming missile).
For instance, the European SAMP/T long range land based SAM is a variant
of the naval Aster 30 long range SAM. SAMP/T is cited by MBDA with a
minimum altitude of 50 meters, however Aster 30 is well known to be
capable of intercepting sea skimming targets at lower altitudes as well.
The
European SAMP/T is a land based air defence system derived from the
Aster 30 naval SAM. The manufacturer states SAMP/T to have a 50m minimum
altitude, however the Aster 30 is also known to be capable of engaging
very low altitude sea skimming targets
Therefore, the minimum altitude of HHQ-9 is likely to be sufficient
for intercepting sea skimming targets, and directly assuming HHQ-9
features the same effective range of its land based counterparts may be a
significant error in logic.
Indeed, given the role of HHQ-9 as the Chinese Navy’s primary long range
naval SAM, it would be quite a limitation if it were incapable of
intercepting low altitude sea skimming missiles.
Guidance:
HHQ-9’s guidance is another point of contention which has significant consequences regarding the capability of the missile.
Semi active radar homing (SARH) missiles rely on an external source to
illuminate a target, whereupon a seeker on the missile homes onto the
reflected beam. For modern surface to air and air to air missiles (among
other types), this illumination is typically necessary only during the
terminal phase of engagement. For naval SAMs, this external illumination
is usually provided by a fire control radar aboard a ship operating in
the X band.
Active radar homing (ARH) missiles however, feature a radar onboard
the missile itself so that it can “self guide” itself during the
terminal phase of engagement, and thus are sometimes described as “fire
and forget”. This name is not entirely strictly true, because a missile
equipped with ARH still has to rely on midcourse guidance provided by a
ship or an aircraft via datalink, prior to the terminal phase.
A simplified diagram of SARH guidance, ARH guidance, and passive guidance (unmentioned in the post)
However, one meaningful difference between SARH and ARH SAMs, is that
SARH SAM equipped ships with older mechanically oriented fire control
radar illuminators may not be capable of engaging as many targets
simultaneously as a ship with ARH SAMs, due to the necessity of time
sharing its illuminators during the terminal phase. A ship equipped with
ARH SAMs on the other hand, do not require any support from the ship
itself during the terminal phase. One method to increase the number of
simultaneous engagements for SARH SAMs is by employing an X band active
phased array radar, which can generate a substantially larger number of
beams for terminal illumination at once compared to traditional single
beam mechanically oriented illuminators.
Mechanically
oriented single beam SPG-62 terminal illuminators aboard a Burke class
DDG (they are the two satellites dish-esque antennae; a Burke is
equipped with three SPG-62s whiel a Ticonderoga class CG is equipped
with four). Such illuminators may limit the number of targets which can
be simultaneously engaged by SARH SAMs
Thales
APAR system, equipped aboard multiple classes of European frigates. The
APAR system is capable of providing multiple beams for terminal
illumination, allowing a ship with SARH SAMs to simultaneously engage
far more targets simultaneously compared to a ship equipped with a fixed
number of mechanically oriented illuminators
In the case of HHQ-9, it is generally accepted that it is guided by
ARH rather than SARH. Arguments that HHQ-9 may use older SARH guidance
may have arisen due to rumours of the land based HQ-9 using Russian
derived seekers with Track Via Missile type guidance, however this has
never been substantiated by documents from the manufacturer. More
importantly, the export variant FD-2000 itself features ARH guidance,
therefore it is unlikely for the Chinese to be willing to export a
missile variant with more capable guidance than what itself is fielding.
Additional evidence which indicates the HHQ-9 fields ARH guidance, is
the very visible lack of terminal illuminators aboard the 052C class DDG
(as well as the 052D DDG, which is almost certainly equipped with an
HHQ-9 variant as well). The 052C class DDG is equipped with the S band
Type 346 active phased array radar. S band radars are insufficient to
provide terminal guidance, which is usually provided by X band radars,
but are sufficient for providing midcourse guidance data. Therefore,
unless the Type 346 radar is actually an X band radar (which is an
immensely unlikely prospect), then the only viable guidance solution
remaining, is for HHQ-9 to be an ARH missile.
FD-2000 is an ARH guided SAM, and is the export variant of the land based HQ-9 SAM
FD-2000 missile geometry
Variants:
The
HHQ-9 missile will likely remain the mainstay long range SAM for
the Chinese Navy, and will likely feature substantial upgrades to
enhance its capability in the same way that the US Navy has continuously
upgraded its Standard Missile family.
Indeed, it has been suggested that an HHQ-9A variant with extended range
that may already be in service. An HHQ-9B variant with additional
imaging infrared seeker may also have been in development or be in
development.