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PLA
Cruise Missiles
PLA Air - Surface Missiles Technical Report APA-TR-2009-0803 |
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Dr Carlo Kopp, SMAIAA, MIEEE, PEng August 2009 Text © 2008, 2009 Carlo Kopp  |
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 The ramjet propelled C-301 / CSS-C-6
Sawhorse is a Chinese analogue to the Russian Shaddock/Sandbox family
of supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles.
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Background
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Tactical Cruise Missiles |
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HIAC C-101 / YJ-16 / CSS-C-5 Saples The C-101 is China's first
indigenous supersonic cruise missile. This design is analogous to
Soviet first generation supersonic cruise missiles, but is a unique
design employing ramjet propulsion in an arrangement most akin to the
Bristol Bloodhound SAM.
The missile uses a pair of
jettisonable solid rocket boosters which accelerate it up to Mach 1.8.
upon which the 180 kN ramjet sustainers are started and the missile
accelerates up to its cruise speed of ~Mach 2.0. The sustainers are
fuelled with 200 kg of aviation kerosene. The cruise altitude is
programmed at 50 metres AMSL, and terminal closure to target from a
distance of 5 km to impact is at 5 metres AMSL. Range is cited at 45 km.
Two variants exist, one for air launch, the other for surface combatants.
The pulse Doppler active radar
seeker operates in the 2 centimetre band. A 300 kg semi-armour piercing
warhead is employed. Hydraulically actuated canards are used for pitch
control, and tail surfaces for roll and yaw control. An unusual feature
are the dorsal and smaller ventral vertical stabiliser fins.
IOC was achieved during the 1990s, with the weapon used as a replacement for the HY-2 and YJ-6 while the PLA awaited the delivery of newer Russian missiles. The surface launched C-101 has been reported deployed on Heku/Komar class and other fast missile boats, the air launched variant on the H-6 Badger, H-5 Beagle and SH-5 LRMP.  |
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CHETA HY-1 / CSS-C-2 SilkwormCHETA SY-1/FL-1 Flying Dragon / CSS-N-1
Scrubbrush
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CHETA C-201/HY-2 / CSS-N-2 / CSS-C-3 Seersucker/“Silkworm” Fuelling up a HY-2 missile. The toxic and corrosive AK-20F/TG-02 propellant mix necessitates the use of chemical suits, a major operational encumbrance for this family of missiles. Commonly labelled as the
“Silkworm”, the HY-2 Seersucker is a re-engineered and stretched HY-1
Silkworm, and remains one of China's most widely exported weapon
systems. The ~1.5 metre fuselage extension provides ~700 kg larger fuel
capacity than the Styx series, roughly doubling range to ~110 NMI. The
weapon retains the 513 kg full fuselage diameter shaped charge warhead
of the original Styx. The missile will cruise at 300 - 1,000 ft AMSL
until its seeker acquires the target, upon which it descends to ~25 -
100 ft AMSL, depending on variant, for the terminal homing approach to
the target.
Known variants include the:
While the Styx family of cruise missiles is widely regarded to be obsolete today, and too large and slow to penetrate modern defences on warships, the missile remains strategically important, due to its lethality and wide deployment. Used against transports, tankers, amphibious ships and other targets without defensive systems, the missile is highly lethal. Not only does it carry a large warhead, but the unburned hypergolic fuel produces considerable incendiary effect.   HY-2G
variant.
 Iranian
HY-2 coastal battery towed launcher (FARS).
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 The SY-2 / CSS-N-5 Sabot is a solid rocket
powered derivative of the Styx. It is readily distinguished by the
cylindrical fuselage shape and pair of small horizontal surfaces at the
base of the vertical stabiliser.
The SY-2 is the replacement
missile for the earlier SY-1 cloned Styx, intended for deployment from
surface combatants and coastal batteries. While it is a Styx
derivative, it is a substantial redesign with a solid propellant rocket
motor rather than the cumbersome liquid propellant design of the Styx.
It is often mislabelled in the literature as one of the two earlier
liquid propellant variants.
While the basic airframe configuration is the same, and the wings and anhedralled tail likely identical, the new fuselage is cylindrical but longer. Development of this weapon was initiated during the 1970s and IOC achieved during the 1990s. There are claims that the improved SY-2A has a turbojet powerplant, but little material is available on this weapon. The basic version has a cited range of 50 - 130 km. The SY-2 is deployed on a number of surface combatants previously armed with Styx variants. The export variant of this missile is the FL-2. This weapon is believed to have been exported to Iran, as pictures of it appear frequently on Iranian websites. While the Styx family of cruise missiles is widely regarded to be obsolete today, and too large and slow to penetrate modern defences on warships, the missile remains strategically important, due to its lethality and wide deployment. Used against transports, tankers, amphibious ships and other targets without defensive systems, the missile is highly lethal.  Display
model of export FL-2 variant.
 FL-2
coastal
battery self-propelled launcher of the PLA.
Iranian FL-2 coastal
battery self-propelled launcher (FARS).
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CHETA C-201W / HY-4/HY-4A/G / HY-41 /
CSS-C-7 Sadsack
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C-301 / FL-3 / CSS-C-6 Sawhorse
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CHETA YJ-6/C-601 / YJ-61/C-611 / CAS-1 Kraken The CAS-1 Kraken series of
missiles are air launched derivatives of the C-201/HY-2 / CSS-N-2 /
CSS-C-3
Seersucker cruise missile. The basic weapon is in most respects
identical to the HY-2, with necessary modifications for air launch such
as dorsal hardpoints.
The Kraken is most frequently seen carried in pairs by the H-6D Badger variant operated by the PLA-N, and exported in small numbers to the Middle East. The H-6D is largely identical to the baseline H-6A/B variants, but is equipped with the Type 245 attack radar, itself based on the Soviet Square Tie fire control radar developed for the Styx armed Komar and Osa boats. The Kraken has also been reported on the H-5 Beagle, which carries a single round. The YJ-61/C-611 is an improved variant. It has a slightly extended fuselage, and is claimed to use a higher energy density propellant mix and better engine design. Cited range for the YJ-6/C-601 is ~100 km, for the YJ-61/C-611 ~200 km. Terminal phase altitudes are cited at 50, 70 and 500 metres AMSL. While the Styx family of cruise missiles is widely regarded to be obsolete today, and too large and slow to penetrate modern defences on warships, the missile remains strategically important, due to its lethality and wide deployment. Used against transports, tankers, amphibious ships and other targets without defensive systems, the missile is highly lethal.  CAS-1 Kraken on a H-6D Badger (PLA-N).   H-5 Beagle
of the PLA-AF.
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CHETA YJ-63/KD-63
The recently revealed
YJ-63/KD-63 is a
derivative of the air-breathing HY-4 Sadsack. While it retains the
delta wing and fuselage shape of the HY-4, it uses a new cruciform tail
design, and includes a television / datalink terminal guidance package,
with a reported satellite aided inertial midcourse guidance package.
More recently images have emerged of a variant with a dielectric nose
radome, equipped with a radar or anti-radiation seeker.
It is thus a dual role weapon, capable of precision strikes against land and maritime targets. It is carried by the newly designed H-6H Badger variant, replacing the pair of CAS-1 Krakens carried by earlier variants. Range is cited at around 100 nautical miles.
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CASIC
YJ-62/C-602
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CHETA C-701/C-701KD, C-704/C-704KD, C-705
Above C-704 cruise missile with active radar seeker (images © 2009, Zhenguan Studio). The C-701 and C-704 missiles are analogues to the French Exocet family of missiles, available with a range of active radar and electro-optical terminal seekers. C-704KD Electro-Optical variants with gimballed TV and IIR seekers, at Zhuhai 2008. The IIR version uses a Magnesium Fluoride window (images © 2009, Zhenguan Studio).
C-701 anti-ship cruise
missile with active radar seeker displayed at Zhuhai 2008 (image © 2009,
Zhenguan Studio).
C-701KD
variant with
Electro-Optical seeker.
The C-705 is a planar wing derivative of
the C-701/704 family of weapons. It was first displayed at Zhuhai 2008
(image © 2009,
Zhenguan Studio).
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CHETA YJ-8/YJ-81/C-801, YJ-82/C-802 and YJ-83/C-803
YJ-82/C-802A cruise missile at Zhuhai 2008 (image © 2009,
Zhenguan Studio). China's indigenous response to
the Exocet and Harpoon lies in
the YJ-8 (CSS-N-4 Sardine) family of missiles, available in ship, sub,
land and air launch variants. The basic air launch rocket powered YJ-8K
achieves 27 NMI (50 km) range, the improved YJ-81 cca 43 NMI (80 km),
the turbojet YJ-82 (CSS-N-8 Saccade) cca 65 NMI (120 km), and the
recently trialed YJ-83 variant around 135 NMI (250 km). These are the
primary weapon of many PLA-N warships, and the FH-7 maritime fighter
carrying four rounds. The most notable export of this
weapon has been to Iran, who operate naval and coastal battery variants.
Aft
view of YJ-82/C-802A cruise
missile at Zhuhai 2008 (image
© 2009,
Zhenguan Studio).  Ship launched C-801 variant.
Air
launched C-801K
on FH-7 maritime strike fighter.
 C-802 launch from an Iranian surface combatant (FARS).  Iranian C-802 coastal battery launcher (FARS). |
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Strategic Cruise Missiles |
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HN-1 / HN-2 / HN-3 / DH-10 Undesignated
PLA cruise missile, possibly a DH-10 prototype. China has had a long running
program aimed at developing strategic land
attack cruise missiles suitable for aerial, sub and ship deployment.
Reports abound claiming the PRC has actively shopped the Middle East
for debris from expended or failed Tomahawk rounds. More recently
reports have emerged claiming China has purchased tooling for the
Raduga Kh-65SE, the reduced range export variant of the Kh-55 (AS-15
Kent) which is Russia's answer to the Boeing AGM-86B ALCM. Many sources
claim that the PLA now operates the indigenous HN-1 (320 NMI/600 km),
HN-2 (800+ NMI/1,500+ km) and the HN-3 (1,350 NMI/2,500 km). The sole
good quality image to emerge suggests these weapons are clones of the
BGM-109 Tomahawk, suitable for naval and aerial launch. The DH-10
cruise missile, declared operational, also resembles a Tomahawk. Given the availability of Russian
TERCOM, DSMAC, Glonass,
Western GPS and computer technology, the only issue for the PLA will
lie in good quality 12 inch 600 lb class turbofan availability to power
a genuine AGM-86/BGM-109 class strategic cruise missile. With
submarines, surface warships and H-6H Badgers, there is no shortage of
launch platforms. The recently unveiled H-6H variant with four wing
pylons is clearly intended for such a role.
Chinese
sources report the ground launched CJ-10 to be the GLCM variant of the
DH-10 design, carried on a three round TEL (Chinese internet).
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Sources/References
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Imagery Sources: US DoD, PLA, Manufacturers, Chinese Internet. Line Artwork: © 2000, 2007, 2008, 2009 Carlo Kopp Technical
Report APA-TR-2009-0803
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