Bosnian
02-13-2007, 09:18 AM
http://www.sinodefence.com/army/surfacetoairmissile/hq2.asp
The HongQi-2 (HQ-2) is a long-range, medium- to high-altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) developed from the HQ-1, a Chinese copy of the Soviet Almaz S-75 (NATO codename: SA-2 Guideline). The HQ-2 remained the sole weapon system in service with the PLA SAM forces to protect China’s key targets before the early 1990s. The PLA has been trying to find a successor to the forty-year-old weapon system but all attempts to develop an indigenous SAM have been unsuccessful so far. As a result, the PLA was forced to continue upgrading the HQ-2 with new technologies to extend its service life into the 21st century.
PROGRAMME
The S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) surface-to-air missile entered Soviet service in 1956. The PLA received a limited number of Soviet-made S-75 missile in early 1960 to arm its first two SAM battalions. On 8 October 1960, one of the SAM battalions used the S-75 missile to shoot down a U.S.-made RB-57D spy plane operated by the Taiwanese air force—the first ever example of using SAM to shoot down a plane in the world. In the next four years, the PLA SAM units shot down another three U.S.-made U-2 spy planes operated by the Taiwanese air force using the S-75 SAM.
While the S-75 SAM began to enter PLA service, a licensed production of the missile in China was also agreed. However, Moscow suspended all of its assistance to China and called back its advisers before the production could begin. The First Ministry of Machinery Industry and 5th Research Academy of Ministry of Defence took the lead in the reverse-engineering of the missile, and the first Chinese-built S-75 missile designated HQ-1 rolled out in 1964. By the mid-1960s, the S-75 and indigenous HQ-1 could no longer shoot down the U-2 after the U.S. added active jamming devices to its reconnaissance aircraft. The PLA urgently needed a SAM with strong electronic countermeasures capabilities.
To learn more about the history of SAM and U-2, please refer to these books:
50 Years of the U-2: The Complete Illustrated History of the "Dragon Lady"
Spyplane: The U-2 History Declassified
Dragon Lady: The History of the U-2 Spyplane
Shadow Flights : America's Secret Airwar Against the Soviet Union: A Cold War History
In 1965 the PLA began to develop an improved SAM based on the HQ-1. 2nd Space Academy (now China Academy of Defence Technology, CADT) was responsible for the general system design, with 139 Factory and 786 Factory in charge of missile and ground station respectively. The main design targets were to improve the missile’s accuracy and resistance to enemy electronic jamming, as well as to increase the missile’s operational zone. The new SAM, which was designated HQ-2, passed its certification test in 1966. Since then, the HQ-2 has been produced in mass numbers for the PLA to protect China’s major cities, military bases, and industrial complexes. The PLA has also introduced a number of improved variants including the HQ-2A and HQ-2B in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
On 8 September 1967, the PLA air defence troops fired three SAM (two HQ-2 and one HQ-1) at a Taiwanese-flown U-2 spy plane, and one of the HQ-2 missiles hit the target despite the plane’s use of electronic jamming. The latest score of the HQ-2 SAM took place on 5 October 1987, when the PLA air defence troops shot down a Vietnamese Air Force MiG-21R (Fishebed-H) reconnaissance plane using the HQ-2 SAM near the China-Vietnamese border.
In 1984, the PLA 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 100km 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, the PLA expanded the HQ-2’s role to include anti-missile functions.
The modifications on the HQ-2 SAM began in 1973 to enhance the missile's low altitude target engaging and electronic countermeasure capabilities based on the experience of the Vietnam War. The firing tests of the HQ-2A were undertaken between 1978 and 1982, and the final design certification for batch production was issued in June 1984. The 144 modifications on the HQ-2A include increasing the horizontal firing angle to ±75° from the original ±55°; increasing the speed to 1,200 m/s from the original 1,150 m/s; increasing the G limit to 1.5G from the original 1G; adding optical/TV guidance system and improving the missile's electronic countermeasure capability.
HQ-2B
The concept of HQ-2B was considered in 1978 as a further improvement on the HQ-2, and the design work officially began in 1979. The PLA requirements for the missile include improved electronic countermeasures capability, expanded operational zone, shortened preparation time, simplified and mobile launch equipment, and the ability to attack high-speed targets. Operational tests and design certification trials took place during 1980~1986, and the missile entered service with the PLA in the early 1990s.
Compared to the basic variant HQ-2, the HQ-2B features some fundamental improvements in its design. The main improvements include:
Missile:
Redesigned fragmental HE warhead and more powerful fuse for increased blast radius;
New improved rocket motor for higher speed and expanded operational zone;
Encrypted digital radio command guidance for better anti-jamming capability;
New onboard power unit with much reduced weight;
Increased G limit;
Ground station
Computerised fire-control system to improve the missile’s accuracy and reliability;
Extra high-frequency range-finding radar, electro-optical director and mono-pulse radar on the ground guidance station;
Multiple guidance (radar, electro-optical) for higher resistance against active and passive jamming;
Automated command and control (C2) system with a large display screen
Launcher
Self-propelled (tracked) launcher with self-adjustment capability and onboard power unit for increased mobility and reduced reaction time;
Simplified ground support equipments;
If necessary, the missile could also be launched from the older HQ-2 launcher
M-7/PROJECT 8610
The SA-2/HQ-2 can play a secondary role as surface-to-surface missile. Egypt reportedly used its SA-2 SAM in this manner during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The project of converting the existing HQ-2 into surface-to-surface role was known as “Project 8610”. The missile was reportedly sold to Iran and North Korea under the export name M-7 in the 1980s. The PLA is not known to have deployed this missile.
DESIGNS
The HQ-2 is a large two-stage missile designed to intercept high-altitude targets like strategic bombers and spy planes. Its radar guidance guarantees a single-shot hit probability of 68%, but according to the American's experience in the Vietnam War, this ratio drops sharply when the missile is used in a strong electronic jamming environment. The improved HQ-2B is said to have much improved capability against various active and passive jamming.
The second-stage of the HQ-2 missile is a large liquid rocket, which makes it inconvenient to be maintained and transported. Each missile is carried by a semi-trailer towed by a 6x6 truck, and needs to be loaded onto a fixed launcher before firing. The loading usually takes about 5 minutes but this really depends on the training and experience of missile operators.
The basic operational unit of the HQ-2 SAM is battalion, each including six fixed launchers, 18 spare missiles, early-warning radar, target illuminating radar (ground guidance station) and support units (command, power, communications, etc.)
SPECIFICATIONS
HQ-2 HQ-2A HQ-2B
Missile length (m) 10.649 10.649 10.8
Main body diameter (m) 0.5 0.5 0.5
Accelerate stage diameter (m) 0.65 0.65 0.65
Launch weight (kg) 2,211 2,211 2,326
Operating altitude (km) 12~32 1~27 0.5~27
Operating range (km) 12~32 8~34 7~34
Max speed (m/sec) 1,150 1,200 1,250
Warhead 190kg high explosive
Single-shot hit probability 68% 73% 92%
This page was last updated 2 May 2006
The HongQi-2 (HQ-2) is a long-range, medium- to high-altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) developed from the HQ-1, a Chinese copy of the Soviet Almaz S-75 (NATO codename: SA-2 Guideline). The HQ-2 remained the sole weapon system in service with the PLA SAM forces to protect China’s key targets before the early 1990s. The PLA has been trying to find a successor to the forty-year-old weapon system but all attempts to develop an indigenous SAM have been unsuccessful so far. As a result, the PLA was forced to continue upgrading the HQ-2 with new technologies to extend its service life into the 21st century.
PROGRAMME
The S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) surface-to-air missile entered Soviet service in 1956. The PLA received a limited number of Soviet-made S-75 missile in early 1960 to arm its first two SAM battalions. On 8 October 1960, one of the SAM battalions used the S-75 missile to shoot down a U.S.-made RB-57D spy plane operated by the Taiwanese air force—the first ever example of using SAM to shoot down a plane in the world. In the next four years, the PLA SAM units shot down another three U.S.-made U-2 spy planes operated by the Taiwanese air force using the S-75 SAM.
While the S-75 SAM began to enter PLA service, a licensed production of the missile in China was also agreed. However, Moscow suspended all of its assistance to China and called back its advisers before the production could begin. The First Ministry of Machinery Industry and 5th Research Academy of Ministry of Defence took the lead in the reverse-engineering of the missile, and the first Chinese-built S-75 missile designated HQ-1 rolled out in 1964. By the mid-1960s, the S-75 and indigenous HQ-1 could no longer shoot down the U-2 after the U.S. added active jamming devices to its reconnaissance aircraft. The PLA urgently needed a SAM with strong electronic countermeasures capabilities.
To learn more about the history of SAM and U-2, please refer to these books:
50 Years of the U-2: The Complete Illustrated History of the "Dragon Lady"
Spyplane: The U-2 History Declassified
Dragon Lady: The History of the U-2 Spyplane
Shadow Flights : America's Secret Airwar Against the Soviet Union: A Cold War History
In 1965 the PLA began to develop an improved SAM based on the HQ-1. 2nd Space Academy (now China Academy of Defence Technology, CADT) was responsible for the general system design, with 139 Factory and 786 Factory in charge of missile and ground station respectively. The main design targets were to improve the missile’s accuracy and resistance to enemy electronic jamming, as well as to increase the missile’s operational zone. The new SAM, which was designated HQ-2, passed its certification test in 1966. Since then, the HQ-2 has been produced in mass numbers for the PLA to protect China’s major cities, military bases, and industrial complexes. The PLA has also introduced a number of improved variants including the HQ-2A and HQ-2B in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
On 8 September 1967, the PLA air defence troops fired three SAM (two HQ-2 and one HQ-1) at a Taiwanese-flown U-2 spy plane, and one of the HQ-2 missiles hit the target despite the plane’s use of electronic jamming. The latest score of the HQ-2 SAM took place on 5 October 1987, when the PLA air defence troops shot down a Vietnamese Air Force MiG-21R (Fishebed-H) reconnaissance plane using the HQ-2 SAM near the China-Vietnamese border.
In 1984, the PLA 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 100km 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, the PLA expanded the HQ-2’s role to include anti-missile functions.
The modifications on the HQ-2 SAM began in 1973 to enhance the missile's low altitude target engaging and electronic countermeasure capabilities based on the experience of the Vietnam War. The firing tests of the HQ-2A were undertaken between 1978 and 1982, and the final design certification for batch production was issued in June 1984. The 144 modifications on the HQ-2A include increasing the horizontal firing angle to ±75° from the original ±55°; increasing the speed to 1,200 m/s from the original 1,150 m/s; increasing the G limit to 1.5G from the original 1G; adding optical/TV guidance system and improving the missile's electronic countermeasure capability.
HQ-2B
The concept of HQ-2B was considered in 1978 as a further improvement on the HQ-2, and the design work officially began in 1979. The PLA requirements for the missile include improved electronic countermeasures capability, expanded operational zone, shortened preparation time, simplified and mobile launch equipment, and the ability to attack high-speed targets. Operational tests and design certification trials took place during 1980~1986, and the missile entered service with the PLA in the early 1990s.
Compared to the basic variant HQ-2, the HQ-2B features some fundamental improvements in its design. The main improvements include:
Missile:
Redesigned fragmental HE warhead and more powerful fuse for increased blast radius;
New improved rocket motor for higher speed and expanded operational zone;
Encrypted digital radio command guidance for better anti-jamming capability;
New onboard power unit with much reduced weight;
Increased G limit;
Ground station
Computerised fire-control system to improve the missile’s accuracy and reliability;
Extra high-frequency range-finding radar, electro-optical director and mono-pulse radar on the ground guidance station;
Multiple guidance (radar, electro-optical) for higher resistance against active and passive jamming;
Automated command and control (C2) system with a large display screen
Launcher
Self-propelled (tracked) launcher with self-adjustment capability and onboard power unit for increased mobility and reduced reaction time;
Simplified ground support equipments;
If necessary, the missile could also be launched from the older HQ-2 launcher
M-7/PROJECT 8610
The SA-2/HQ-2 can play a secondary role as surface-to-surface missile. Egypt reportedly used its SA-2 SAM in this manner during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The project of converting the existing HQ-2 into surface-to-surface role was known as “Project 8610”. The missile was reportedly sold to Iran and North Korea under the export name M-7 in the 1980s. The PLA is not known to have deployed this missile.
DESIGNS
The HQ-2 is a large two-stage missile designed to intercept high-altitude targets like strategic bombers and spy planes. Its radar guidance guarantees a single-shot hit probability of 68%, but according to the American's experience in the Vietnam War, this ratio drops sharply when the missile is used in a strong electronic jamming environment. The improved HQ-2B is said to have much improved capability against various active and passive jamming.
The second-stage of the HQ-2 missile is a large liquid rocket, which makes it inconvenient to be maintained and transported. Each missile is carried by a semi-trailer towed by a 6x6 truck, and needs to be loaded onto a fixed launcher before firing. The loading usually takes about 5 minutes but this really depends on the training and experience of missile operators.
The basic operational unit of the HQ-2 SAM is battalion, each including six fixed launchers, 18 spare missiles, early-warning radar, target illuminating radar (ground guidance station) and support units (command, power, communications, etc.)
SPECIFICATIONS
HQ-2 HQ-2A HQ-2B
Missile length (m) 10.649 10.649 10.8
Main body diameter (m) 0.5 0.5 0.5
Accelerate stage diameter (m) 0.65 0.65 0.65
Launch weight (kg) 2,211 2,211 2,326
Operating altitude (km) 12~32 1~27 0.5~27
Operating range (km) 12~32 8~34 7~34
Max speed (m/sec) 1,150 1,200 1,250
Warhead 190kg high explosive
Single-shot hit probability 68% 73% 92%
This page was last updated 2 May 2006