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In the most difficult period at the end of the last century, our army could only endure the pain of love and use the little money squeezed out of the teeth to pick up the most important things. Today, our army has three weapon systems that are highly similar in performance on paper, but at the same time equipped with a large number of troops, that is, the HQ-6A, HQ-7B and HQ-17 air defense systems introduced in the late 80s and early 90s of the last century. Compared with many "disconnected" and failed projects at that time, these "three small pieces" can be said to be unusual. Why did these seemingly repetitive projects come out in the years of poverty? The strangeness in this has to start with the life experiences of the three brothers.
The original HQ-61 is the first generation of low-altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile weapon system developed by China, which began to be developed in September 1965, initially named HQ-41, and only changed its name to HQ-61 in January 1966. In the homeland air defense operation of that year, our army shot down the US F-4B fighter, so the AIM-7B semi-active radar air-to-air missile carried on this fighter has become an important technical reference. Due to the urgent need for ship-to-air missiles in the navy, in 1967 it was changed to a ship-to-air missile system design. In 1976, the development of surface-to-air missiles resumed, and was carried out simultaneously with the ship-to-air model.
At the same time, in March 1979, at the low-altitude anti-aircraft missile selection meeting, it was decided to immediately carry out the development of the second-generation medium- and low-altitude surface-to-air missile, and the Shanghai Municipal Second Mechanical and Electrical Industry Bureau accepted the pre-research task, tentatively named HQ-63. In 1980, HQ-63 was included in the key pre-research model. On June 27, 1984, the development plan of the HQ-63 missile was officially approved, and it was officially named the Hongqi-6 surface-to-air missile weapon system, and it was transferred to the stage of model development.
In 1985, the launch test of the HQ-63 was successful, but at that time, the HQ-63 project, which overlapped with the HQ-7 project, was discontinued. At the same time, the Air Force decided to introduce the Aspide MK-1 "Viper" semi-active radar-guided medium-range air-to-air missile developed by the Italian company Selenia. In accordance with the instructions of the higher authorities, the Shanghai Aerospace Bureau of the Ministry of Space continued to develop a medium- and short-range surface-to-air missile weapon system with reference to the "Viper" surface-to-air Spada "Spada." The new project still uses the code name "Hongqi-6", known as the HQ-64 type.
On October 25, 1995, the HQ-64 surface-to-air missile was successfully launched for the first time, and the whole system completed the ultra-low-altitude target test in 2003 and passed the national finalization test in 2004. The HQ-64 system has a wheeled truck chassis and is intended for air defense of key areas. A combat unit includes 1 command vehicle, 1 search radar vehicle, 3 tracking and irradiation vehicles, 6 missile launch vehicles and 1 power supply vehicle, using a 25-ton TAS-5450 8×8 off-road truck chassis.
The improved HQ-64 short-range surface-to-air missile was combined with the Navy's H/PJ-11 close-in weapon system to obtain the HQ-6A positional end-of-position integrated defense weapon system, which made its public debut in 2015 at a military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. This system combines a small-caliber close-in artillery system with a search and guidance radar vehicle, and the ingenious design achieves the effect of "1+1>2".
The HQ-7 surface-to-air missile project also started with the low-altitude air defense missile selection meeting in March 1979, but the development unit was replaced by the Second Academy of Aerospace Science and Industry in Beijing. In June 1979, the research and development task was officially issued, and the project code name was "Hongqi-7".
The HQ-7 is based on the R-440 Crotale "Sidewinder" from the French company Thomsan-CSF. Interestingly, although this model was inspected by a continental technical delegation in 1978, the Army's plan to introduce it was forced to fall through due to lack of funds. However, in 1985 the Navy decided to introduce the carrier-based version of the TSE-5500 Sea Rattlesnake, and in 1987 a contract was signed for the introduction, and the Army took the opportunity to take advantage of the opportunity.
The HQ-7 short-range surface-to-air missile weapon system was immediately installed in the army after passing the national acceptance in 1996, and was simultaneously introduced to the export market under the code name FM-80. The FM-80 is guided by radio command, and the transmit-guidance station is equipped with a Doppler tracking radar, an IR infrared camera, and a CCD television camera. Among them, the radar is responsible for measuring the distance between the missile and the target and the angular error of the aiming line, and the infrared and television cameras assist in eliminating ultra-low-altitude clutter interference
In the early days of service, because of the reliability problems of the imitation P4R type 4×4 chassis, there were also models with semi-mounted chassis for the launch-guidance station as a backup. In 1998, the export improved FM-80M was officially unveiled at the second Zhuhai Air Show. Improvements include replacing electron tubes with large-scale integrated circuits, replacing radars with stronger anti-jamming capabilities, upgrading the TV-infrared-laser optical channel, and improving the missile power system to increase the effective range to 15,000 meters. The self-used upgraded HQ-7B was unveiled in 2009, and the export model FM-90 participated in the 8th Zhuhai Airshow in 2010.
The FM-90 upgrades the search radar to a three-coordinate radar with a phased array system, which improves the target recognition ability, can better predict the track, and helps the tracking radar on the launch vehicle to complete the capture faster. At the same time, the search radar and guidance radar are equipped with solid-state transmitters, which have the ability to work without warm-up, and increase the average power while reducing the peak power, so that the detection performance of the radar is improved, the probability of interception is reduced, and the ability to resist anti-radiation missiles is strengthened. The guidance system adds an infrared tracker and an infrared level marker, which can completely rely on passive means to generate correction instructions when the radar is not turned on.
The improved version of the missile was replaced with a stronger solid-fuel rocket engine, the maximum flight speed of the missile was increased to Mach 3, and the effective range against tactical aircraft and helicopters was increased to about 20 km. The combination of the annular shaped warhead and the high-sensitivity radio proximity fuse solves the problem of weak lethality of the rear warhead, enabling the missile to effectively intercept supersonic small targets represented by AGM-88.
These improvements make the FM-90 not only a new product, but also a perfect evolution of the improvement scheme. At the same time, the three air defense systems, HQ-6A, HQ-7B and HQ-17, constitute a formidable air defense force of the Chinese Air Force and Navy. The high degree of similarity and complementarity between these systems gives the Chinese military more options and flexibility in dealing with various air threats.
The performance and technical level of these systems have also been continuously improved, adapting them to the needs of modern air combat. And the history of the development of this series of air defense systems is also the growth process of China's military technology. From the counterattack of "Hongqi-6", to the gorgeous debut of "Hongqi-7", to the subsequent improvement and evolution, every step represents the tenacity and innovation of China's military industry.
The success of this series of air defense systems is also inseparable from the hard work and firm conviction of Chinese military personnel. In the difficult years, they were able to continuously break through the technical difficulties and complete the development and production of these projects with limited resources. This kind of creativity and resilience is one of the core competitiveness of China's military technology.
In general, the Chinese HQ-6A, HQ-7B and HQ-17 air defense systems represent the high level and perseverance of the Chinese military-industrial complex. The development of these systems demonstrates the innovation and breakthrough capabilities of China's military industry in difficult times, and also provides the Chinese military with strong air defense capabilities and guarantees the country's security. The success of this series of air defense systems is a glorious chapter in China's military technology and has also made an important contribution to the modernization of China's armed forces.
Implications and Truths:
At the end of the last century, the Chinese army, with very limited funds, succeeded in developing three highly similar air defense systems: the HQ-6A, HQ-7B and HQ-17. This situation provides several revelations and rationales, highlighting key elements in the areas of innovation, resource management and defence.
First of all, innovation and counterattack: the successful development of these three air defense systems demonstrates the innovative ability of the Chinese army. Despite the very limited resources at the time, the Chinese military was able to rapidly develop and produce these advanced weapons systems based on its own technology and external references. This shows that innovation is key in the defense sector and can help countries meet security challenges.
Second, the criticality of resource management: in the face of economic constraints, the Chinese military has to focus on the most critical areas to ensure the best use of resources. The similarity of these three air defense systems is not a duplication of construction, but an attempt to increase the overall combat capability of the army. This teaches us to prioritize and ensure that key areas are adequately supported when resources are limited.
Again, long-term planning and patience: the development of these three systems did not happen overnight, but after years of development, refinement and testing. This shows the importance of long-term planning and patience in the military-technical sphere. The state needs to provide continuous support for the development of military technology and be patient with the development of the results to ensure that a strong defense capability is finally obtained.
Finally, the value of international cooperation: some of the technical elements of these three air defense systems were introduced from abroad, which highlights the importance of international cooperation in the military-technical field. By drawing on external technology and experience, countries can increase their military strength more quickly and build broader relationships in international cooperation.
Summary:
The Chinese military's successful development of the HQ-6A, HQ-7B and HQ-17 air defense systems during a difficult period at the end of the last century demonstrated key elements of innovation, resource management and defense planning. The similarity of these three systems is not a waste of resources, but an increase in overall combat capabilities. This case highlights the value of innovation and how to effectively manage and use resources when resources are limited. In addition, long-term planning and patience are essential for the development of military technology, and international cooperation can also accelerate technological progress. These experiences and lessons are instructive for the defense sector and beyond. Through strong determination, innovation, and a wise allocation of resources, countries can achieve excellence under limited conditions.
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