FT-2000A

Reports of a Chinese anti-radiation SAM, the FT-2000, first surfaced in sales brochures at the September 1998 Farnborough Air Show. The FT-2000 is a mobile system based on the HQ-9/SA-10 with a maximum advertised range in excess of 100 km. It has been described as an "AWACS killer." There also are indications that China is promoting the development of another anti-radiation SAM, the FT-2000A, which is an update of the antiquated CSA-1; it is a fixed-based SAM system with a range of under 100 km. The intended targets for anti-radiation SAM systems would be AWACS aircraft or any airborne asset emitting radio signals. There is no information indicating that any country, including China, has expressed an interest in acquiring either system or that either system has progressed beyond the conceptual phase.

According to a China sales brochure, the FT-2000A SAM would use a highly-modified HQ-2/ CSA-1 missile that has been equipped with a passive radio frequency homing seeker operating in the 2- to 6-GHz band. The FT-2000A also will contain a new millimeter-wave band fuze, a new guidance-and-control section, and a new 60 kg fragmentation warhead. The missile has a cutoff valve for thrust adjustment while in flight, probably to extend its range. The missile seeker is loaded with the target aircraft's radio frequency (RF) signature before launch and relies on this information for tracking and intercept. The missile has an estimated maximum range of 60 km, with a maximum altitude of 18,000 meters.

A stand-alone FT-2000A battery consists of a central control station and twelve launchers, each holding one missile. The central control station has one master passive sensor and three auxiliary passive sensors. The auxiliary passive sensors coordinate with the master passive sensor through triangulation to determine angle and range of targets emitting in the 2- to 6-GHz band. This configuration is totally passive, relying on the RF emissions of the target.

A composite fire unit consists of FT-2000A launchers and missiles, integrated with standard SAM components like those of the HQ-2, SA-2, or SA-3. Although a special fire control unit and launcher are required, this configuration allows anti-jamming missiles to replace several of the command guided missiles normally associated with these SAMs.