Hongjian-10 / HJ-10 anti-tank missile

The Chinese HJ-10A ATGM system is a heavy-duty, fiber-optic guided anti-tank missile, and its launching vehicle has an elevating mast-type photoelectric sighting system that can detect and lock the hostile armored vehicles as far as possible. The Chinese HJ-10A anti-tank guided missile is connected to the launching vehicle with a fine fiber and has largest penetration depth in the its anti-tank guided missile family.

China began the development of HJ anti-tank missiles in the 1960s. "HJ-73" is the first generation of anti-tank missile equipped in China’s armed forces. Subsequently, HJ-8 and HJ-9 anti-tank missiles were developed and equipped in the armed forces. The HJ-10 multi-purpose weapon system made its debut on the V-Day parade held in Beijing. HJ-10 is the new-type long-range multi-purpose missile. It is a fiber-optic guided missile with strong concealment and anti-jamming capabilities. Control personnel can adjust the direction of the HJ-10 missile after launch, with the help of its real-time video monitoring function, in the event of false targets or high value targets. The maximum range of HJ-10 is ten kilometers. This is beyond the firepower scope of most tanks.

Since the 1990s, military scientists have begun to develop a completely new type of missile- the fiber-optic guided missile. At present, fiber-optic missiles are still a relatively new type of missile in the world. The main types of service are Israeli spiked missiles, German white-eyed giants, and the Chinese Red Arrow-10.

The Red Arrow-10 anti-tank missile is an anti-tank missile independently developed by China. The entire launch equipment system weighs about 150 kg, of which the warhead weighs 43 kg. The range of the Red Arrow-10 anti-tank missile is very amazing, reaching 12 kilometers. Not only the range, but also the power of the Red Arrow-10 was very strong. It was exposed that the target was hit at a distance of four kilometers during the exercise, and the target was completely blown up in one hit.

As a fiber-guided anti-tank missile or even a multi-purpose missile, the Red Arrow-10 missile can choose different types of maneuvering trajectories after launching. It can use straight trajectories to hit targets like ordinary missiles, and can also perform airborne requirements, maneuver, adjusted strike plan and own posture. It is precisely because of this feature that not only makes the interception of the Red Arrow-10 missile much more difficult, but also makes it capable of hitting low-altitude flying units, such as armed helicopters and other equipment.

The Red Arrow-10 missile carried a fiber optic spool weighing approximately 2 kg. Fiber-optic guided missiles each carry a roll of optical fiber. The bobbin of the optical fiber is at the tail of the bomb and flutters while flying. The length is the same as the maximum range. For example, the Red Arrow-10 missile has a range of 12 kilometers, so the missile has 12 kilometers of optical fiber. Speaking of this, many small friends questioned: What if the optical fiber breaks during the missile flight?

In fact, the optical fiber of the fiber-guided missile is a special optical fiber. On the basis of the ordinary optical fiber, a special composite material is added to increase the material strength of the optical fiber, so that the optical fiber is not easily broken during missile flight. In actual combat. So far, the fiber has not shown insufficient strength. Therefore, such concerns are actually unnecessary.

But the weight of fiber per kilometer is 150 grams, and the range of Red Arrow-10 is 1.8 kilograms. In addition to the pay-off device, the total weight of the guidance transmission system must exceed 2 kilograms, which can not reduce the dead weight. Increasing the range of the missile has an adverse effect, so the maximum range of the fiber-optic missile generally does not exceed 12 kilometers. Israel’s spiked missiles, when developing long-range spikes with a range of 25 kilometers, cancelled the original fiber guidance mode and switched to a radio encrypted data link to transmit signals due to the weight of the fiber.

The HJ-10A ATGM system, commissioned in the Chinese PLA Army, is a newest member of China's export-oriented anti-tank missile family. The deployment of HJ-10 indicates that China's anti-tank missile technology is constantly catching up with the world. After having possessed the Hongjian-10 anti-tank missile for so many years, in fact, the Chinese Army’s field land-based air defense methods have long since broken away from the history of only anti-aircraft artillery and special surface-to-air missiles. Although the air defense capability of the Hongjian-10 anti-tank missile cannot be compared with general dedicated surface-to-air missiles, such a "came" can also threaten armed helicopters.

Chinese military trade enterprise China North Industries Corp. (NORINCO) brought the Chinese HJ-10A (Red Arrow-10A) anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system, which is extremely rare in the Middle East's weapon market, to the sixth International Defense Exhibition (IQDEX-2018) in Baghdad, Iraq, for the first time in March 2018. Iraqi media disclosed photos of Chinese HJ-10A ATGM system online. Unlike the HJ-10A ATGM system unveiled by the NORINCO during the Zhuhai Air Show in 2016, the HJ-10A ATGM system exhibited in the Middle East uses the export version “big 4X4 wheel” chassis. Compared with the tracked chassis version of HJ-10A ATGM system, the passability of the wheeled chassis one is apparently inferior, but the overall cost should be lower.

CM-502KG

At the 9th Zhuhai Airshow held in November 2012, ar light air-to-surface missile designated as CM-502KG made its public debut. The HJ-10 based CM-502KG has an 11-kg warhead similar in size with that of AR-1, but its maximum range is more than twice that of AR-1, up to 25 km. The compact size of CM-502KG enable it to be carried by both the manned aircraft and heavy unmanned aircraft (though mostly the latter), while the lighter AR-1 is carried by smaller unmanned aircraft, as the staff of developer have claimed at the show. There are unconfirmed claims by Chinese military enthusiasts on the internet that CM-502KG is conceptually designed in the same class as Spike NLOS, but such claims has yet to be verified by official sources.

CM-502V

Speed	Mach 1.1
Armor penetration	1000 mm homogeneous armor
Warhead	11 kg
Range	25 km

The CM-502 series is a new NLOS-type attack missile (not to be confused with the HJ-10 based CM-502KG) that seems to use fiber-optic guidance (not confirmed). It will work in conjunction with other NLOS missiles and loitering munitions such as the CM-501G/GA, CM-501XA, and CM-501X. According to photos uploaded, a new type of multi-purpose anti-tank missile, numbered CM-502, appeared at this Zhuhai Air Show, mounted on a domestic 4X4 off-road chassis. The missile is launched vertically and has a range of 25 kilometers. Similar to the Red Arrow 10, this missile can not only strike ground armored targets and fortifications, but also strike low-altitude helicopters and drones.