HQ-61 / RF-61 / SD-1 / Model Type 571 / CSA-N-2
The HQ-61 [Hongqi /Hungchi = Red Leader ] missile is responsible for intercepting jet fighters in the low- to medium-altitudes. HongQi-61 (HQ-61) medium-range air defense missile system was initially, created to be installed on a ship and provide protection against an attack on it from the air. After this missile proved itself well in the Navy, it was decided to use it to develop a ground-based version of a medium-range air defense system. Photographs of a November 1995 Chinese Navy exercise offered the first public sighting of this RF-61 (CSA-N-2) surface-to-air missile.
The HQ-61 missile has four front canards mounted on the middle of the missile body and four larger delta-shape control surfaces at rear. The front canards and the rear control surfaces arrangement are not on the same geometric plane, but on a 45 degree angle. The missile nose containing the semi-active radar seeker is sharp for high-speed flight.
The Hongqi-61 missile incorporates technologies of semi-active homing guidance, solid propellant rocket engine, continuous wave radar homing head, semi-active fuse 'and homing fuse, miniature autopilot, hydraulic control, gas turbine engine, chain warhead, single pulse tracking and continuous wave guidance radar, stabilized platform, rotary missile magazine, double connection fitting launcher and missile automatic testing. All these technologies had not only filled the blank of ship- to-air missile, but also had laid foundation for developing the second generation of medium and low altitude ground (Ship)-to-air missile.
Since the HQ-61 was designed with the Sparrow as a model, it looks like an enlarged version of the Sparrow. However, the Sparrow has a control wing in the center of the missile and a stabilizer in the tail, respectively, while the HQ-61 has a cross-shaped stabilizer in the center of the missile and an X-shaped control wing in the tail. ing. The propulsion device uses a solid rocket motor, with a maximum speed of Mach 3, a range of 2.5 to 10 km, and a maximum range of 8 km. Missile guidance is a combination of semi-active radar homing using I / J band continuous wave radar and radio command guidance, and the missile hit rate is said to be 64-80%.
A typical shipborne HQ-61 launch unit include a six-cell launcher, a H/I-band Type 342 (NATO codename: Frog Lamp) fire-control radar, an electro-optical director, and a fire-control station. The missile system combat independently with no centralised combat data system to link it with other weapons and sensors. The missile launcher is reloaded manually.
The HQ-61B missile system consists of a missile launcher, a fire control system, various control devices, an illuminator radar, an anti-aircraft search radar, a missile and a rotary ammunition depot. The Type 342 control radar (NATO code Frog Lamp) for the illuminator is an H / I band dish radar. The HQ-61B has one illuminator for each missile launcher, and one missile can be guided by one illuminator. "Yingtan" adopted the Type 381 Radar as an anti-aircraft search radar, which was the first 3D radar of the Chinese Navy. The 381 type is an X-band radar with a maximum detection range of 200km and a fighter detection range of 100km or more. While detecting 50 targets, it was possible to track 20 of them, and it also had the ability to detect water targets. However, there was a limit to the ability to detect low-altitude targets that were difficult to detect due to the Sea Clutter.
A typical target engagement would take place as follows: The target is first detected by target indication and radar vehicle. After being confirmed as hostile, the target is tracked and illuminated by the tracking and illuminating radar vehicle. When the target is within range one missile is launched. The missile's rear control wing is similar to that of the Standard missile made by the United States. This surface-to-air missile can also be used as a ship-to-air antiaircraft missile.
In the concept of the Chinese Navy in the 1960s, the 053H type frigate equipped with the Kaiyo type 1 SSM (Janfu type I / Jianghu type I)It was planned to operate the 053K type frigate (Jandon type / Koto type) equipped with HQ-61 SAM as a set. Two 053K type frigate (Koto type) were built, but due to the delay in commercialization of HQ-61, only # 531 "Yingtan" was actually equipped with HQ-61. "Yingtan" will play a role as a test ship for establishing the operational know-how of HQ-61, but in 1988 it was put into the border dispute over the Paracel Islands with Vietnam. ing. In the waters near the Paracel Islands, which may be attacked by the Vietnam Air Force and the air cover of the Chinese Navy Air Corps is not sufficient, the only Chinese Navy equipped with a ship-to-air missile, "Yingtan," is under operational testing. It was the key to fleet air defense for the Navy. In reality, Yingtan did not have the opportunity to launch the HQ-61, but this reminded the Chinese Navy of the importance of ship-to-air missiles in fleet air defense. The creation of this complex was very complicated for political reasons (due to the cultural revolution of the 1960/70s that began at that time) and technical. In fact, the HQ-61 anti-aircraft complex became the first Chinese project to create equipment of this class. During the design and creation of the system, it was not a lack of experience and scientific potential that had a very strong impact.
The complex itself turned out to be not very successful and was subsequently replaced by the better HQ-7 (Chinese version of the French Crotale). But after upgrading the system, an updated complex was created, called the HQ-61A. Today this complex serves as part of the People's Liberation Army of China. The main task of the system was to cover long-range air defense systems such as the Russian S-300.
Development of the HQ-61 series was started in the midst of political turmoil, international isolation, and technical lag, and it took more than 20 years to put it into practical use. Considering that many of the weapons development plans launched at the same time have disappeared, it can be said that China was fortunate in that the efforts of the parties concerned paid off. The technical level of missiles is based on the technology of the 1960s, and it was unavoidable that the level at the end of the 1980s when it was put into practical use was behind in terms of performance and operation. The historical significance of the HQ-61B / M / C is the accumulation of anti-aircraft missiles and related technologies, the establishment of anti-aircraft missile operation know-how in the Army and Navy, and the opportunity for the Navy to recognize the need for fleet air defense by anti-aircraft missiles.
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