K/AKD-63 outer air-to-surface missile
The KD-63 (KongDi-63, official designation K/AKD63, previously designated YingJi-63 or YJ-63), is an air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) developed by China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy (CHETA, the Third Academy). The missile was derived from the HY-4 (NATO code name: CSS-C-7 Sadsack) land-based anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) and the YJ-6 (CAS-1 Kraken) air-launch anti-ship missile, both of which can trace their origins to the HY-2 (CSS-C-3 Seersucker), a Chinese derivative of the Soviet P-15 (SS-N-2 Styx) liquid-fuel active radar-homing anti-ship missile.
In the late 20th century, the Chinese army was equipped with a variety of air-launched anti-ship missiles, such as the " Eagle Strike -6" and "Eagle Strike-8". However, since both missiles used terminal active radar guidance, they were not suitable for attacking ground targets. Therefore, the Air Force proposes to develop air-to-surface missiles that can accurately strike fixed high-value targets on the ground outside the defense zone. Due to the political situation at home and abroad at the time, the Air Force also required the completion of missile development and experimentation in the shortest possible time, so as to equip troops and form combat effectiveness as soon as possible.
It is very difficult to develop a brand new air-to-surface missile within such a short mission period. It is wise to develop it on the basis of the domestic active-duty air-to-surface missile. "Eagle Strike -8" was excluded because of its short range ( 50 kilometers) and low warhead power ( 148 kg). The " Eagle -6" great power, making it a long-range development of the first generation of foreign-made ground missiles zone Parent. The " Eagle Strike -6" air-to-ship missile maintains a conventional aerodynamic layout similar to the "Haiying -2" anti-ship missile. The projectile is 7.36 meters long and 0.76 meters in diameter. There are two large-sweep-angle triangular main wings in the middle of the projectile. The 2.4- meter wingspan makes the projectile lift-to-drag ratio relatively large, which is conducive to glide flight and increase the range. The three tail fins are mounted on the tail of the projectile at an angle of 120 degrees between them , and each tail fin has a steering rudder on the trailing edge. The "Eagle Strike -6" missile is equipped with a liquid rocket engine with a maximum range of 150 kilometers.
The K/AKD-63 outer air-to-surface missile is guided by navigation and terminal active radar guidance, with a hit probability of more than 90%. The missile is equipped with a 510 kg shaped energy blasting warhead, and its fuze system is three sets of trigger fuzes, two sets of electric fuzes and one set of mechanical fuzes. A single " Eagle Strike "-6 missile can sink or severely damage a 5,000 -ton large surface ship. The K/AKD-63 outer air-to-surface missile ( hereinafter referred to as KD-63) is basically similar in appearance to the " Eagle Strike "-6 air-to-ship missile, and both adopt a conventional layout similar to a small aircraft.
The most important change is the use of an X -type tail fin layout suitable for low air flow on land . The four tail fins are installed perpendicular to each other, and a steering rudder is also installed on the trailing edge of each tail. Missile length 7 meters, Bullet diameter0.76 m, Main wing wingspan2.4 meters. Due to the use of the WP-11 small turbojet engine to replace the liquid rocket engine and the use of new missile body materials, the weight of the KD-63 projectile is about 400 kg less than that of the " Eagle Strike "-6 , and the total weight is about 2000 kg. The warhead still uses a 500 kg shaped energy blasting warhead, which is quite powerful. The range has also been increased to about 240 kilometers, and it can launch attacks outside the ground air defense firepower of many surrounding countries.
The guidance mode of the KD-63 missile is a composite guidance mode of inertial navigation + radio command + terminal TV guidance. There is a small optical window at the forefront of the missile, which is the optical probe of the TV guidance system. The cruise phase after the launch of the missile is automatically controlled by an inertial navigation device, or it can be controlled manually. After the missile reaches the target area, it adopts the " man in the loop " remote control television guidance. Its system intercepts large targets such as oil depots and military factories with a distance of 18 kilometers. It hits the target under the remote control of the missile operator, and hits the target under ideal weather conditions. Accuracy up to 2-6 meters.
"Human participation in the loop" and control mode allows the operator to capture the battle scene image by the on-board sensor sent back through the data link, correctly identify the target, and the remote control missile accurately hits the target. In the process of automatic tracking of the target by the missile, once the target is lost, operators can re-search and confuse the target through manual participation. The " people in the loop " participation control method can obtain real-time battle scenes, and judge the missile's hit accuracy based on the last burst of video images transmitted by the missile, and evaluate the damage effect. Therefore, "people are in the loop". "In the loop" participation control is the end guidance method commonly used for medium and long-range air-to-surface missiles outside the defense zone).
Since the KD-63 missile weighs about 2 tons, the projectile diameter 0.76 m, the forces of the Chinese Air Force can carry KD-63 only the H-6 bomber. For this reason, XAC improved the H-6D to carry KD-63 and named it H-6H . The H-6H has enlarged the nose radome and replaced it with a new multifunctional large-scale digital radar, which has better ground detection capabilities and terrain avoidance capabilities. A circular data link radome is added to the abdomen of the aircraft to receive real-time data and images from the missile and send commands to remotely control the missile. The aircraft has also added a new inertial navigation system and GPS navigation system to improve long-range combat capabilities. Apply new active / passive electronic jamming systems to improve the aircraft's self-defense and penetration capabilities. Increase the display system guided missiles, switching to the new wing pylons to mount KD-63 , H- -6H capable of carrying 2 Mei KD-63.
The KD-63 was finalized and put into production in 2002 and equipped with troops. The service of the KD-63 missile indicates that China has the ability to project firepower outside of the medium and long range defense zone, which greatly improves the air force’s ground strike capability, but it is not the same as having a world advanced level. Compared with the dream of air-to-surface missiles outside the defense zone, the gap between the KD-63 and foreign advanced air-to-surface missiles is helpless. First, the KD-63 missile ’s " weight " of approximately 2000 kg and0.76 mThe “ waistline ” of the KD-63 was prohibitive for many aircrafts in active service or under research in China at that time.
The KD-63 was able to accept only the H-6 , and the huge size and slow flight speed of the H-6 resulted in its limited penetration capability, which made the KD-63 missile’s strike capability is compromised; secondly, the KD-63 adopts a conventional aerodynamic layout similar to a small aircraft, is large, has poor stealth capability, is easily detected by radar, and has limited penetration capability, especially when it encounters an opponent with a complete air defense system. It is easier to be intercepted; finally, the terminal TV guidance of the KD-63 missile cannot be used all-weather, and poor battlefield adaptability limits its combat effectiveness.
