CASIC Third Academy
China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy

The China Hai-Yang [Sea Eagle] Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy, established in 1961, is engaged in research, design, development and production of cruise missiles. CHETA has successively developed more than twenty kinds of cruise missiles in several series. The aviation industry established a competing center for anti-ship missile production at the Nanchang Aircraft Factory. CHETA's 31st Research Institute [the Power Machinery Research Institute] was established in 1957, predating the establishment of the 3rd Academy.

Located in Yungang, in the southwestern suburbs of Beijing, principal products include missile weapon systems, power systems, automatic control, radar and electronic equipment, computer applications and infrared laser technologies. Civilian research, development, and production technology products include telephone sets, optronic electronic meter, inclinometers, tricoordiate testers, and ink-jet printers.

CASIC‘s Third Academy, established in 1961, is China‘s premier enterprise engaged in design, development and production of cruise missiles, other aerodynamic vehicles and propulsion systems, and associated launchers. Centered upon the Third Design Department, the Third Academy has 10 research institutes and two factories, with over 13,000-15,000 employees. Its traditional core customer has been the PLA Navy. However, its land attack cruise missile program has enabled a closer working relationship with the Second Artillery and Air Force.

In the 1970s and 1980s, China‘s aviation industry made an attempt to enter the cruise missile development and production field. Today, however, it appears that the Third Academy has a near monopoly on the Chinese cruise missile market. The Third Academy is believed to be engaged in R&D on airbreathing supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) technology in support of a national hypersonic cruise vehicle program.

The China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy [CHETA] has successively developed more than twenty models of ASCMs in several series, including HY-1, HY-2 (C-201), HY-4, SY-1, SY-2, YJ-6 (C-601) and YJ-8 (C-801). Located in the southwest suburbs of Beijing, primary products of the 3rd Academy include missile weapon systems (including the Silkworrm), power systems, automatic control, radar and electronic equipment, computer applications and infrared laser technologies.

The C-802 anti-ship missile was developed by China HaiYing Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy (CHETA), also known as 3rd Aerospace Academy, located in the southwest suburbs of Beijing. The C-802 is powered by a turbojet with paraffin-based fuel and carried a 363-pound high-explosive warhead. The turbojet gives the sea-skimming weapon a range of over 100 miles. The missile could pose a threat to major warships including US aircraft carriers.

The US National Air and Space Intelligence Center claims that China has two LACMs—the airdelivered YJ-63 and the ground-launched DH-10. The CASIC Third Academy’s Third Design Department has overseen DH-10 design, development, and testing. With a supply chain that spans dozens of sub-contractors, low-rate initial production of LACMs began after final acceptance testing on both land- and air-launch variants in late July2003. LACM components, including engine, guidance, navigation, and control sub-systems, were assembled at the 159 Factory in Beijing’s Fengtai District. The DH-10 is deployed on a three-tube road mobile launcher and approximately 100 LACMs enter in to the operational inventory each year.

From 2002 to 2004 Chinese cruise missile designers published a series of technical articles demonstrating the feasibility of extended-range cruise missiles flying a modified high-altitude trajectory to strike large, slow-moving targets at sea. The tone and content of the articles—highlighting technical obstacles associated with ballistic missiles in countering aircraft carriers and emphasizing the utility of extended-range cruise missiles—demonstrate a competitive environment. The authors in these articles are all from the CASIC Third Academy’s cruise missile design and systems engineering department.

China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy has been particularly active in Chinese UAV development. Although the Third Academy has largely specialized in cruise missiles, particularly for the PLA Navy, some of the technical overlap between cruise missiles and UAVs has made the Third Academy an appropriate organization to further develop UAVs. The most prominent Third Academy project is a jet-powered UCAV model known as the WJ-600. It first appeared as a prototype at the 2010 Airshow China, with extremely limited details about its capability and stage of development.

Displayed with air-to-surface missiles and precision munitions, indicating the option to outfit it for combat missions, the WJ-600 reportedly is designed to be capable of medium-altitude surveillance combined with long-range targeting and poststrike assessment. The display at the 2012 Airshow suggested further developments on the WJ-600, featuring payloads for electro-optical reconnaissance, search and rescue, electronic reconnaissance, and miniature missiles.

Subordinate Entities

CHETA was created in 1961. Headquartered in Yungang, southwest of Beijing, it employs 15,000 persons in 10 institutes and two manufacturing plants.

The Hua Chuang Tian Yuan Industrial Developing Company (HTIDC) is a group jointly invested by China Aerospace Corporation(CASC), the 3td Research Academy of CASC and Harbin University. Its is engaged in industrial projects and trade and financial activities.

The 8358th Institute is the central institute of China Aerospace Corporation (CASC) in the photo-electronic field. It is mainly engaged in optics, mechanics, electronics and computing technology for military infrared system, laser systems, semiconductor devices, satellite remote sensor design and manufacture. Civil products include a series of medial infrared and laser apparatus, infrared warning sensors, heat sensing printing heads, heat sensing printing recorder for automatic instruments, and urinanalysis instruments, Other products include computer networks, fire extinguishing systems and security projects. The 8358th institute has undertaken more than 160 military project items and more than 120 civil project items, in which more than 100 items won the national or ministerial prizes. The 8358th Institute is authorized to award master's degrees.