| HJ-8 | |
|---|---|
 The HJ-8L on display | |
| Type | Anti-tank missile |
| Place of origin | China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1985–present |
| Used by | SeeOperators |
| Wars | Yugoslav Wars Sri Lankan Civil War[1] Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile Syrian Civil War War in Iraq (2013-17) India–Pakistan border skirmishes War in Sudan (2023–present)[2] Gaza war[3] |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Research Institute 203 |
| Designed | 1970–1984[4] |
| Manufacturer | NORINCO (Factory 282, Factory 5618)[4] GIDS (Pakistan)[5] |
| Produced | 1984–present |
| Variants | seevariants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 250 kg |
| Length | 1,566 mm |
| Diameter | 120 mm |
| Wingspan | ??? |
| Warhead | HEAT |
| Engine | Solid-fuel rocket |
| Maximum speed | 220 m/s |
Guidance system | SACLOS wire guidance |
Launch platform | Tripod, vehicle, aircraft |
TheHJ-8 orHongjian-8 (Chinese:红箭-8;pinyin:Hóng Jiàn-8;lit. 'Red Arrow-8') is a second generation tube-launched, optically tracked,wire-guidedanti-tank missile system which was originally deployed by thePeople's Liberation Army in the late 1980s.
In 1970, China's armored corps first proposed to develop a successor toHJ-73 and this was later approved, designated as the AFT-8 or HJ-8. The missile was jointly developed by Research Institute 203 and 282nd Factory, but the program was interrupted by political turmoil. The key designers were Wang Xingzhi (王兴治) and Zhao Jiazheng (赵家铮), who developed the missile.[citation needed] Development was not completed until the early 1980s, after the end of theCultural Revolution. After receiving state certification, the missile entered mass production in 1984. HJ-8 is anoptically tracked, wire guidedATGM.[citation needed]
HJ-8 and its variants are manufactured byNORINCO's Factory 282 (Jiangnan Machine Factory—江南机器厂), Factory 5618 (Hunan South China Photoelectricity Instrument Plant—湖南华南光电仪器厂) of China[4] andKhan Research Laboratories of Pakistan,[citation needed] now by GIDS.[5]
The HJ-8 series is China's first indigenous anti-tank missile design[7] and it can be considered an equivalent of the USBGM-71 TOW and Franco-GermanMILAN /Euromissile HOT anti-tank missiles. HJ-8 is a tube-launched, optically tracked andwire-guided missile system armed with aHEAT anti-tank warhead. The HJ-8 is a combination many experts believe of three Western antitank missile systems obtained from nations in the Middle East and Asia that were then examined, reverse engineered and modified: the tripod from the USBGM-71 TOW; the tracker-control unit from the French/GermanMILAN; and the missile from the UKSwingfire.[8]
There are numerous improved models following the original HJ-8, designated HJ-8A to HJ-8H, each incorporating improved features over the previous model. HJ-8E entered service in mid-1990. The HJ-8E anti-tank missile weighs 24.5 kg, has a range of up to 4,000 m,[citation needed] and can also defeatexplosive reactive armour (ERA). It can penetrate 800–1100 mm ofRHA at 0° incidence / 180+ mm RHA at 68° incidence.[6]
Designed to be both dependable and accurate, HJ-8 is now the standardanti-tank armament of theZ-9W,Mi-17, andGazelle (replacing the originalEuromissile HOT first carried)helicopter gunships of thePLA.[9]
A launching platform that can be installed on armoured fighting vehicles has been developed byNorinco for use as an HJ-8 launching platform, the SW-1 one-man turret. The all-steel welded SW-1 turret weighs 1,750 kg and can be installed on various tracked or wheeled vehicles. The turret is stated to be immune to 0.50 caliber armour-piercing rounds at close range (100 meters) and protection is further increased when add-on armour is installed. The turret can traverse 360 degrees and be elevated -40 to +60 degrees. The fire-control system, based on that of HJ-8H, is internally mounted.
The primary armament of SW-1 includes four HJ-8H ATGM, with two mounted in the rear location on each side of the turret. The secondary armament comprises a 30 mm main gun and a coaxial 0.30 caliber machine gun. A variety of ammo can be used and the maximum rate of fire of the main gun is around 6 rounds per second, and automatic fire can be selected at various rates. The 30-mm gun is claimed to be effective against ground targets up to 4 km away[10] and aerial targets at 2 km, while the HJ-8H missile is effective against ground targets at ranges of 4 km away,[citation needed] and against low and slow aerial targets at the same range. A follow-on model that is remotely operated weighing 1.4 ton has completed its development and entered Chinese service, designed by the same designer, Wu Lixin (吴立辛). Like its predecessor, this unmanned model was also first tested by using HJ-73C ATGM. The unmanned version carries 160 rounds of 30 mm ammunition.
The Baktar-Shikan variant of HJ-8 were supplied to Bosnian government forces by Pakistan in early 1993. It was used by Bosniak army forces against Serb forces tanks during the 1993 offensive, helping them destroy Serb tanks.[citation needed]
TheSri Lanka Army acquired HJ-8 from China during the civil conflict against the separatistLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).[1] They were mostly used to destroy LTTE structures, including bunkers.[1]
On at least one occasion during the2009 Battle of Mullaitivu, the Sri Lankan Army used these weapons againstfast attack craft of theSea Tigers, the LTTE's naval wing.[11]
Since June 2013, videos showing the use of the HJ-8 byFree Syrian Army rebels againstSyrian Arab Army armor have surfaced and have been successful in destroyingT-72 tanks.[12]
Since December 2014, videos showing the use of the HJ-8 by thePeshmerga againstIslamic State (ISIL) have surfaced. The HJ-8 systems might have been captured from ISIL stockpiles.[13][14] The HJ-8 may have been responsible for the destruction of an Iraqi ArmyM1 Abrams tank by thePeshmerga in theBattle Of Altun Kupri.[13]
The Bhaktar Shikan variant of the HJ-8 made by Pakistan has been used in large numbers againstTTP insurgents duringOperation Zarb-e-Azb where it was mainly used to destroy hideouts and caves where the insurgents would usually hide. Its use in theLine of Control was reported against Indian Army bunkers and checkposts on the Line of Control during border skirmishes.[citation needed]
On June 24, 2024,Izz Adin al-Qassam Brigades published footage of its forces targeting an Israeli Defence ForceNamer APC engineering variant equipped with aCARPET[15] thermobaric demining system using an HJ-8, which directly hit the vehicle from the rear and set off an exterior fire which then spread inside.[3] This is the first documented use of this weapon by Al-Qassam Brigades, although other Chinese weapons have reportedly previously been used in the Strip.[16]
On August 1, 2024Izz Adin al-Qassam Brigades published a second footage of its operatives targeting an IsraeliNamer APC hitting it from the side, successfully bypassing theTrophy APS that was present on the vehicle.[17]
Launchers:
Mounted Platforms:
Albania[32]
Bangladesh – Ordered in 2000, 114 delivered in 2001.[33] 172 Baktar-Shikan variant delivered from Pakistan in 2004–2005.[34]
Bolivia: 500 HJ-8s delivered to Bolivia in 2003.[35]
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Cameroon:[36] 367
China:[36] 264
Egypt[13]
Ecuador[35]
Kurdistan:Peshmerga[13]
Kenya[32]
Malaysia:[36] 450 in inventory.[37]
Morocco – HJ-8L:[36] 367
Pakistan:[36] Produced locally under license as the Baktar-Shikan. According to SIPRI, 26,350 produced between 1990 and 2022.[24][35]
Qatar:[38]
Peru[32]
Sri Lanka:[36][1] 310
Sudan – Made under license as the Sarib by Military Industries Corporation.[39] Some Chinese-made captured bySudan People's Liberation Movement-North.[40]
Syria – Different Syrian insurgent factions in theSyrian civil war. Also captured by theSyrian Army. Externally supplied.[12]
United Arab Emirates[4]
Uruguay[32]
Venezuela[32]
Zimbabwe[41]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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** = Includes all ship-to-ship, ship-to-sub, sub-to-ship and sub-to-sub torpedoes See also: | |||||||||||||||