HongQi 2 Surface-to-Air Missile System

The HongQi 2 (HongQi = “Red Flag”) is a long-range, medium- to high-altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) developed from the HongQi 1, a Chinese copy of the Soviet Almaz S-75 (NATO codename: SA-2 Guideline). The HongQi 2 remained the sole SAM system of the PLA for key targets protection role until the early 1990s. The PLA has been seeking a successor to the 40-year-old weapon system but has made very limited progress. As a result, the PLA had to continue upgrading the HongQi 2 with new technologies to extend its service life into the 21st century.

Programme

The S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) surface-to-air missile entered Soviet service in 1956. The PLA received a limited number of Soviet-made S-75 missile in early 1960 to arm its first two SAM battalions. On 8 October 1960, one of the SAM battalions used the S-75 missile to shoot down a U.S.-made RB-57D spy plane operated by the Taiwanese air force—the first ever example of using SAM to shoot down a plane in the world. In the next four years, the PLA SAM units shot down another three U.S.-made U-2 spy planes operated by the Taiwanese air force using the S-75 SAM.

While the S-75 SAM began to enter PLA service, a licensed production of the missile in China was also agreed. However, Moscow suspended all of its assistance to China and called back its advisers before the production could begin. The First Ministry of Machinery Industry and 5th Research Academy of Ministry of Defence took the lead in the reverse-engineering of the missile, and the first Chinese-built S-75 missile designated HongQi 1 rolled out in 1964. By the mid-1960s, the S-75 and indigenous HongQi 1 could no longer shoot down the U-2 after the U.S. added active jamming devices to its reconnaissance aircraft. The PLA urgently needed a SAM with strong electronic countermeasures capabilities.

In 1965 the PLA began to develop an improved SAM based on the HongQi 1. 2nd Space Academy (now China Academy of Defence Technology, CADT) was responsible for the general system design, with 139 Factory and 786 Factory in charge of missile and ground station respectively. The main design targets were to improve the missile’s accuracy and resistance to enemy electronic jamming, as well as to increase the missile’s operational zone. The new SAM, which was designated HongQi 2, passed its certification test in 1966. Since then, the HongQi 2 has been produced in mass numbers for the PLA to protect China’s major cities, military bases, and industrial complexes. The PLA has also introduced a number of improved variants including the HongQi 2A and HongQi 2B in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

On 8 September 1967, the PLA air defence troops fired three SAM (two HongQi 2s and one HongQi 1) at a Taiwanese-flown U-2 spy plane, and one of the HongQi 2 missiles hit the target despite the plane’s use of electronic jamming. The latest score of the HongQi 2 SAM took place on 5 October 1987, when the PLA air defence troops shot down a Vietnamese Air Force MiG-21R (Fishebed-H) reconnaissance plane using the HongQi 2 SAM near the China-Vietnamese border.

In 1984, the PLA conducted a series of HongQi 2 tests against the Tuqiang-3 guided target missile. According to reports, the HongQi 2 and the Tuqiang-3 were launched approximately 100km apart and the HongQi 2 SAMs were fired in “salvo shots” of two to three missiles per Tuqiang-3. Four out of five target missiles were shot down. In more tests the following year, the HongQi 2 shot down seven out of eleven guided targets. In light of these two tests, the PLA expanded the HongQi 2’s role to include anti-missile functions.

Design

The HongQi 2 is a large two-stage missile designed to intercept high-altitude targets like strategic bombers and spy planes. Its radar guidance guarantees a single-shot hit probability of 68%, but according to the American's experience in the Vietnam War, this ratio drops sharply when the missile is used in a strong electronic jamming environment. The improved HongQi 2B is said to have much improved capability against various active and passive jamming.

The second-stage of the HongQi 2 missile is a large liquid rocket, which makes it inconvenient to be maintained and transported. Each missile is carried by a semi-trailer towed by a 6x6 truck, and needs to be loaded onto a fixed launcher before firing. The loading usually takes about 5 minutes but this really depends on the training and experience of missile operators.

The basic operational unit of the HongQi 2 SAM is battalion, each including six fixed launchers, 18 spare missiles, early-warning radar, target illuminating radar (ground guidance station) and support units (command, power, communications, etc.)

HongQi 2A

The modifications on the HongQi 2 SAM began in 1973 to enhance the missile's low altitude target engaging and electronic countermeasure capabilities based on the experience of the Vietnam War. The firing tests of the HongQi 2A were undertaken between 1978 and 1982, and the final design certification for batch production was issued in June 1984. The 144 modifications on the HongQi 2A include increasing the horizontal firing angle to ±75° from the original ±55°; increasing the speed to 1,200 m/s from the original 1,150 m/s; increasing the G limit to 1.5G from the original 1G; adding optical/TV guidance system and improving the missile's electronic countermeasure capability.

HongQi 2B

The concept of HongQi 2B was considered in 1978 as a further improvement on the HongQi 2, and the design work officially began in 1979. The PLA requirements for the missile include improved electronic countermeasures capability, expanded operational zone, shortened preparation time, simplified and mobile launch equipment, and the ability to attack high-speed targets. Operational tests and design certification trials took place during 1980~1986, and the missile entered service with the PLA in the early 1990s.

Compared to the basic variant HongQi 2, the HongQi 2B features some fundamental improvements in its design. The main improvements include:

Missile:

• Redesigned fragmental HE warhead and more powerful fuse for increased blast radius;
• New improved rocket motor for higher speed and expanded operational zone;
• Encrypted digital radio command guidance for better anti-jamming capability;
• New onboard power unit with much reduced weight;
• Increased G limit;

Ground station

• Computerised fire-control system to improve the missile’s accuracy and reliability;
• Extra high-frequency range-finding radar, electro-optical director and mono-pulse radar on the ground guidance station;
• Multiple guidance (radar, electro-optical) for higher resistance against active and passive jamming;
• Automated command and control (C2) system with a large display screen

Launcher

• Self-propelled (tracked) launcher with self-adjustment capability and onboard power unit for increased mobility and reduced reaction time;
• Simplified ground support equipments;
• If necessary, the missile could also be launched from the older HongQi 2 launcher

HongQi 3

In the mid-1960s, the United States Air Force began to deploy the SR-71 Black Bird strategic reconnaissance aircraft, which could fly at a speed of Mach 3.0 and an altitude of 27,000~30,000m. Realising the HongQi 2 in development was incapable of handling this new threat, the PLA quickly initiated two new SAM designs based on the HongQi 1/S-75, a modestly modified variant designated HongQi 3, and a radically modified variant designated HongQi 4.

Like the HongQi 2, the HongQi 3 was also based on the Soviet S-75, which was being produced in the PRC as the HongQi 1. Intended for engaging high-speed, high-altitude targets, the HongQi 3 featured a total of 79 modifications in its missile, guidance station and ground equipment.

The development of the HongQi 3 was initially carried out by Beijing-based 2nd Space Academy. However, the missile suffered from serious design flaws. Later Shanghai 2nd Bureau of Machinery and Electronics became involved in the development programme. In August 1969, it was decided that the whole development project was taken over by Shanghai 2nd Bureau.

During the design finalisation fire testing in July 1970, eight HongQi 3 missiles were fired, with none hitting the target. The modified design was tested again in 1974, with two missile launched and one of them successfully hitting a high-speed, high-altitude target drone. The development was announced a success but the missile did not enter production.

HongQi 4

The HongQi 4 was the so-called “radically modified” variant derived from the HongQi 1/S-75. Like the HongQi 3, the HongQi 4 was also intended for engaging high-speed, high-altitude targets. The HongQi 4 featured a phased-array guidance radar for longer detection range. The development programme was later cancelled due to technical and financial difficulties.

TuQiang 2

The TuQiang 2 is the high-speed, high-altitude target drone developed from the HongQi 2 SAM. The drone has been used to evaluate the effectiveness of the HongQi 2, HongQi 3 and HongQi 4 SAM systems.

M-7

The SA-2/HongQi 2 can play a secondary role as surface-to-surface missile. Egypt reportedly used its SA-2 SAM in this manner during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The project of converting the existing HongQi 2 into surface-to-surface role was known as “Project 8610”. The missile was reportedly sold to Iran and North Korea under the export name M-7 in the 1980s.

Specifications

Last update: 20 February 2009