HQ-64 (LY-60) Surface-to-Air Missile System
Last updated: 25 March 2008
The HQ-64 (HongQi-64), also known as LY-60 (LieYing-60) in its export name, is the short-range, low- to medium-altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by Shanghai 2nd Mechanical-Electronic Bureau (now Shanghai Academy of Space Flight Technology, SAST). Available in both land-based and shipborne versions, the HQ-64/LY-60 was designed to intercept low-/medium-altitude fast jet targets, low-flying helicopters, and sea-skimming anti-ship missiles. The missile did not enter PLA service.
The HQ-64/LY-60 is believed to have been based on the Italian Alenia Aspide missile technology. The Aspide was developed from the U.S. AIM-7 Sparrow semi-active radar-homing medium-range air-to-air missile (MRAAM), but with a monopulse seeker replacing the conic scan seeker for improved accuracy and better resistance to jamming. The Aspide missile emulates the U.S.’s practice with the Sparrow, and was eventually developed into a multi-purpose missile which could be launched from land-, ship- and aerial-platforms.
The PRC received a small number of the air-to-air variant of the Aspide Mk.1 in the mid-1980s and signed a deal with Alenia to produce the air-to-air variant Aspide missile locally under license. The first Chinese-assembled Aspide missile rolled out in 1989 but the deal was later cancelled by the Italian government as a result of EU weapon sanction imposed on China in the aftermath of the June 1989 incident.
Shanghai 2nd Mechanical-Electronic Bureau was also developing a tactical air-defence missile system known as HQ-64 based on the Aspide technology. Despite the cancellation of the Aspide deal, the HQ-64 project continued and was successful in the early 1990s. The missile was first revealed to the public under the export name LY-60. The shipborne variant of the LY-60 SAM was export to Pakistan but the missile did not receive any order from the PLA.
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| The LY-60 missile displayed during the Zhuhai Air Show (Source: Chinese Internet) |
Missile
The HQ-64/LY-60 SAM is mainly intended for the interception of aircraft and missiles flying in medium-low-altitude. The missile is guided by the radio command with artificial interference capability. It is said to be the only medium-low-altitude air defence missile in the world that uses microprocessor intelligent module technology.
A typical land-based Hq-64/LY-60 battery fire unit comprises one 4X4 truck-mounted surveillance radar, three 4X4 truck-mounted tracking/illumination radars, one emergency power supply vehicle, and six 6X6 truck-mounted transporter-launcher platforms. Each of the launch platform has five ready to launch missiles in individual sealed containers.
The fire unit is complemented by a technical support unit which comprises a transport and reloading vehicle, a test vehicle, an electronic maintenance vehicle, an electromechanical maintenance vehicle, a tools support vehicle, a spares and meter vehicle, and a power supply vehicle.
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| The four-cell launcher of the HQ-64/LY-60 mounted on a 6X6 Hanyang HY2220S flat-bed truck (Source: Chinese Internet) |
Guidance
The surveillance radar detects the target aircraft and then hands it over to the appropriate tracking/illumination radar unit for the engagement. The system continuous wave semi-active homing guidance principles, and, with the allocated assets, the battery can process up to 40 targets, track 12 and engage three of them simultaneously. The use of the moving target tracking processing system and frequency agility technology also gives the system good anti-jamming capability. System reaction time is 9 seconds.
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| The target tracking/illuminating radar of the LY-60 SAM system (Source: Chinese Internet) |
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| The surveillance and early warning radar of the LY-60 SAM system (Source: Chinese Internet) |
Specifications
Missile dimensions: Length 3.89m; Diameter 0.208m; Wingspan 0.68m
Launch weight: 220kg
Propulsion: Single-stage solid rocket
Operating altitude: 0.03~12Km
Operating range: 1~18km
Maximum speed: Mach 4.0
Guidance: Semi-active radar
Warhead: HE, prefabricated steel ball fragmentation type
System reaction time: 9 sec
Single shot hit probability: 60~80% depending on the
type of targets
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