Chinese Media ‘Gung-Ho’ Over New Air Defense Missile; Says No Country Has Ever Demonstrated Such Capabilities
China’s newest portable air defense missile, the QW-12, is said to have shown remarkable performance in intercepting helicopters, aircraft, and cruise missiles in a live-fire test.
The state-run Global Times is gung-ho about the weapon, calling it world-class as it showcased an anti-decoy capability that “no foreign counterpart has ever demonstrated”.
The test, which took place at a target range in North China, purportedly saw the QW-12 missile effectively take down a specifically designed target aircraft
The target was built to replicate an attack helicopter by simulating its infrared signal. When the QW-12 missile approached, the aircraft fired eight decoy flares which resembled the target aircraft’s infrared signal in an attempt to deceive the missile.
However, the missile ignored the flares and hit the target, according to the report, which also claims that no other similar missile in the world has demonstrated similar capability publicly.
In another test, the missile was tasked with intercepting a faster target, a 122-millimeter-caliber rocket imitating a jet or cruise missile that soars at 360 meters per second.
The second test was also successful. However, given the speed of the target, a direct hit was not possible, therefore the missile used its laser proximity detonator to explode itself near the target. With shockwaves and fragmentation, the missile brought down the target, GT report claimed.
Shi Hong, the executive chief editor of the Chinese magazine Shipborne Weapons, told the Global Times that the test demonstrated the QW-12’s ability to perform tasks in a complex battlefield situation.
In another test, the missile was tasked with intercepting a faster target, a 122-millimeter-caliber rocket imitating a jet or cruise missile that soars at 360 meters per second.
The second test was also successful. However, given the speed of the target, a direct hit was not possible, therefore the missile used its laser proximity detonator to explode itself near the target. With shockwaves and fragmentation, the missile brought down the target, GT report claimed.
Shi Hong, the executive chief editor of the Chinese magazine Shipborne Weapons, told the Global Times that the test demonstrated the QW-12’s ability to perform tasks in a complex battlefield situation.
The system can also be mounted on vehicles, giving the missile very high mobility, according to Shi, who added that each vehicle can carry several missiles, delivering even greater firepower.
China boasts about being one of the few countries in the world to independently manufacture portable air defense missiles. It is said the QW-12 was developed with cutting-edge technologies, resulting in a compact design, lightweight, and tremendous firepower.
China boasts about being one of the few countries in the world to independently manufacture portable air defense missiles. It is said the QW-12 was developed with cutting-edge technologies, resulting in a compact design, lightweight, and tremendous firepower.
