August
8, 2008: China has introduced a new air launched anti-ship missile,
the TL-10, for a new version of its Z-9 naval helicopter. The missile
was apparently developed in cooperation with Iran (which calls it the
Kosar). The TL-10 is a 240 pound missile, with a 65 pound warhead. It
has a range of about 18 kilometers. The TL-10 has been in use for a
few years, and the latest version, the TL-10C is believed to have a
fire and forget guidance system (based on onboard radar). The TL-10
can be lethal for smaller (under 500 tons) ships, but can do a lot of
damage to larger ships.
The
Z-9 is a license built version of the French AS 365N Dauphin. It's
a four ton chopper with a two ton payload. China has built over 200
of the Z-9s and many have been armed (with twin 23mm cannon,
torpedoes, anti-tank missiles and air-to-air missiles.) The Z-9D,
armed with four TL-10 missiles, could be used to attack the 60 patrol
boats that Taiwan deploys along its coasts and in the Taiwan Straits.
