Strategic Weapons: <b>October 15, 2000</b>

October 15, 2000

CHINESE CRUISE MISSILE PROGRAMS. China has an active program to develop strategic cruise missiles. Some details:

@ HN-1A is based on the Russian SSCX4 Slingshot and SSN21 Sampson (RK55) missiles developed by Raduga. It is ground launched. It has a range of 600km and carries a 90kt nuclear warhead or 400kg conventional warhead including submunitions. Guidance is inertial with terrain comparison and GPS updates and terminal guidance. It has a TV day/night camera for precision autonomous targeting. This weapon entered testing in 1992 and was deployed a few years ago.

@ HN-1B is based on the similar Russian AS15 Kent, also by Raduga, and is the air-launched version. While it lacks the tandem boost rocket motor of the HN-1A, it has a range of 650km if launched from medium altitude. It has a launch weight 1,200kg. Guidance is inertial with terrain comparison and GPS updates and terminal guidance. It has a TV day/night camera for precision autonomous targeting. This weapon entered testing in 1992 and was deployed a few years ago.

@ HN-2A and HN-2B are ground-launched cruise missiles with a range of 1,800km. These missiles incorporate technology from US Tomahawk cruise missiles which have crashed in various countries and have been sold to the Chinese. Four tests were conducted in 1995-97 and the missile appears to have entered service in small numbers. The HN-2 series is thought to have warhead and guidance systems similar to the HN-1. <>HN-2C is the submarine-launched version of the HN-2A, and has a range of 1,400km. It is fired from the 533mm (21 inch) torpedo tubes, but the new Song-class attack submarines are reportedly fitted with vertical-launch tubes for this weapon.

@ HN-3 is under development; it is thought to be an HN-2 with conformal fuel tanks. Range is reportedly beyond 2,000km; perhaps as much as 3,000km. Flight tests have shown a cruise speed of Mach-0.9 with an altitude of 10-20 meters. Launch weight is thought to be 1,800kg.

@ HN-4 is under design and is apparently intended to reach a maximum range of 4,000km, with at least part of the flight at supersonic speeds.-Stephen V Cole