Air Defense: February 27, 2001

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China has improved the KS-1 anti-aircraft missile system to the more capable KS-1A type. A KS-1 (or KS-1A) battery has four launch vehicles (each with two missiles ready to fire) and a radar system. Another 14 missiles are carried as reloads. The KS-1A uses a new phased array radar which can engage three targets at the same time. The original KS-1 missile had a range of 42km, but the new KS-1A missile can reach targets 50km away at altitudes up to 27km (88,560 feet).--Stephen V Cole