Chinese air to ground weapons (missiles, PGMs, etc)

siegecrossbow said:

Kinda hard to do air to air since the missile is controlled through a tablet on the pilot’s lap.

Click to expand...

Really? I thought both these AG-weapons are likely fire and forget weapons and as such the most important part is this pylon adapter to launch them. For AAMs I'm well aware it is much harder since the missile must at least initially be connected to the radar but after launch it should be similar for a fire and forget missile? Or am I totally wrong?

Deino said:

Really? I thought both these AG-weapons are likely fire and forget weapons and as such the most important part is this pylon adapter to launch them. For AAMs I'm well aware it is much harder since the missile must at least initially be connected to the radar but after launch it should be similar for a fire and forget missile? Or am I totally wrong?

Click to expand...

Limited to ground-attack weapons, the Pylon is completely physically isolated from the aircraft.

The Pylon integrates GPS/INS and a fire control, operate entirely independently of the aircraft's fire control system and wirelessly transmit data to the munitions.

Deino said:

Really? I thought both these AG-weapons are likely fire and forget weapons and as such the most important part is this pylon adapter to launch them. For AAMs I'm well aware it is much harder since the missile must at least initially be connected to the radar but after launch it should be similar for a fire and forget missile? Or am I totally wrong?

Click to expand...

Integrating air to air weapons onto an aircraft, especially longer ranged weapons like BVRAAMs, is typically harder than integrating fire and forget air to ground weapons (those guided by satellite and/or terminal guidance like radar or EO/IR).

The hard part for air to air weapons is exactly where you described -- it must be integrated with the aircraft's own onboard FCR as well as be able to provide mid course guidance and datalinking updates. Those are the difficult parts, and the most challenging part of integrating any weapon that requires midcourse guidance and datalink updates.

tamsen_ikard said:

Does China have a pla version of CM-400AKG? Like a YJ-something?

Or is it export only missile

Click to expand...

The nearest publicly known PLA air launched "ballistic missile" to the CM-400 is the YJ-21 which has only been photographed on the H-6.

The JL-1 ALBM (not the JL-1 first generation SLBM) is quite a lot longer ranged and faster but even the YJ-21 appears to be a class above the CM-400 when it comes to speed and range. Both relatively simple weapons despite being modern ALBMs like the Israeli LORA and Russian Kinzhal. I don't think there are any other ALBMs available on the export market except the CM-400AKG. None of these missiles are gliders and probably have very limited maneuverability, if any at all.

The YJ-21 however, does have maneuverability. It is an anti-ship missile and ship or H-6 launched. CM-400 is small enough to be carried by the JF-17. I don't think PLA is that interested in getting manned fighters to carry any CM-400 equivalents when these will be so limited in speed and range even if they attain a similar level of ability to target moving ships as PLA's "heavier tech" equivalents like the YJ-21.

Does anyone have any information on this LS-6/500 ER turbojet powered glide bomb? Or its range? Quite interesting

TheWanderWit said:

Does anyone have any information on this LS-6/500 ER turbojet powered glide bomb? Or its range? Quite interesting
View attachment 173435

Click to expand...

That display screen behind the bomb has some info about it, but it is unfortunately unclear, the range data is also vague and doesn't specify whether it's for the unpowered or the powered variant.

Click to expand...

There is also the FT-12 powered glide bomb which comes in two version: solid rocket powered FT-12 and turbojet powered FT-12A.


While the FT-12 has a 140km range, the jet-powered FT-12A likely offers more range; you can find the rocket-powered FT-12 specs in the link below.

Where does the distinction lie between an air-launched powered glide bomb and an air-launched cruise missile?

As long as enough thrust is there to sustain both speed and altitude of the munition, there is no distinction.

no_name said:

Where does the distinction lie between an air-launched powered glide bomb and an air-launched cruise missile?

Click to expand...

Powered glide bomb uses much smaller engines to enhance the range. They cannot take off at sea level under their own power. Cruise missiles are basically unmanned airplanes.

siegecrossbow said:

Powered glide bomb uses much smaller engines to enhance the range. They cannot take off at sea level under their own power. Cruise missiles are basically unmanned airplanes.

Click to expand...

Most cruise missiles cannot take off at sea level under their own power either, and have a booster stage.
In theory, an air launched powered glide bomb with a booster can be surface launched.

The reality is that the distinction between the two are fairly small and there is no clear line.