Chinese ATGM discussion

hardware said:

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LOSAT under PLA service

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jobjed said:

He posted the second picture as a comparison to the Chinese LOSAT in the first picture.

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Ok. Given your explanation was accurate, but he didn't mention anything at all in his comment, simply saying that LOSAT under PLA services. But the two most indicative photo and that of the missile being fired... however that two photos show of US LOSAT system rather than the Chinese. The first photo show of humvee like vehicles that can be anything.

Talk about misleading

the first photo no doubt a Chinese Humvee ,the second and third was US army Humvee.

hardware said:

the first photo no doubt a Chinese Humvee ,the second and third was US army Humvee.

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And what make you so sure that is a LOSAT system and not other system? Would appreciate it if you could give the full reference for your photo and real comments not some half bake one sentence comment that mislead readers.

Different HJ-8 variants.


HJ-8A launched.



Is it possible to fire HJ-9 from this same launcher or is it too large?

Chinese soldier posing with HJ-8L. Is it used by PLA? I find it odd if they would not since it's more compact than the system with TOW style tripod.


Sinodefence site claims HJ-8L was not never sold to anyone, but here is pictures of it in Maroccon paratrooper use.

Broccoli said:

Chinese soldier posing with HJ-8L. Is it used by PLA? I find it odd if they would not since it's more compact than the system with TOW style tripod.
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Sinodefence site claims HJ-8L was not never sold to anyone, but here is pictures of it in Maroccon paratrooper use.
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All I see there is the launching mechanisms and systems, but where are the actual missiles itself?

Norinco ad. If you look carefully that light weight launcher optics have been modernized.

According to Wikipedia, the armor penetration of the HJ-8 is "800–1400 mm of RHA at 0° incidence". So the ATGM is able to penetrate the frontal armor of an M1A2 Abrams?

I doubt that 1400mm claim when it comes to HJ-8. If you compare South-African Inwe, Israeli MAPATS, and Chinese HJ-9 all of them look very similar and I doubt it's an accident... HJ-9 could have penetration power of 1000-1200mm if it's similar to those two.





What i'm more interested is that why Chinese haven't developed top attack variant of the HJ-8 or HJ-9, it would certainly make these missiles more deadlier.

I think top attack will be one of the key improvements in the next gen ATGM that the PLA has been testing/fielding.

The HJ8 is a manually steered direct impact ATGM. To incorporate a top attack capability, you really need to automate at least the terminal engagement aspect of the missile so it flies at optimal height above a target.

If you automate the final terminal engagement part, you might as well go full whack and incoportate fire and forget capability while you are at it. Which is where the next gen PLA ATGM seems to have gone with. But to retrofit all that onto existing HJ8s probably does not make a whole lot of sense. Better to just buy more of the next gen ATGMs instead.