Seeking basic performance of the Chinese Redbird series of cruise missiles

China began development of the X-600 program in 1977, and a small turbofan engine was tested in 1985. The first cruise missile with a range of 600 kilometers entered service in 1992, and was named the Red Bird 1 (HN-1), which is similar in appearance to the Russian Kh-55 missile.

Currently, the Redbird series has evolved to the Redbird 3, which has increased its range from the initial 600 kilometers to 3,000 kilometers. China may also be developing the Redbird 2000, which has an estimated range of 4,000 kilometers. The performance can be compared with the U.S. Tomahawk.

Red Bird 1 HN1 is the Red Bird 1 equipment type, divided into land-launched (HN-1A, range 600 kilometers) and air-launched (HN-1B, range 650 kilometers). 1988 for the first time in low-altitude surface-skimming missile test, in 1992 to equip the troops. The Redbird 1 is similar in appearance to the Russian Kh-55, with two flat, fold-back wings, a folding tail, and a horizontal tail at the rear of the body. Can carry a 300 to 400 kg conventional warheads or nine kiloton equivalent power nuclear warheads, its guidance mode using mid-range inertial guidance (INS), Global Positioning System (GPS), electronic maps (1994-type), and the use of television photographic device calibration and target correction (1994 night-type), in the visibility of the situation, the hit round probability of error of 5 meters, but this statement But this statement may be too optimistic. The radio altimeter controls the missile at 20 meters. The engine is mounted on the tail, with air intake below the body. The missile is 6.4 meters long, has a wingspan of 3 meters, a diameter of 0.520 meters, and weighs 1,400 kilograms, with a warhead of 300 to 400 kilograms. It has a speed of Mach 0.75 and a cruising altitude of 20 to 6,000 meters. China's Boom-6D aircraft can cruise with two of these missiles.

The Redbird 2 is divided into land-launched (HN-2A/B, range 1800) and submarine-launched (HN-2C, range 1400 kilometers), which is guided in the same way as the Redbird 1, and its submarine-launched version is equipped with the 039 submarine ship and can be installed on the submarine ship's 533-mm torpedo tubes to be launched in a vertical manner. The missile is guided in the same way as the Redbird 1, with an ideal accuracy of up to 3 meters, a speed of Mach 0.9, and a cruising altitude of 15 to 7,000 meters. It weighs 1,400 kilograms and has been used by the military since 1996.

The Redbird 3 is divided into land-launched (HN-3A), ship-launched (submarine-launched) (HN-3B) and air-launched (HN-3C), with a range of 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers. It has a speed of Mach 0.9 and a cruising altitude of 10 to 8,000 meters. The total weight is 1,400 kilograms. The guidance is the same as the Red Bird 2, with improved accuracy and a circular probability error of 2 meters +/- 30%. it was validated by the army in 1998 and equipped in small quantities. It is believed that the PLA may equip the submarine-launched type on the 093 nuclear-powered attack submarine, air-launched type to JB-7, J-8IIM and J-11 (Su-27) as the launch platform.

Redbird 2000 The latest type of HN2000 tail-segment supersonic stealth cruise missile is under development. The missile is likely to have a global strike capability with the use of high-resolution fully digital maps of the Earth, multiple interface API modules and with the help of Ri. The range could be up to 4,000 kilometers.