QW missile

Members of the Indonesian Quick Reaction Forces Command (Kopasgat) inspecting a QW-3 MANPADS launcher

The QW-series (simplified Chinese: 前卫; traditional Chinese: 前衛; pinyin: Qian Wei)[1] are man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) developed by the People's Republic of China.[2]

QW-1

QW-1
TypeMan-portable air-defense system
Place of origin China
Specifications
Mass36 pounds (16 kg)[3]
Operational
range
5 kilometres (3.1 mi) (maximum)[4]
Flight ceiling2.5 miles (4.0 km)[3]
Guidance
system
Infrared homing[4]
Launch
platform
MANPADS

The QW-1 (NATO reporting name: CH-SA-7)[5] is the initial version. It is likely a copy or derivative of the Soviet 9K38 Igla-1 MANPAD.[2]

The system was unveiled in 1994.[6]

Variants

QW-1M
Modernized version. Also used by Kata'ib Hezbollah.[7]
Anza-2
Version developed or produced in Pakistan.[4]
Misagh-1
Version developed or produced in Iran.[4] Also used by Iraqi insurgents[6] and Kata'ib Hezbollah.[7]
Misagh-2
Version developed or produced in Iran.[4] According to some sources, the Misagh-2 may be a copy of the QW-1M.

QW-2

Main article: QW-2 MANPADS

QW-3

The QW-3 uses semi-active homing.[8]

QW-18

QW-18A of the Bangladesh Army

The QW-18 is a new version of the MANPADS series. It is a all-weather MANPADS system. It uses a dual-band passive infrared seeker, the target plume and skinning two heat detection. The QW-18A features electric-servo control actuators to increase guidance and flight characteristics.

  • Range: 500 to 5,000 m
  • Altitude: 10 to 4,000 m.

QW-19

QW-19 is an upgrade of QW-19, featuring a new digital seeker and a contact-proximity fuse with four control fins (instead of two on QW-18). It supports initial guidance mode, and the shooter can engage the targets by directly aiming.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Dominguez, Gabriel (15 January 2018). "Footage suggests QW-2 MANPADS has entered service with Turkmenistan Army". Janes. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b Chinese Tactics (2021): page C-3
  3. ^ a b Whitmire, James C. (December 2006). Shoulder Launched Missiles (a.k.a. MANPADS): The Ominous Threat to Commercial Aviation (PDF) (Report). The Counterproliferation Papers. Vol. 37. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: United States Air Force Air University. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e SIPRI Yearbook 2007: Armaments, Disarmament, and International Security. Oxford University Press. 2007. p. 684. ISBN 9780199230211.
  5. ^ The International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). "6 Asia". The Military Balance 2023. London: Routledge.
  6. ^ a b Small Arms Survey (2012). "Surveying the Battlefield: Illicit Arms In Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia". Small Arms Survey 2012: Moving Targets. Cambridge University Press. p. 327. ISBN 978-0-521-19714-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  7. ^ a b Iraq: Turning a blind eye: The arming of the Popular Mobilization Units (PDF) (Report). Amnesty International. 5 January 2017. p. 26. MDE 14/5386/2017.
  8. ^ Zeigler, Sean M.; Hou, Alexander C.; Martini, Jeffrey; Norton, Daniel M.; Phillips, Brian; Schwille, Michael; Strong, Aaron; Vest, Nathan (2019). Acquisition and Use of MANPADS Against Commercial Aviation: Risks, Proliferation, Mitigation, and Cost of an Attack (PDF). Santa Monica, California: RAND Corporation. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-9774-0418-3. RR-4304-DOS.
  9. ^ "China Defense Close-Up". Aviation Week. 1 December 2014.

Bibliography

  • Chinese Tactics (PDF). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Army. 9 August 2021. ATP 7-100.3.