5 main weapons China self-developed for the army

Since the 1990s, the Chinese army has undergone a major transformation, shifting from a force focused on numbers to technology. The army has cut its troop size by 60% over the past three decades, but has still increased its strength thanks to the introduction of many new weapons, although many of them are considered copies from abroad, according toNational Interest.

Type-99 main battle tank

This is the most modern third-generation tank in service with the Chinese army. Designed and tested since the early 1990s, the Type-99 tank is heavily influenced by Russian and Western designs, and is limited to only 200-300 units.

The Type-99 turret appears to be a slightly more angular variant of the Soviet T-72's round turret, while the 125mm main gun is a copy of the 2A46, using an autoloader with a rate of fire of 8 rounds per minute. The vehicle's ammunition compartment holds 41 rounds, including armor-piercing, high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) and high-explosive fragmentation (HEF) rounds. The Type-99 is believed to be armed with a variant of the Soviet-made 9M119 Svir anti-tank guided missile, along with a 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun.

The Type-99 has a 1,500 horsepower engine, likely copied from a German engine, giving it a greater power-to-weight ratio than the US M1 Abrams tank.

The armor of the vehicle remains a mystery. However, experts believe that the nature of the Type-99 is a T-72 tank equipped with Chinese composite armor, along with domestic electronics and weapons. Some sources say that the Type-99 is equipped with an active defense system, but there is no solid evidence.

HQ-9 air defense system

Beijing deployed its first HQ-9 system in 1997, replacing the outdated HQ-2 air defense missile, a copy of the Soviet S-75 Dvina. The HQ-9 is designed to shoot down cruise missiles, aircraft, and ballistic missiles from a distance of 100 km.

The HQ-9 is considered a copy of the Soviet S-300 system and the American MIM-104 Patriot, applying missile tracking technology (TVM), making it more difficult for the enemy to detect and jam the missile than traditional methods.

The HQ-9's HT-233 phased array radar has many similarities with the S-300 and Patriot radars, and can track and guide missiles to multiple targets at the same time. HQ-9 batteries can connect to radars that specialize in searching for stealthy targets and flying close to the ground, increasing the power of this air defense system.

HJ-8 anti-tank missile

The HJ-8 is a second-generation anti-tank missile (ATGM) developed in the mid-1980s and is the mainstay of China's current anti-tank missile force. Although the technology on the HJ-8 is relatively outdated, it is still a highly effective weapon, used extensively by Syrian rebels in the civil war since 2011.

The HJ-8 series is positioned between the American TOW-2 and the European MILAN. It has the same range as the TOW-2, but is light enough to be carried by infantry like the MILAN. An HJ-8 system consists of four parts: an infrared sight, a tripod, a fire control unit, and a missile, with a total mass of over 70 kg.

The HJ-8 missile has a maximum range of 6,000 m and uses a semi-active guidance system (SACLOS). The limitation of the HJ-8 is that the gunner must continuously control the missile's trajectory until it hits the target, making them vulnerable to detection and counterattack by the enemy.

Class Z Amphibious Vehicle

In 2006, China unveiled a new tracked amphibious vehicle called the ZBD-2000. This is an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) with a crew of three and a capacity of eight soldiers. The ZBD-2000 can reach speeds of up to 45 km/h on water thanks to a series of nozzles and lifting wings on the nose and tail. It can reach a maximum speed of 65 km/h on land.

The ZBD-2000 is armed with a 30 mm cannon and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, along with two HJ-73 anti-tank missiles on either side of the turret. The main gun can fire while the vehicle is on water.

Beijing is also developing a light tank variant, the ZTD-05, which has a crew of four and is armed with a 105mm gun. The ZTD-05 can fire while wading and can fire laser-guided anti-tank missiles.

QW-1 man-portable air defense missile

This is a Chinese-made man-portable air defense missile system (MANPAD), which is considered to be on par with the US FIM-92 Stinger model.

The QW-1 has a maximum range of 5,000 m and a ceiling of 4,000 m. The first version used an infrared seeker to lock on to the target, while later variants incorporated an ultraviolet seeker like the Stinger missile. The latest version of the QW-1 is equipped with a friend-or-foe discrimination system and electronic countermeasures. The manufacturer claims the QW-1 has a kill rate of about 70%.

The export version of the FN-6 was widely used by Syrian rebels to shoot down low-flying Syrian government aircraft. It is also one of the missile models suspected of being used in the downing of a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft on February 3.