China has used the latest 'Peace Mission 2014' multilateral exercises to publicly demonstrate a new non-line-of-sight (NLOS) missile, possibly a fibre-optic guided missile, for land forces that it may also be developing for naval applications.
Imagery of this missile and its launcher appeared in Chinese coverage of the 24-29 August 'Peace Mission 2014' exercise involving Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members. According to reports, these vehicles were part of the 112 Mechanized Infantry Division of the 38th Group Army based near Beijing.
Two of these missiles were seen carried by and launched by a version of the new ZBD-04A armoured personnel carrier (APC), also fitted with a new optical/imaging guidance system. The ZBD-04A may be able to carry up to eight missiles.
There is some confusion regarding the number of Chinese NLOS missile programmes. At the 2012 Zhuhai Airshow, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) revealed details of a straight-wing CM-501G missile that, according to publicity, featured a 43 kg warhead and a 70 km range.
Meanwhile, a 22 August report on the popular Chinese-language Korolev blog provided specifications for what it called the AFT-10, which could be a shorter range version of the CM-501G or a developmental variant.
The AFT-10 has a length of 1,850 mm; width of 165 mm; weight, including launch system, of 150 kg; and a warhead weighing 43 kg. Its solid-rocket booster and micro turbojet engine confer a range of 10 km, a cruise speed of 150 m/s, and an attack speed of 230 m/s.
At the 2012 Zhuhai show China also revealed the Sichuan Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation's WS-33 optical/imaging guided rocket, which is longer than the CM-501G at 3,300 mm and heavier at 200 kg, but has a similar 70 km range. From the missile's brochure it is not clear whether it used fibre-optic guidance and it may use datalinks instead. The WS-33 uses folding delta wings compared with the CM-501G's folding straight wings.
Chinese interest in fibre-optic guided missiles dates back to the early 1990s, when academic engineering publications began to examine Western developments. A 2005 article indicates that a Chinese FOGM missile may have been tested during the 2001-2005 Five Year Plan period, with one article providing an image of what may have been an early prototype.
Details and imagery of a new missile began to appear in late 2011. A Chinese state broadcast on 25 December 2011 featured a story about Chinese Academy of Engineering anti-tank guided-missile (ATGM) expert Wang Zhi and also featured an ATGM historical display area showing for the first time a new missile with large fold-out wings similar in configuration to the Israeli Rafael Spike NLOS. In January 2012 images started appearing of the ZBD-04A APC armed with new NLOS missile destined for the Shenyang Military Region.
China's intention to develop fibre-optic guided missiles for multiple platforms was signalled at the 2005 China International Defence Exhibition (CIDEX), when a Chinese company displayed a fibre-optic cable developed for missile guidance.
Its poster depicted a long-range missile conducting an over-hill land attack, ground attack, and anti-aircraft launches from submarines and ground attack from a helicopter. Another Chinese poster from July 2013 of the new Type 032 ballistic missile test submarine also indicated it may be used to test an anti-aircraft variant.
