How Effective is BrahMos against Chinese Ship based SAMs??

After The Announcement of India selling BrahMos missile to Vietnam and probably Philippines also, Many Fanboys went gala over it. It is true that BrahMos is a very effective antiship weapon. But without technical comparison it will be a daydream to think that BrahMos can stop an Invasion on Vietnam's Waters. To know the effectiveness it is important to study how BrahMos performs against Chinese Ship Based SAMs and how much punch does it pack. For that purpose we must study the PLAN ships deployed at it's Borders with Vietnam and their effectiveness. It is very important for India to contain China and create more troubles for it in it's own backyard. Hats Off to the Indian Govt.'s decision to sell BrahMos to Vietnam and even perform Oil exploration there. This would keep China too busy in their own backyard where they would increase the concentration of their assets and won't be able to deploy any formidable force in Indian Ocean.

We need to study the Chinese ship based Air Defence Missiles and their probability to hit BrahMos. This would give us clear idea/analysis of our main attack missile BrahMos being capable of high manouvering and accurate Chinese Surface to Air Missiles. The Chinese Ships have been armed with mainly 3 types of Missiles that are used for air defence. The Mach 3 capable BrahMos which is (almost) the fastest Cruise missile in the world definetely have got chances that could be intercepted. The three types are..........................

1. H Q 7 small range Surface to Air Missile.


2. HQ 16 medium range SAM. Ship based version named as HQ 26.


3. HHQ 9 long range SAM.




All Explained below.

1. HongQi 7 / Red Flag 7 FM-7

The HQ 7 is a short range surface to air missile developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It became PLAN's standard short range SAM in this 1990s. It has got an 8 cell launchers with reload units where missiles are stored in multiples of 8 (8, 16, 24 ). The Type 360s E/F band Doppler radar can detect 30 targets and engage 12 targets simultaneously at its best shot. This is quite an old technology it is something like a 2++ generation SAM. Its minimum engagement altitude is 50m. But BrahMos can fly even as low as 10m. So HongQi 7 does not offer much resistance. Its warhead is of 15 kgs.

The HongQi 7 is used in Type 054 frigate. But the next one is quite a formidable challenge. I have avoided to go too much in detail in this missile because of that. But there are chances , if BrahMos is launched from very near then it's early detection is possible and an expert crew on Type 054 can intercept BrahMos even if its chances are less. But the chances exist !

Against BrahMos :-

The terminal velocity of BrahMos is Mach 2.8. It is a sea skimming missile and flys very low, almost hugging the ground. Whereas HQ 7 can't intercept targets that low and has a poor reaction time. It simply does not offer any resistance to BrahMos. Many people claim that this missile might cause problem when BrahMos could be in it's terminal phase. As when moments before BrahMos warhead is about to struck the ship the HQ 7 could stop it. But seeing the available figures about reaction time of a whopping 12 seconds it simply cannot stop BrahMos.

2. HongQi 16 / HQ 16 / Red Flag 16
Naval variant HQ-26.

This is one killer medium range ship based air defence missile , which can be ripplingly accurate. The naval variant of this missile has been named as HQ 26 , but it has been doomed in secrecy and no technical details are available so at the best we can have comparable data with land version that is HQ 16. In 2011 first time HQ 16 was reportedly made operational and was deployed by PLA in the Shenyang Military Region. It is said to be able to intercept sea skimming and medium altitude targets like cruise missiles and helicopters but the CEP , its response time and and minimum altitude of interception is something which matters the most. If BrahMos has to move through it effectively then we also have to take its active radar into account.

(HQ 26 being fired from a Type 054A class frigate)

Being a copy its radar is said to be similar in performance to Russian SA-N-12 radar , which is an old active target designator for this missile. I am not pressing much on certain things like guidance system of this one as that wouldn't crucial here. At mid range physical characteristics matter more. The technical capabilities are as below............................


Effective Range :- 1.5 - 40 km (for aircrafts) , 3.5 to 18 km (for cruise missiles)


Effective Altitudes :- 10-6000 meters,


Single Hit Probability :- 0.7-0.98 some sources say 0.85 against normal targets and 0.6 against crusie missiles like Tomahawk.


Reaction Time :- 5 - 8 seconds


Length :- 2.9 m long


Projectile Diameter :- 0.232 m


Warhead Weight :- 17 kg


Flight Speed :- Mach 2.0


Maximum flight speed :- Mach 2.8

(HQ 26's 32 cell VLS on a Type 054A class frigate)

(An HQ16 mock up)

Against BrahMos :-

So this is how the Chinese 3rd generation medium range active radar guided and highly maneuverable Surface to Air missile is.Whether it can stop BrahMos or not is what we leave up to you , but as per me It seriously can't and I have reasons to believe so.


The terminal velocity of Supersonic BrahMos blk l is Mach 2.8, Blk ll is even higher. But the terminal speed of HQ 26 is just Mach 2.0. Brahmos flies at an altitude of just 10 m. And this missile can't intercept targets flying below 10 m that much effectively. It's hit probability against cruise missies is questionable.


BrahMos has no problem getting over it. But its still up to our readers choice what and how they judge this Missile.
The real challenge is the next one.

3 Hong Qi 9 / HQ 9 / Red Flag 9

This is a contemporary Chinese SAM that has completely being based on Russia's S 300. It has got a land version operational since a very long time.
HHQ 9A is the ship borne variant of this SAM. It has been deployed on Chinese Type 52C and Type 52D destroyers. The formidable challenge to Superiority of BrahMos is offered mainly by this missile, which PLA-Navy's mainstay air defence missile. Experts believe that it has chances of Engaging the Mach 3 capable BrahMos at close ranges like 25-30 km , If detected early. This makes our position vulnerable. The Type 52 is equipped with 48 HHQ 9A missiles with 6 cell VLS. The capabilities of HHQ-9 are sometimes further confused with that of the land based HQ-9 SAM (from which HHQ-9 is derived) and the export variant FD-2000, but there is reason to believe the naval HHQ-9 may feature some substantial differences to the land based HQ-9 and export FD-2000. The HHQ-9 may have considerable advances and tweaked physical attributes as it is a naval SAM.

(Naval HHQ 9 missile's mock up being displayed)

It is a matter if hot debate among experts. Generally the range of any specific long range SAM is maxed at 100 to 150 km. The export variant of HQ-9 is called as FD 2000. The Brochure of FD 2000 has speculated the max range to be 120 kms. A general consideration that HHQ-9 is an inproved version makes us assume that its range would definitely be more. A report by US Office of Naval Intelligence has stated the range of HHQ-9 to be 55 nautical miles, which is roughly above 100 km. The Chinese language news on state media CCTV has reported that Type 052C destroyers are equipped with SAMs having 150 kms of range.


Whatever the max range be fellas. It is just not a concern for us in this debate as BrahMos isn't going to fly that high. BrahMos naval version is sea skimming missile which flies at a minimum altitude of 10m. And any Chinese SAM has to counter that to be safe.

(Note the cruciform tail geometry and the TVC vanes being coupled with aerodynamics controls)

Minimum Altitude :

The data from the Brochure of FD-2000 shows minimum altitude to be 25m. But for a land based SAM that is a realistic figure because of wide diffreces on a plain terrain the calculation related to minimum altitude is always misunderstood. Moreover trees and small hillocks further add to misses. It can be assumed that the improved naval version HHQ9 may have minimum altitude of just 15m or who knows even lower than that. The HHQ 9 is equipped with a proximity fuse HE blast fragmentation type warhead so even if it doesn't reach up to the altitude of 10m at which BrahMos flies. It still be safely able to kill BrahMos.


The maximum probability of killing BrahMos is at the range of 25 to 30 km. This is the ranginto where mostly terminal phase of this missile is activated. The terminal phase is highly manoeuvrable and owing to that it may take steep down towrds it's target and being guided by an onboard active radar. The HHQ 9 thus have a high probability to kill BrahMos.

(An HHQ 9 being launched from a Type 052D destroyer)

(6 cell VLS of HHQ 9 on a Type 052)

Guidance System :

Popular beliefs of HQ 9 being a S 300 copy and observations based on Radar systems of Type 052C and Type 052D destroyers. The missile is assumed to have a Active Radar Homing guidance system. The FD 2000's brochures also cliams to have the same. It is foolish to consiedr that any naval SAM would be having semi active guidances. As a Destroyer must be capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously. It cannot rely on semi active guidance.


Effective Range :- 120 km, slant range claimed to be 200 km.


Effective Minimum Altitude :- 15 to25 m.


Projectile Diameter :- less than 0.56m.


Single Hit Probability :- 0.65 to 0.8 against cruise missiles.


Reaction Time :- 5 to 8 seconds.


Length :- 6.8 m.


Warhead Type :- 180 kg HE Blast Fragmentation proximity fuse.


Maximum Flight Speed :- Mach 4

Against BrahMos :

The maximum speed of HHQ 9 is Mach 4 as claimed by many chinese sources. And that figure is quite true. It thus proves its worth and have high, I repeat high chances of intercepting BrahMos. As even the terminal velocity is Mach 3 for BrahMos. The slight chances for BrahMos are in tactics because a one to one fire would never make any good deal. If 2-3 BrahMos are fired simultaneously and before that even some more projectiles are launched from nearly 90 to 100 kms away the enemy fire control radar's reaction time can be increased which decrease the chances of the second or third BrahMos being intercepted. The upgraded BrahMos would have Mach 6.5 speeds but can't pull it up here until it becomes operational.


Seeing the minimum altitude and Blast Fragmentation Proximity fuse warhead. It create blast in a very large area thus can effectively stop a missile flying even at altitudes little bit lower than itself. The terminal phase is active and very manoeuvrable making it difficult for BrahMos to evade. The Max current range if BrahMos is 290 km. If BrahMos is fired from this much long range then it isn't a big deal for Type 052C destroyer to activate its SAMs and prevent a BrahMos at ranges of 20 to 30 km. If multiple BrahMos missles are fired after a gap of almost 5 seconds and that too at ranges less than or equal to 100 km. Then for the Active Radar Guidance system of HHQ 9 it will be difficult to track all of them so neatly. Moreover Missiles with active guidance needs mid-course updates. Giving mid course updates to multiple missiles at multiple timings against multiple targets would be a hectic matter for any onboard computer of a ship. This increases kill probability. There are many variables if a practical situation is considered which may favourably or adversly affect BrahMos's performance. Still one thing is clear that among overall possibilities the HHQ 9 is the biggest challenge to BrahMos.


We leave it up to the understanding of our readers to decide whether BrahMos can go pass HHQ 9 to destroy a Type 052D destroyer or not.

That was all from our side to study the effectiveness of BrahMos against Chinese Ship Based Surface to Air Missiles and vice versa. Feel free to ask any query regardy the article which we will be glad to entertain. Have a look around our website to know more about related topics.

Image credits :-

​Indian Defence News.
army-technology.com
Indian Defence Review.
Asian Defence News.
Pakistan Defence.
SanjeevPearlji Blogspot







Info Credits :-


Indian Aerospace Defence News
Defence.Pk
Army-Technology
Globalmilitaryreview.blogspot
Tonnel-ufo.ru