HQ-7B/FM-90 Crotale
The HQ-7 is a Chinese clone of the French Thales/Thomson CSF Crotale SAM. During the 1970s the French supplied samples of the Crotale which was promptly reverse engineered. The cloned Crotale has been built in two configurations, a high mobility variant for PLA Army units on a 4 x 4 cloned French Thomson-Hotchkiss P4R armoured vehicle, and a less mobile PLA-AF air field defence system, using either a trailer or a truck platform. Since then, derivative variants have emerged in the FM-90 series,A four round elevating tube launcher turret is used, mounting the Ku-band Automatic Command to Line Of Sight monopulse radar dish antenna. Export variants are the FM-80 and improved FM-90 with a FLIR tracker and longer ranging missiles. HQ-7/FM-80/90 batteries are typically supported by an acquisition radar system, the FM-90 usually on a new design indigenous 6 x 6 light armoured personnel carrier.
FM-90 Specifications (CNPMIEC)
Cruise Missile Target 300 m/s 30 - 6,000 m
Maximum Detection Range RCS=0.1 m 20 km
Maximum Tracking Range RCS=0.1 m 18 km
Reaction Time6.5 to 10.5 sec
Missile Maximum Velocity930 m/s