FM-2000 new short-range air defense missile system in service with Chinese army

On October 1, 2019, during the military parade which was held in Beijing to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the new FM-2000, a short-range air defense missile system was shown for the first time to the public and is now in service with the Chinese Armed Forces.

FM-2000 short-range air defense missile system at Military Parade in Beijing, China, October 1, 2019. (Picture source Army Recognition)

The FM-2000 was unveiled during the China Air Show in November 2018. The new short-range air defense missile system is designed by the China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation (CPMIEC) and it seems very similar to the Russian-made TOR-M2K.

The FM-2000 short-range air defense weapon system is mainly used to provide air defense support for mechanized troops and key military sites. It is designed to intercept various fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, air-to-ground missiles, and cruise missiles in an operational range of 1.5 to 15 km and altitudes from 10 to 10,000 m.

The FM-200 features two radar units with different purposes, a search radar mounted at the top rear of the turret which is used to detect targets and one tracking radar to engage targets located at the front of the turret.

The missile launcher consists of a box container extending down below the level of the hull top, holding ready to fire missiles in the vertical position.

Currently, the Chinese army also used the HQ-19 that is a short-range air defense missile system based on the Russian-made TOR-M1 mounted on tracked chassis.