China Demonstrates Advanced Warfare Capabilities in Live-Fire Drill with WZ550 Anti-Tank Vehicle.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has conducted a live-fire exercise featuring the WZ550, its latest generation of anti-tank armored vehicles, which is capable of launching the HJ-9/AFT-9, a third-generation anti-tank guided missile.
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Chinese army anti-tank vehicle WZ550 fires an HJ-9 anti-tank guided missile. (Picture source China MoD)

The WZ-550 is a Chinese wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, which is part of the WZ-551 vehicle family. The WZ-551 family includes two main types used by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) – the Type 90 and Type 92. There are over 3,000 WZ-551 vehicles in service with the PLA, and they have been exported to several countries including Algeria, Bosnia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan.

The WZ-550 is also known for being a platform for the HJ-9 anti-tank missile system. The HJ-9 missile has a maximum range of 5.5 km and a minimum range of 100 m, with a claimed penetration capability of 120 cm of rolled homogeneous armor. The missile system can be equipped with various warheads, including a tandem-charge high-explosive.

The hull of the WZ-550 is made of high-hardness armor steel, providing protection against small arms fire and shell splinters. The vehicle is a 4x4 wheeled chassis and is powered by a 320hp turbocharged diesel engine.

In a tank destroyer configuration, the WZ-550 mounts a weapon station that can carry four ready-to-launch HJ-9 Anti-Tank Missiles. These missiles are laser-guided onto their targets. The weapon station includes a periscope optical day sight with a 7 km range and a thermal channel.

The HJ-9, also known as Hong Jian-9 or Red Arrow-9, is a third-generation anti-tank and air-to-surface missile system developed by China. Its military designation is AFT-9. The system has been in service since the 1990s and is currently deployed by the People's Liberation Army Ground Force.

The HJ-9 missile was developed by the China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) with one of the chief designers being Yang Chunming. It began development in the early 1980s and was completed in the late 1990s, with its public unveiling occurring during a military parade in 1999.

In terms of design, the HJ-9 is guided by semi-automatic command to line-of-sight laser beam riding, with a maximum range of 5.5 km and a minimum range of 100 m. It boasts a penetration capability of 120 cm of rolled homogeneous armor (RHAe), which is greater than its predecessor, the HJ-8. The missile can be equipped with various warheads, including a tandem-charge high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge, high explosive (HE), or thermal warheads for use against non-armored point targets, bunkers, and fortifications. The HJ-9 uses a disposable container and launching tube, which is heavier than that of the HJ-8 due to its larger size, with a weight of 37 kg and a diameter of 152 mm.

In 2005, Norinco introduced the HJ-9A, an updated version of the missile system that uses semi-active millimeter wave radar guidance. The HJ-9A launcher has been observed mounted on a tripod with an integrated radar system and demonstrated on a NJ2046 utility vehicle. It can also be mounted on trucks, armored personnel carriers, and other light utility vehicles. A further-developed version with laser guidance designated HJ-9B, was also revealed by Norinco.

As of 2020, it is estimated that the People's Liberation Army Ground Force has around 450 AFT-9 Missile Carriers in service.

Defense News November 2023