TL-6
{{About|Tian Long 6, the anti-ship missile|Tianlong-6 (TL-6), the air defense missile|TY-90|other uses|TL6 (disambiguation){{!}}TL6}}
{{Infobox weapon
|is_missile=yes
|name=TL-6
|image=
|caption=
|origin=China
|type=anti-ship / air-to-surface missiles
|used_by=China
|manufacturer=Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation
|unit_cost=
|propellant=solid fuel
|production_date=prior to 2006
|service= prior to 2006 – present
|engine=rocket motor
|engine_power=
|weight=≈350 kg
|length=≈3.5 meter
|height=
|diameter=0.28 meter
|wingspan=0.9 meter
|speed=≈ Mach 0.8 – 0.9
|vehicle_range=4 – 35 km
|ceiling=
|altitude=≈12 meter cruising
|filling=30 kg warhead
|detonation=Semi-armor-piercing
|launch_platform=Air & surface
}}
The TL-6 ({{zh|c=天龙-6|l=Sky Dragon}}) is an anti-ship missile developed by Hongdu Aviation Industry Group. The missile was marketed via China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) as FL-9 ({{zh|c=飞龙-9|l=Flying Dragon}}). The missile is also called Nasr missile by Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO).
Development
The TL-6 missile was showcased at Zhuhai Airshow 2004.{{cite magazine|first=Robert |last=Hewson |title=China aids Iran's tactical missile programme |magazine=Jane's Defence Weekly |date=17 November 2004 }}
Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation began the development of TL-6 and TL-10 missiles in the mid-1990s, and conducted test fires in the same period. According to a representative of Hongdu in 2004, the TL-6 and TL-10 programs were purely designed for export, and no missile would be inducted into the People's Liberation Army. Three missile variants were showcased, including the air-to-surface KJ/TL-10B, the surface-to-surface JJ/TL-10A, and the surface-to-surface JJ/TL-6B. TL-6 was tested fire by both surface systems and aircraft. TL-6B also had a radar-guided version under development.
Design
While TL-10 series is specifically designed to engage boats displacing 500 tons or less, TL-6 series is specifically designed to engage larger naval vessel with displacement up to 1,000 tons. Along with C-704 that covers ships from 1,000 tons to 3,000 tons, and larger anti-ship missiles such as C-802 that covers large ships, China has developed a complete anti ship cruise missile families that covers every displacement class. Western sources have claimed that the Iranian Nasr anti-ship missile is based on TL-6.
Like the anti-ship version of the C-701 and TL-10, TL-6 can also be armed with a television seeker which is interchangeable with TL-10. At the sixth Zhuhai airshow in 2006, the manufacturer revealed the plan already in development to have various platforms including aircraft, surface ships/boats, and from land/vehicle. However, like most light anti-ship missiles in the world, it is certain that this missile would not be launched from submarines, as the manufacturer has confirmed. Like its smaller cousin TL-6, the version that has been successfully completed is the ship-to-ship version, and hence the designation JJ/TL-6 at the sixth Zhuhai airshow in 2006, with JJ stands for Jian Jian, meaning Ship (to) Ship.
many sources claim that Nasr is based on TL-6, there are others that claim Nasr is based on another Chinese anti-ship missile, C-704 instead{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}}.
TL-2
A new version of TL-6 appeared made its public debut at the 7th Zhuhai Airshow held at the end of 2008, together with its smaller cousin TL-1. Developed by Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation, the same manufacturer of TL-6, the new missile is designated as TL-2, and appears almost identical to TL-6. Not much information of TL-2 was released in detail at the air show, and based on scattered technical information published in China, it has been suggested that TL-2 is an upgraded TL-6 with a data link added, so that in addition to the original fire-and-forget capability, the only capability present on TL-10, there is an extra capability present on TL-2: operators can select to attack a different target other than the original one, if a greater threat has been identified after launching TL-2. These are other speculations on TL-2, such as TL-6 was purely for export, while TL-2 is the designation for domestic Chinese use, but these have yet to be verified when more detailed technical information is released in the future. Although the manufacturer has claimed that TL-1 can be deployed from various platform, the sample shown at the 7th Zhuhai Airshow was ship-born only, designated as JJ/TL-2, with JJ stands for Jian Jian (舰舰), meaning Ship (to) Ship.
Specification
- Dimensions:
- Length: 3400 mm - 3500 mm
- Diameter: 280 mm
- Wingspan: 900 mm
- Weight: 350 kg - 360 kg
- Warhead: 30 kg, semi-armor piecing
- Powerplant: twin thrust chamber, solid rocket motor
- Speed: Mach 0.8 - 0.9
- Range: 4–35 km
- Guidance: Radar-guided/INS
- Kill probability: 0.85
- Developer: Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation
Operators
=Current operators=
- {{IRN}}: Islamic Republic of Iran
- {{CHN}}: People's Republic of China
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.strategycenter.net/research/pubID.54/pub_detail.asp] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050426144435/http://www.strategycenter.net/research/pubID.54/pub_detail.asp |date=2005-04-26 }} Report on the 5th Airshow China Zhuhai, Richard Fisher, Jr., PRC, November 1–7, 2004
- China aids Iran's tactical missile programme, Robert Hewson, Jane's Defence Weekly, November 11, 2004
- [http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3a791a09c8-4e35-4850-877b-61de1f7f1ea9 TL-2/6] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322020450/http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:791a09c8-4e35-4850-877b-61de1f7f1ea9 |date=2012-03-22 }}
{{Chinese Missiles}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tl-6}}
Category:Anti-ship cruise missiles of the People's Republic of China