SAST HQ-16FE - Crimson Spear

Surbaissemaxxing · October 15, 2025, 1:15pm

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Suggestion No.104

G’day lads. I want to suggest a capable Chinese anti air missile system, that being the HQ-16FE with 160km range :)

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Description:

Spoiler

The HQ-16FE is an extended range version of China’s HQ-16 family, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). Compared to the rest of the series, it can engage in ever longer range engagements with a reported maximum range of about 160km and an intercept altitude of roughly 27km. The FE adopts a much slimmer, near-finless external profile with lateral/thrust vectoring jets to enhance off axis terminal maneuverability against high-speed or highly maneuvering threats while maintaining compatibility with existing cold launch vertical launch modules. Each TEL typically carries six vertically launched missiles. Its guidance suite uses a strapdown inertial mid course navigation with command updates plus upgraded active/semi active terminal seekers for better anti-jamming performance and multiple engagement options.

China-unveils-deeply-enhanced-Buk-SAM-now-named-Red-Banner-16FE

History:

Spoiler

The HQ-16 family traces to a Chinese development effort that began around 2005 under the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, initially meant as a shipborne system and informed by study of earlier Russian Buk class designs. The naval variant (HHQ-16) was deployed aboard Type 054A frigates as those ships entered service from 2008, and the land-based HQ-16A followed into PLA service around 2011 as China modified the design for ground units.

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The system was further upgraded over the 2010s. Higher performance land and naval derivatives were revealed in open sources by 2016 (commonly identified as HQ-16B and HHQ-16B), with photographic releases documenting PLA units and production vehicles at that time, and the HQ-16 line continued to be updated thereafter with improved marks reported in open reporting as HQ-16C and a longer range HQ-16FE variant.

Parallel export versions were developed under the LY-80/LY-80N designations and were offered to foreign customers; Pakistan negotiated purchases in the mid-2010s and inducted LY-80 systems around 2017.

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Armaments:

Spoiler

1 TEL can carry up to 6 missiles. The FE’s missile has the maximum range of up to 160km, with intercept altitudes around 27km. The FE differs from earlier HQ-16 shapes with a much slimmer, near finless airframe and smaller control surfaces, adds lateral/thrust vectoring rockets for off axis terminal manoeuvre against high speed or highly manoeuvring threats, and uses an advanced integrated solid rocket motor to achieve the longer envelope. Guidance combines strapdown inertial mid course navigation with command updates and a dual mode terminal seeker offering both active and semi active operation for long/saturation and medium/short engagements respectively, the warhead is a directed/high-explosive fragmentation type, and possesses a maximum G overload of up to 35G.

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For its radar, a truck carries an active phased array guidance radar (AESA, 2D phase scanning active phased array) that performs search, tracking, classification and IFF and can both illuminate targets and cue missiles. It offers a maximum detection range of not less than 250km against normal aircraft, coverage of azimuth ±60° with elevation −3° to +80° (and 360° rotation), and a multi target capability that can track up to 12 targets and support interception of 8 batches among them while providing target illumination and fire-control for the missile system.

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Specifications:

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The system is mounted on a Taian TA5350, but sadly I cannot find any info about it (let alone the HQ-16FE being on said truck), hence why I have to resort to using info of the TA5310. The truck has a length of 10.46m, a width of 2.20m and a height of 3.30m. It’s curb weight is around 15 tons, meanwhile it’s gross weight is around 31 tons. Powering it is a Deutz BF8L513LC engine, giving it 337hp and therefore making it go up to 80km/h.