C-704

The C-704 is the Chinese equivalent of American AGM-119 Mk 2 anti-ship missile. The missile is developed from the third research institute of the Chinese Aerospace Group, the same manufacturer of C-701, the Chinese equivalent of American AGM-65 A/B/D/H Maverick Air-to-surface missile.

Design

This anti-ship missile is designed specifically for targets with displacement between 1,000 tons to 4,000 tons. The need arises when it is discovered that neither the smaller anti-ship missiles such as the TL-6 and C-701 nor the large ones such as the C-802 and Silkworm missile are cost effective when used for this purpose. The reason is that for targets with displacement of 1,000 tons to 4,000 tons, it is not economical to use large anti-ship missiles that are intended for ships as large as 8,000 tons or greater, but the smaller anti-ship missiles are not sufficient enough because they are intended for much smaller boats. As a result, C-704, a new class of anti-ship missile is specifically developed to meet the requirement.

Development

In order to speed up the development and reduce risks, the developer adopts the mature technologies and experiences from C-701. The resulting new missile appears as an enlarged version of the C-701, with larger warhead. However, a brand new seeker is adopted, it is a centimetre wave radar seeker instead of the television, imaging infrared and the millimetre wave radar seekers for C-701, partially due to the longer range of the new missile, which is more than twice of that of C-701.

pecifications

Very little official information on C-704 is publicized at its debut at the sixth Zhuhai airshow in 2006 except the following:
*Warhead: 130 kg
*Speed: high subsonic
*Range: 35 km
*Cruise altitude: 15–20 metres
*Developer: China Aviation Industry Corporation

Deployment

Various platforms including aircraft, surface ships/boats, and from land/vehicle. Like the C-701, this missile cannot be launched from submarine yet. The C-704 anti-ship missile can be readily integrated with the current C4I systems such as those for C-701.

History

The radar seeker armed version is the first and only version appeared at the sixth Zhuhai airshow, at which the manufacturers confirmed that the development of imaging infrared and television, laser seekers had already been in progress, and like the C-701, the C-704 would eventually become a general purposes air-to-surface missile that could engage various targets. This would make the C-704 a Chinese equivalent of American AGM-65 E/F/G/J/K Maverick.