TL-6

The TL-6 (Tian Long - 6) or Sky Dragon - 6 is a light anti-ship missile.

History

The development of the TL program appeared to have started in the mid-1990s and were originally identified as the FL-8 (TL-10) and FL-9 (TL-6) under China National Aero Technology Import & Export Company (CATIC). The program and missiles were officially revealed in the Zhuhai Airshow in 2004 by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC).

Development

TL-6 along with the smaller TL-10 are both developed and manufactured by Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation. The origin of TL-6 is similar to that of TL-10: there are thousands small FAC and patrol boats armed with anti-ship missiles that pose great threats, but it is highly inefficient to use anti-ship missiles such as Harpoon missile and Exocet that are designed against large warships for the destruction of these small boats, thus it is necessary to develop a light anti-ship missile to engage these small yet potentially highly lethal boats.

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".

pecification

*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

*IRN: Islamic Republic of Iran
*CHN: People's Republic of China

References

* [http://www.strategycenter.net/research/pubID.54/pub_detail.asp] Report on the 5th Airshow China Zhuhai, Richard Fisher, Jr., PRC, November 1-7, 2004
* China aids Iran's tactical missile programme, Robert Hewson, Janes Defence Weekly, November 11,2004