To bring the killing power of its HJ-9 "Red Arrow" 3rd Generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) to bear on armored targets, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China moved to adopt the WZ550 4x4 light-armored wheeled vehicle mating it with the HJ-9 ATGM system. The result is the QSL-92 which, despite its near-Cold War roots, continues in service in some number with the PLA.
The suitability of the WZ550 vehicle has been proven over decades of use. It is compact, lightweight, and provides its occupants with protection against small arms fire and artillery spray. Angled sides and a shallow glacis plate aid it in withstanding direct hits along the hull's various facings. The oversized road wheels provide excellent traction and ground-clearance for traversing uneven terrain. The hull sports access doors along the lower sides (near the forward axle), at the hull roof line, and at the rear hull face.
In the QSL-92, the HJ-9 system is seated over the rear of the hull roof on a 360-degree traversable mounting giving complete angles of fire regardless of the bow's current facing. The missiles are arranged in twin launches to either side of the optics/ranging set. Elevation is also built into the launcher unit.
Each missile has an operational range out to 5,500 meters and relies on laser-beam-riding to the target - thus requiring line-of-sight for the operators. The missile, propelled by a solid-fuel rocket motor, is capped by a tandem HEAT (High-Explosive, Anti-Tank) warhead capable of penetrating 1,100 to 1,200mm of RHAe. Detonation is via contact fuse - giving good killing power against even the most modern of Main Battle Tanks (MBTs).
The QSL-92 is fielded along with PLA artillery units.
China
