China's HJ-73 anti-tank missile
Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed a new type of vehicle-mounted, third-generation anti-tank missile.
This new homing missile is capable of attacking targets from above, or top attack, effectively destroying modern battle tanks among other targets. It can be mounted on China’s Mengshi series off-road assault vehicle or infantry fighting vehicles.
Compared with current anti-tank missiles in service with the PLA, it missile has a larger calibre, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday, citing video footage released earlier this month by tv.81.cn, the official video website of the PLA.
A military expert told state-owned Global Times, “Top attack is a very effective method for destroying heavily armored targets like tanks, because their armor on the top is usually the thinnest part. A larger caliber means the missile is likely to be more powerful than its predecessors.”
The new missile could be mass produced and be widely used by the PLA in the near future.