(VIDEO) Watch Palestinian Fighters Target Israeli Armored Vehicle with Chinese “Red Arrow” Missile
(VIDEO) In both videos released by Hamas fighters in June and yesterday, they are shown using the Chinese-made “HJ-8L Red Arrow” anti-tank missile system against Israeli military “Namer” armored vehicles.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Last night, Palestinian fighters once again released a video showing their use of Chinese-made anti-tank missile systems to strike an Israeli military armored vehicle.
This follows a similar video released in June, where Palestinian fighters demonstrated for the first time their deployment of the Chinese-made missile system against an Israeli army “Namer” armored vehicle in a battle zone in Rafah, southern Gaza.
In the second incident, believed to have occurred a few days ago, Palestinian fighters used the same Chinese-made missiles to target another “Namer” armored vehicle in the Rafah combat zone.
Both videos, released by Hamas fighters in June and last night, show the use of the Chinese-made “HJ-8L Red Arrow” anti-tank missile system against Israeli “Namer” armored vehicles.
Previously, Hamas fighters were not known to possess the Chinese-made anti-tank missile systems developed by NORINCO, China’s state-owned weapons manufacturer.
To date, the Israeli military has not commented on the incident.
The HJ-8 or Hongjian-8 is a second-generation anti-tank missile system, utilizing a tube launcher and guided by wire and optically tracked to the target.
Introduced to the Chinese army in the late 1980s, the HJ-8L Red Arrow is reportedly comparable to Western anti-tank missile systems such as the American BGM-71 TOW and the European Euromissile HOT.
The HJ-8L Red Arrow has seen use in various conflicts, including in Yugoslavia, Sudan, and Sri Lanka.
Equipped with a HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) warhead, the Chinese-made system incorporates elements from Western anti-tank missile technology.
Analysts note that its tripod mimics the American TOW system, while its tracker-control unit is inspired by the MILAN and Swingfire missile systems from the UK.
The entire HJ-8L Red Arrow system weighs 24kg and can hit targets up to 4,000 meters away.
Pakistan also produces this missile system under the name “Bakhtar Shikan,” which is a variant of the Chinese-made system.
The “Bakhtar Shikan” is also used by the Malaysian Army, although its service period is likely to end soon as the country acquires more modern anti-tank missile systems that employ a “top attack” strategy. — DSA
