The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan
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Dirty Little Secrets
China Clones the American Avenger
by James Dunnigan May 18, 2005
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
China is so impressed with the American Avenger air-defense system, that they
have copied it. Not once, but twice. The Avengers are hummers with a turret
mounted on the back. The turret contains two missile pods (each containing four
Stinger anti-aircraft missiles). Under one pod there is an M3P .50 caliber
machine gun. The weapons operator has use of a FLIR (night vision device) and a
laser range finder. The machine-gun, however, can’t be depressed sufficiently to
fire at ground targets towards the front of the vehicle.
Both Chinese
“Avengers” feature the same combination of sensors and short range missiles, but
left out the machine-gun. The Chinese Avengers also use more powerful radar, and
a larger missile. The 45 pound TY-90 anti-aircraft missile was originally
designed to use on helicopters, which have a hard time carrying the heavier heat
seeking missiles normally carried by jet fighters. The principal version of the
Chinese Avenger mounts eight missiles and the radar on a Type 90 6x6 wheeled
armored vehicle. It has a crew of three. The Type 90 is a twelve ton vehicle
that normally operates like the U.S. Army Stryker. The other version of the
Chinese Avenger mounts the missiles and radar in a smaller, 4x4 truck that looks
like the American hummer. China is trying to get export orders for both of these
systems.
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