YGG-7 Hwasal
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The YGG-7 (Formal designation: 7식 공대공 유도탄 / 七式空對空誘導彈, chil-sik gongdaegong yudotan, "Type 7 air-to-air missile;" Short designation 유공공-7 Yugonggong-chil "YGG-7"), also marketed under the nickname Hwasal or "Arrow," is a medium-range active-radar-guided air-to-air missile developed in Menghe. With a range of 80 to 110 kilometers, it is a beyond-visual-range missile in the same category as the Letnian R-77 and the Glasic Black Spear.
Development
YGG-4
During the 1980s, the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe attempted to develop a long-range air-to-air missile with active radar guidance for use on the Songrim SR-7 interceptor. A missile designated YGG-4 was nominally accepted into service in 1983, but it suffered repeated failures in testing. With the active-radar seeker delayed in development, most YGG-4 airframes were produced in a semi-active radar configuration.
The limited range of the SR-7's Sapfir-23D radar further constrained the YGG-4's usefulness, and it was only produced in small numbers, with most SR-7s carrying four YGG-3 missiles for medium-range combat.
Work on the YGG-4 briefly resumed after 1988, when the lifting of the 1984 embargo allowed Menghe to import electronics more freely, but by that time the missile was deemed too large and heavy for its role. The Glasic Skybolt II and III could achieve greater ranges on a much lighter body, as could the Letnian R-77.
YGG-7 development
In 1992, Menghe acquired a license to produce an upgraded derivative of the Glasic Skybolt IA, with solid-state electronics and a slightly improved motor but only semi-active guidance. After failing to negotiate a technology transfer deal for the Skybolt II seeker, the Gwŏn-un missile design bureau began work on a domestic seeker option. Initially, this would be mounted directly onto the YGG-6 as a variant, but in order to maximize range, Gwŏn-un began simultaneous work on a new missile body with a more efficient motor.
Despite initial speculation that the seeker head was copied directly from the Skybolt II or III, Gwŏn-un claims that development proceeded independently, with some technology transfer agreements during the late stages. Five successful test firings were conducted in 2001, and by 2003 the missile had been officially accepted for service as the YGG-7. Integration with the DS-10 was immediate, as the new fighter had been designed with a datalink and supporting software; integration with the SR-8 and SR-9 did not begin until 2005, when it was folded into a new variant for each.
Description
Like many other medium-range active-radar air-to-air missiles, the YGG-7 has a two-stage guidance system. Before launch, the pilot feeds target information to the missile, using the launch plane's radar or IRST system. If the launch plane is receiving targeting information from a ground-based radar, an AEW&C platform, or another fighter, this data can also be used.
Once fired, the missile proceeds on an intercept vector toward the target's projected location, using inertial guidance to maintain its course. It receives periodic mid-course updates from the launch platform, keeping it on an intercept path as the target maneuvers.
Once the YGG-7 has closed with the target, it turns on its active radar, and continues on its intercept course until it catches the target in its effective seeker range. At this point, the built-in radar guidance takes over, autonomously guiding the missile the rest of the way to the target.
At close ranges, it is also possible for the pilot to switch on the active radar seeker before launch. In this mode, the missile immediately locks onto the selected target and pursues it autonomously from the start, allowing for fire-and-forget operation.
