HJ-12

China's man-portable fire-and-forget top-attack anti-tank guided missile — a Javelin-class system with imaging-infrared guidance, soft launch, and a tandem HEAT warhead, fielded by the PLA Ground Force.

Overview

The HJ-12 (Hongjian-12, often referred to as the Red Arrow 12) is China's first domestically developed man-portable, fire-and-forget, top-attack anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). Produced by NORINCO, it enters service as a direct analogue to the US FGM-148 Javelin, bringing imaging-infrared (IIR) guidance and a soft-launch capability to the PLA's dismounted infantry. While it shares the Javelin's core engagement philosophy — lock-on-before-launch, fire-and-forget, top-attack — its combat record remains blank, and all performance data rests on manufacturer claims and open-source estimates, as catalogued by Army Recognition and contextualised against the CSIS Missile Threat Javelin profile.

Development

NORINCO first publicly displayed the HJ-12 at the 2014 Zhuhai Airshow, marking the system's emergence from development, according to Army Recognition. Open-source reporting points to a PLA service entry around 2018, though no official announcement has confirmed that date. Since the unveiling, NORINCO has shown export-oriented variants (HJ-12E / GAM-102), but detailed test-campaign information is not publicly established.

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