Royal Thai Navy unveils FK-3 air-defence system

The FK-3 air-defence system, an example pictured above in service with the Serbian Armed Forces, was unveiled by the Royal Thai Navy's Air and Coastal Defence Command. The FK-3 is the export variant of China's HQ-22 medium- to long-range semi-active radar homing/radio command guidance air-defence system. (Serbian MoD)

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has unveiled its Chinese-made FK-3 air-defence system during a visit by Commander-in-Chief Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengphaet to the Air and Coastal Defense Command (ACDC) stationed in Chonburi province.

In a social media post shared by the RTN, the service was seen displaying the weapon to Adm Chomchoengphaet. The FK-3 is manufactured by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited (CASIC).

The FK-3 is the export variant of the CASIC's HQ-22 medium- to long-range semi-active radar homing/radio command guidance air-defence system. It retains the domestic version's top speed of Mach 6, although its maximum range of 100 km is significantly shorter than the Chinese HQ-22's maximum range of 170 km.

The FK-3 was inducted into the RTN in 2022 and serves as an offensive combat missile and an air-defence shield.

According to Janes Intelligence Review, the CASIC solid-fuel HQ-22 emerged at the 2016 Zhuhai Airshow as a modern but lower-cost successor to the HQ-2 in the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) service. An HQ-22 unit has six to eight mobile transporter erector launchers (TELs), each carrying four launch tubes instead of the HQ-2's single fixed launch rail.

The HQ-22 system achieves cost savings by relying on a less-expensive semi-active guidance system that can switch to full radio command guidance in the event of “strong electronic interference”, according to the FK-3's brochure.