Mystery SAM battery, looks like KS-1

It is an unusual arrangement. It doesn't look like a normal battery, and its hard to see what sort of SAM they have. It probably is a KS-1. It surprises that it is even there, since I don't know of anyone who wants to attack Jiuquan. The U.S. certainly isn't. It seems like quite a paranoid gesture.

I imagine it's a live firing range. That would account for all the dispersals being in a line - because they expect to always be firing in the same general direction - rather than in a ring giving 360degree line of sight radar coverage. It would also account for why the KS-1, whichh is not thought to have been brought by PLA, being there.

?

Of course this is some sort of test base. Although the shadows are very odd, so I can't see anything very well.

All kinds of test items in the area - A-50 and Balance Beam AWACS about 60 miles southwest. The mockup of CCK... Lots of, uhh, official activity going on up there.

Any ideas to what the facility is at 40°25'N 99°50'E ?

Jiuquan satellite launch centre (base 20) was originally built in the late 1950s as the "Northwest Missile Test Base". It was designed to test all sorts of missiles including SAM, AAM, and SSM. Later SAM test range, AAM test range and Dingxin airfield became independent from the base and re-assigned to the PLAAF. The SSM site was developed into a satellite launch centre in the 1970s. That's why you can see SAM near Jiuquan centre. All Chinese SAM including HQ-2, KS-1 and S-300 were tested there. They are not there to protect Jiuquan (well, at least the primary function is not)

Any ideas to what the facility is at 40°25'N 99°50'E ?

It is Dingxin Airport. The PLAAF AAM test regiment was based there. China Flight Test Establishment sometimes also conducts test flight from that base. The reported CCK mockup was also there.

Thanks. I'm pretty confident that the google-earth image is a KS-1 SAM battery on the testing range.


But I have a much greater mystery. Nosing around Dingxin looking for SAM batteries, I've found a Russian made P-37 "Bar Lock" radar:

It's distinctive tandam array make it a pretty reliable ID.

Bar Lock is quite an old radar and normally associated with the SA-5 Gammon long range SAM, which China doesn't have. at any rrate all the usual SA-5 stuff is not at this site so no suggestion China has SA-5. But it is a long wavelength system of the sort generally associated with detecting Stealth aircraft. Is this part of China's anti-stealth research?

Originally Posted by Dongfeng

It is Dingxin Airport. The PLAAF AAM test regiment was based there. China Flight Test Establishment sometimes also conducts test flight from that base. The reported CCK mockup was also there.

I wouldn't say "reported" mockup unless they hoaxed Google Earth and I imagine other interested folks with satelites as it is clearly etched into the earth...

Actually, the place I am mentioning is between and slightly north of the mockup and the main airbase... Here is the area I mention:

Thanks!

John



ARRRRGGGHHHH - Exceeded Attachments - lemme get some work done and I'll link it in a little bit....

OK - here is the facility:

Originally Posted by planeman

About 10 miles SE of Base 20 (Jiuquan 41°20'N 100°20'E) test range there is what looks like a missile firing range. There is a missile battery set up:
[qimg]http://i5.tinypic.com/156r3lx.jpg[/qimg]
The deployment rings are typical of SAMs in general although not of Chinese ones:
[qimg]http://i5.tinypic.com/156r061.jpg[/qimg]

Is it KS-1?

You're looking, from north to south, at four SAM test pads. The southernmost pad is empty. The other three, from north to south, appear to be HQ-2, HQ-2, and HQ-9 components. The HQ-2 components could be there supporting FT-2000 testing.

Originally Posted by Seacraft

OK - here is the facility:

[qimg]http://linesiders.com/Images/bunker.jpg[/qimg]

This is really curious, an underground ammo dump or some sort of storage facility?

Probably a rocket engine testing facility, placed in a large hole on the ground so that the flame won't go any where, and less damages if there is an explosion.

looks like the HQ-18 to me ....

not so sure about the KS-1