Cambodian army now equipped with Chinese-made KS-1C Kaishan-1C air defense system.

On September 15, as reported by Defense Studies, the Cambodian army became known as equipped with a Chinese-made Kaishan-1C (KS-1C) medium and long-range air defense system. It seems that it was delivered not long ago.
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Chinese-made KS-1C medium and long-range air defense system delivered to the Royal Cambodian Army (Picture source: CKHQ)

HQ-12 prototypes, known as the KS-1 before being incorporated into the PLA service, were developed in the early 1980s. The developer was the state-owned Jiangnan Space Industry, also known as Base 061. The first successful test-firing of the missile prototype was conducted in 1989, and the development was concluded in 1994. Before its completion, the missile was showcased at the Paris Airshow in 1991. It was showcased again at the Zhuhai Airshow in 1998. However, none of these showcases resulted in mass production due to the lack of People's Liberation Army (PLA) orders and foreign interests.

The development of the improved variant KS-1A was concluded in the late 1990s, and the finished product was presented in 2001 by China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation. The new system included a cross-country chassis and a new multifunction radar. In 2005, Malaysia signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase KS-1A. Testing of the KS-1A was also undertaken by the Chinese PLA, and the system with the new military designation HQ-12 was showcased at the 80th-anniversary exhibition of the PLA, indicating its military service. In 2009, the HQ-12 participated in the parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of China.

The KS-1A and improved variants were exported to Myanmar, Turkmenistan, Thailand and Cambodia. The HQ-22, the further development of the HQ-12 system, was revealed at Airshow China 2016.

The HQ-12, or KS-1, was the first Chinese air defense system equipped with a phased-array radar. The radar system was constantly improved with each new variant of the missile system. A typical HQ-12 battery includes one passive phased-array radar (PPAR) panel, four launchers fitted with two missiles per launcher, and 16 additional missiles on reload trucks, command-and-control station, and generator units.

The first KS-1 variant used SJ-212 engagement radar, derived from the Russian 30N6E1, which is capable of tracking 50 targets at a range of up to 27 kilometers. The KS-1A has two options: HT-233 with 50 kilometers range and H-200 multifunction radar with 70 kilometers range. KS-1C kept the H-200 radar from KS-1A but replaced rail launchers with canister-launched missiles. Overall, the KS-1 is a rough equivalent of the American MIM-23 Hawk, the precursor to the Patriot missile system.

Although the performance of the original KS-1 is obsolete, the HQ-12 (KS-1A) is a more reliable and capable platform primarily designed to destroy aircraft, UAVs, and helicopters. It can also serve as a missile defense platform, engaging ballistic and cruise missiles with speeds exceeding Mach 3.

Chinese-made KS-1C medium and long-range air defense system delivered to the Royal Cambodian Army (Picture source: CKHQ)