HN-5

The Chinese Hong Nu (Red Cherry) 5 (HN-5) is a man-portable surface-to-air missile (SAM), designed to engage propeller-driven aircraft and helicopters. It began as a copy of the Soviet SA-7 Grail, but has been updated as the HN-5A.

The original HN-5 guidance technology was relatively primitive, using an uncooled lead sulfide (PbS) infrared (IR) seeker and following the target's flight path until intercept. The uncooled IR seeker proved very susceptible to homing on the hottest...