HJ-8

HJ-8, or Hongjian-8, was developed by China as a second-generation anti-tank guided missile and became one of the PLA's most important indigenous ATGM families. It offered a wire-guided SACLOS capability broadly comparable in role to systems such as TOW, MILAN, and HOT. The design helped China move from imported or copied anti-armor concepts toward a domestic missile family.

The HJ-8 system uses an optical tracker, launcher, and wire-guided missile with HEAT or later tandem-warhead variants. It can be fired from tripods, vehicles, and some armored platforms, giving users flexibility across infantry and mechanized units. Later models improved penetration and target effects as reactive armor became more common.

HJ-8 variants have been widely exported and locally produced or adapted by some users. Its long service life comes from moderate cost, familiar guidance method, and enough performance for many battlefield targets. The missile is therefore important as both a PLA weapon and a widely encountered export ATGM.