Bangladesh Army Standardises on Chinese HJ‑12 as Its Next‑Generation Anti‑Tank Missile

Reading Time: 6 minutes The Bangladesh Army has officially adopted the HJ-12 (Red Arrow-12) as its standard man‑portable anti‑tank guided missile (ATGM), marking a significant upgrade in its infantry anti‑armour capability. The HJ‑12, a third‑generation, fire‑and‑forget system, provides longer‑range and top‑attack capability. This acquisition represents one of the largest third‑generation ATGM procurements in South Asia, reflecting a major enhancement of the Army’s anti‑armour posture. The weapon is being issued at battalion level, enabling distributed anti‑tank coverage across frontline formations. Evolution of Bangladesh Army ATGM capability Bangladesh’s anti‑armour capability has evolved incrementally, reflecting both budgetary pragmatism and operational learning. Earlier generations of infantry anti‑tank weapons in Bangladesh included wire‑guided systems and older tube‑launched missiles, which served adequately against legacy armoured threats but limited mobility, target acquisition and survivability. Wire‑guided missiles require the firer to maintain line‑of‑sight guidance until impact, increasing exposure to counter‑fire and constraining shoot‑and‑scoot tactics. The Bangladesh Army currently