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The Chinese People’s Liberation Army [PLA] Central Theater Command has announced a new variant of the HQ-9B long-range air defense system. Recent images reveal HQ-9Bs in a new setup, featuring transporter-erector launchers now equipped with a smaller, lighter class of surface-to-air missiles. Impressively, these launchers can carry up to eight missiles.
Initially, HQ-9s were only equipped with larger, longer-range missiles, with four on each launch vehicle. According to the state-run Global Times, these new smaller missiles are geared for engaging closer targets. This strategic adjustment enhances each HQ-9B’s capabilities, providing more layers of protection.
The HQ-9B is the most widely produced long-range surface-to-air missile system outside of Russia. Similar to the well-known Russian S-400, it boasts high mobility and deploys missiles, radars, and command units from mobile trucks to enhance survivability. China’s advanced electronics and radar capabilities give the HQ-9B a notable edge over its Russian counterparts in performance.
While Russia has made limited investments in fighter aviation post-Cold War, relying primarily on ground-based systems for airspace protection, China’s PLA has heavily invested in fighter aviation, using ground systems as complementary support.
Russia revolutionized air defense by creating systems that deploy multiple missile classes with different ranges to address varied threats. Chinese and North Korean systems have since adopted similar capabilities.
The HQ-9B has steadily gained traction in export markets. Notably, British sources report that Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan have chosen this system over Russian alternatives to replace their aging Soviet-era S-200s.
While it remains unconfirmed, there are also whispers of Morocco acquiring the HQ-9B. As for the medium-range HQ-22 system, it found a new home in Serbia. Despite facing Western pressure to adopt NATO-standard systems, Serbia welcomed the HQ-22 with open arms, receiving their units in April 2022.
Boasting a 250-kilometer engagement range, the HQ-9B can cover an expansive area of nearly 200,000 square kilometers. Its 360-degree radar coverage and cold launch system enable it to engage targets in any direction. These features, along with enhanced sensors and data links, represent significant upgrades from the HQ-9A, which started service roughly a decade earlier in 2000-2001.
The early development of the HQ-9 in the ’90s saw a significant boost from technology transfers. Notably, Russia, a key successor state of the Soviet Union, provided massive exports of its S-300 systems during that decade. Additionally, Israel’s access to the latest American Patriot system technologies played a crucial role.
Thanks to significant improvements in China’s defense and broader tech sectors, the nation has moved past its reliance on foreign technology transfers. This newfound independence has allowed China to develop and enhance the HQ-9B using its indigenous technologies.
Exercises featuring the HQ-9B are now a common sight. These include launching electromagnetic attacks on the systems and conducting simulated air attacks in red vs. blue team drills. Former PLA officers emphasize the importance of operating these systems in unfamiliar terrain and rigorously testing personnel right from the commencement of the new systems’ service.
The system has been deployed in significant numbers to major potential hotspots, including strategically important islands in the South China Sea. In 2015, HQ-9Bs were deployed to Hotan in the Xinjiang province, close to contested territories in Kashmir claimed by India. This deployment, coupled with the absence of comparable systems in Indian service, is believed to have influenced Delhi’s decision to order Russian S-400s three years later.
In addition to ground-based deployments, a naval variant of the HQ-9B, known as the HHQ-9B, has been extensively used by the PLA Navy since the mid-2010s. This system is active on over three dozen surface destroyers, including the Type 052C, Type 052D, and Type 055 classes. These destroyers also utilize close-in weapon systems and HHQ-10 short-range surface-to-air missiles for complementary short-range air defense.
BULGARIAN MILITARY