The HQ-9 is China’s primary long-range domestic surface-to-air missile.
Outwardly, it seems similar to the S-300, using large flat face radars and a large missile that vertically launches out of a canister.
But since the Sino-Soviet split in the 1950s, China didn’t receive that much assistance in surface-to-air missile development from the Soviet Union. Is the HQ-9 just an evolution?
NATO member states are strongly opposed to Turkey’s decision to purchase a Chinese-built missile defense system, with one NATO official calling the missile system a “virus,” according to a report in the Turkish newspaper, the Hurriyet Daily News.
An unnamed NATO ambassador in Ankara, was even blunter, telling Hurriyet: “I have no idea why the Turks do not see the simple fact that the alliance’s security threat perception in the next 20 years is based on China. Air and missile defense will be the top defense issue in the foreseeable future, with China being under the magnifier.”
The Hurriyet article suggests that the main concern among NATO officials with Ankara’s purchase of the HQ-9 missile system is the lack of interoperability. In particular, the NATO officials interviewed expressed concern about integrating the HQ-9 with NATO’s Identify Friend or Foe(IFF) system, which operates on “Mode 5,” a code that enables the system to distinguish between friendly and adversary aircraft.
Meanwhile, State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, expressed concerns with the fact that the Chinese company involved in the deal has repeatedly been sanctioned by the U.S. for its deals with countries like Iran, Pakistan and North Korea. “The main concern here was that the Turkish government was having contract discussions with a U.S.-sanctioned company for a missile defense system that was not operable with NATO systems,” Psaki said.
A series of satellite photos have captured a glimpse of China's HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system at a missile range in Xianyang in northwest China's Shaanxi province, according to the Janes Defense Weekly.
The photos of the Chinese air defense missile with its launcher and radar system were taken on Aug. 29 when a satellite flew over Sanyuan county in Xianyang. The HQ-9 missile is designed based on the Russian-built SA-10, and currently serves the ground and naval forces of the People's Liberation Army.
According to Janes Defense Weekly, the HQ-9's radar system differs from a Russian S-300 air defense missile in the tractor that is uses. The tractor of HQ-9's radar system is one meter shorter than the tractor of the Russian 64N6E radar. Meanwhile, Turkey announced that it would purchase the FD-2000, the export version of HQ-9 from China to serve as its air force's medium-range air defense missile. However, both the US and NATO have applied enormous pressure on Turkey over the missile deal, saying that the system would not be compatible with those of Turkey's other NATO allies.
Según fuentes no oficiales, China podría estar esperando un envío de misiles tierra-aire S-400 de fabricación rusa, capaces de interceptar misiles y aeronaves.
Una de las principales razones que mueven a China a interesarse por el S-400 es la de modernizar su sistema defensivo HQ-9, que, como se muestra en este video, no es todo lo fiable que debería ser:
Por si lo anteriormente mostrado no bastase, Japon cuenta ya con misiles tierra-aire SM-3 norteamericanos, lo cual ha sido visto con preocupación por China. Visto lo visto y dadas las circunstancias, parece cada vez más claro que China debería actualizar su tecnología militar si desea competir en la nueva carrera de armamentos que se está desarrollando a escala global.
