Pakistan inducts Chinese-made air-defense system

By Zhao Lei The Pakistan Air Force has inducted China's HQ-17AE air-defense system, making Pakistan the third foreign buyer of the advanced weapon after Serbia and Tajikistan. A video released on Monday by the PAF's Directorate General Public Relations shows an HQ-17AE missile launch vehicle operating on a road, with its radar searching for targets. Previously, Pakistan procured and deployed several other Chinese air-defense platforms, including the FM-90, the LY-80, the HQ-9BE and the HQ-16FE. Most of these systems are designed and built by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, a State-owned defense conglomerate and the nation's biggest missile manufacturer. The HQ-17AE, which was deve­loped by the Beijing-based CASIC Second Academy, China's leading manufacturer of air-defense weapons, comprises one six-wheeled launch vehicle, eight launch tubes that fire short-range air-defense missiles, and a set of solid-state phased array radar. According to the manufacturer, the air-defense system features strong capabilities to detect and intercept multiple targets, as well as high mobility, making it suitable for air-defense operations by forward-deployed ground forces. Designers noted that the system is capable of detecting and intercepting various types of air threats, including stealth fighter jets, helicopters, combat drones and cruise missiles that enter its perimeter of operations. While the HQ-17AE launch vehicle can travel at a maximum speed of 90 kilometers per hour, it can fire missiles while moving at a speed of 25 km/h or slower, the designers said, adding that its strike range against incoming fighter jets is 15 to 20 km. This launch vehicle can simultaneously engage four incoming targets, while previous models of the same type could deal with only one target at a time, they said. The missile system can rapidly respond to incoming threats and operate in complex battlefield environments, they said, noting that in terms of combat capability, the HQ-17AE is five times more capable than its predecessors. Chinese weapons experts said the HQ-17AE is the export version of the HQ-17A, an air-defense system developed by the CASIC Second Academy for the People's Liberation Army Ground Force. The HQ-17A was first exhibited during the National Day parade in Beijing in October 2019, which marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Wu Peixin, a military affairs observer, said the HQ-17AE is renowned for its high mobility, rapid response capability and high hit accuracy, making it suitable for providing air-defense support to front-line ground combat units. "Following the induction of the HQ-17AE, the Pakistani military can better carry out short-range air defense for forward-deployed forces and key assets. The system can form a multilayered air-defense architecture alongside the Chinese-built systems previously procured by Pakistan, effectively enhancing the Pakistani military's air-defense capabilities," he said.