China adds ‘aircraft hunter’ field missile system to export weapons list
- HQ-17AE carries eight short-range missiles designed to protect frontline units from drone and helicopter attacks
- It is believed to be the export version of the HQ-17A which made its debut in the 2019 National Day military parade
The latest member of China’s home-grown “Flying Mongoose” family of field air defence missile systems has been cleared for export.
The HQ-17AE, dubbed a “low altitude aircraft hunter”, is designed to keep up with frontline units like tank battalions and protect them from drone and helicopter attacks. It consists of a six-wheeled launch vehicle carrying eight short-range air-defence missiles and a solid-state phased-array radar system.
According to state media reports, the missile system was developed for overseas markets by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) at its Second Academy in Beijing. Previous versions of the HQ-17 have been exported to several countries, including Cyprus, Egypt, Greece and Venezuela.
The nationalist tabloid Global Times lauded the new system’s capabilities, describing it as a “perfect choice” to accompany troops or defend key facilities. The HQ-17AE’s advanced vertical cold launch capability and rotatable tail wings give it a fast reaction time and ability to adapt to complex electromagnetic environments on the battlefield, it said.
The HQ-17A – believed to be the domestic-use version of the HQ-17AE – made its first public appearance in 2019, in the October 1 National Day military parade in Beijing, the Global Times said.
According to the Missile Defence Advocacy Alliance, a US-based non-profit organisation, the HQ-17 family consists of reverse-engineered copies of Russia’s Tor-M1 surface-to-air defence systems.