Beijing deploys new missiles matching Patriots opposite Taiwan
State broadcaster CCTV shows troops from the Fujian-based 73rd Army Group testing the new missiles in the Gobi Desert
Mainland China has equipped frontline troops facing Taiwan with a new missile, according to mainland state media.
The missile is believed to be an HQ-16F, which has comparable qualities to the US Patriot PAC2 and 3 systems.
On Friday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of the 73rd Group Army’s first operational and live-fire assessment of the missile in the Gobi Desert.
The unit, which forms part of the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theatre Command, had travelled thousands of kilometres from its base in Fujian province to the northwestern desert to receive the new system before the test, the report said.
The test included a missile launch from a mobile launcher and CCTV said it had successfully hit an incoming target that was 50km (30 miles) away.
The video showed that the missile had a distinctive aerodynamic design with no wings and relied on four tail fins for flight control.