5 days ago
After facing defeat against India, Pakistan to buy HQ-19 air defence system from..., is it better than S-400? Know its features
After facing defeat against India, Pakistan to buy HQ-19 air defence system from..., is it better than S-400? Know its features
Islamabad: Following the faceoff with India, Pakistan is now working to strengthen its air defence capabilities. For this, Islamabad is planning to acquire China's latest HQ-19 missile defence system. As per a report by Kuala Lumpur Defense Security Asia quoting sources, the air defence system is being planned to be purchased along with 40 Chinese J-35A stealth fighter jets. The fifth-generation fighter jets are expected to reach Pakistan in the first quarter of 2026. Notably, Pakistan is planning to buy the air defence system at a time when there is dissatisfaction in the Pakistani Air Force regarding China's HQ-9 air defence. The made-in-China HQ-9 air defence system proved to be a complete failure during the faceoff with India and its missile attack in May. China's New HQ-19 Missile Defence
The Dragon's HQ-19 is a ballistic missile defence system which was launched in November 2024. It has a range of 3,000 kms, mean it can protect the air space by that range. as per the Defence Security Air, deployed for long-range ballistic missiles, can be used against supersonic and near-supersonic cruise missiles such as Brahmos and Scalp-EG as well as India's Agni series of ballistic missiles.
On the other hand, India already has the world's best missile defense system S-400, which has been acquired from Russia. How Does HQ-19 Works?
China's Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation developed a new air defense system. This system employs a direct hit approach to neutralize incoming missiles and is deployed on an eight-wheeled vehicle carrying six missiles.
It includes a command and control system and a powerful radar – Type 610A. The radar has an estimated detection range of 4000 kms. The HQ-19 began to be developed in the late 1990s. It was first tested in the year 2021. It is derived from Chinese surface-to-air missile system called HQ-9. Weaknesses of Pakistani Air Defence
In May, Indian missiles successfully struck targets within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) during Operation Sindoor. This operation highlighted the apparent ineffectiveness of Pakistan's Chinese-made HQ-9 long-range and HQ-16 medium-range air defence systems, which failed to intercept the incoming missiles.
