The Chinese military unveiled for the first time its long-range HQ-19 surface-to-air missile system at the Zhuhai air show.

This new air defense system aims to provide advanced protection against ballistic missiles, complementing existing systems like the HQ-9 and HQ-22, according to Military Watch, an American magazine focused on defense.

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The HQ-19 shares functional similarities with the American THAAD system and the AEGIS system deployed on ships when combined with SM-3 missiles. It is designed to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles in their midcourse phase outside the Earth’s atmosphere.

This system uses a kinetic kill warhead, which neutralizes incoming threats through direct impact, a technique often praised for its precision and effectiveness.

A defense analyst described the HQ-19 launcher as being approximately 13 meters long, with missile containers reaching 7.8 meters in height. The missiles are launched using a cold-launch system at a steep angle, reducing pressure on the launcher and providing better survivability during engagements.

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One of the key features of the HQ-19 is its reported range of 3,000 kilometers, allowing it to engage missiles coming from beyond Japan or the Philippines without leaving Chinese territory, while medium-range ballistic missiles are currently deployed in very limited numbers by China’s potential adversaries.

The deployment of the HQ-19 is expected to become more significant in the future as Western bloc countries and their allies develop new categories of hypersonic ballistic missiles, a technological area where China currently holds a strong lead.

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The development of this advanced ground-launched missile defense system capable of intercepting targets outside the atmosphere paves the way for integrating new generations of the same system on Chinese naval destroyers in the future, allowing for missile threat interception in distant seas.

Features and Specifications:

• Advanced Radar System: Uses a long-range, three-dimensional radar capable of detecting and tracking distant targets with high precision, enabling early detection of enemy ballistic missiles.
• Purpose: Designed to intercept medium- to long-range ballistic missiles (up to around 3,000 km), it can target threats beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, making it a strategic system.
• Interceptor Missiles: Uses advanced interceptor missiles capable of reaching high altitudes and intercepting enemy missiles at the boundaries of the atmosphere, with high maneuverability, increasing its chances of hitting fast-moving or agile ballistic targets.
• Range and Altitude: Has an effective range reaching hundreds of kilometers and interception altitudes close to space, making it capable of countering medium-range ballistic missiles.

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