AAPL Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Gold
Pakistan Gets New Chinese Air Defence System
Pakistan has showcased the Chinese-made HQ-17AE air-defence system amid growing concerns over a possible future India-Pakistan conflict.
Many geopolitical experts believe Operation Sindoor may not be the last India-Pakistan conflict, with both countries preparing for possible future tensions. Israeli analysts have also suggested that Saudi Arabia and Türkiye could become involved because of Pakistan’s new defence ties with them. This has raised questions about how Saudi Arabia would respond if India and Pakistan were to fight again.
Amid these concerns, the Pakistan Air Force released a video on 6 September 2026 showing the Chinese-made HQ-17AE air-defence system. The HQ-17AE is the export version of China’s HQ-17A short-range air-defence system.
The system can reportedly engage targets from up to around 20 kilometres away, including low-flying aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and drones. It can operate while moving and carries eight missiles on a single vehicle, along with its own radar and missile-control equipment. Its radar can track multiple targets at the same time.
Pakistan uses air-defence systems from China, Türkiye, Italy and other countries, making coordination between these systems important during an attack. For India, the HQ-17AE is another factor to consider when assessing Pakistan’s air defences.
However, Operation Sindoor raised questions about the effectiveness of Pakistan’s Chinese-made HQ-9 systems, which reportedly failed to stop some Indian missile strikes. Similar questions have been raised about Chinese air-defence systems used by Iran, after several military targets were hit during US and Israeli attacks.
This leaves one important question: How effective will Pakistan’s HQ-17AE be in a real conflict?