China Unveils Long Awaited HQ-29 Space Defence System Built to Take Down Western Satellites

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has unveiled a long rumoured next-generation long range air defence system, the HQ-29, the launch vehicles from which were observed in Beijing during rehearsals for an upcoming military parade scheduled for September 3. Six-axle transporter erector launchers each carry two large missile containers, although the other vehicles in the system housing radars and command systems have not been seen. Chinese media outlets have described the HQ-29 as a “double-barrelled satellite hunter,” with its role being similar to that of the Russian S-500, albeit with an apparently greater focus on anti-satellite warfare rather than ballistic missile defence.

The HQ-29 adds a new tier to China’s long range air defence capabilities. Directly below it is the HQ-19 system unveiled in 2024 which is relied on for defence against medium and intermediate range missile attacks, and uses kinetic kill technology in many ways similarly to the American THAAD system. Below the HQ-19 is by far the most widely used long range system, the HQ-9, which is broadly analogous to the Russian S-400 and American MIM-104 Patriot, and provides defence against short, medium, and intermediate range ballistic missiles as well as all kinds of air breathing aircraft. Beyond these three long range systems, lower level systems such as the medium range HQ-16 and short range FK-3000 provide further layers to China’s air defence network, which is widely considered the world’s most formidable. The HQ-29 has no analogues in the Western world, with China being only the second country to field such a system after Russia’s much delayed introduction of the S-500 system into service in 2021.