HQ-20*
my mistake
PLA Anti-Air Missile (SAM) systems
- Thread starter FORBIN
- Start date
my mistake
Is there a list of the major SAM-systems in Chinese service right now, and their roles/US analogues? I feel like China has twice as many missile types, despite not practicing the naval/surface distinction like the US does.
AFAIK, there's nothing that indicates HQ-20 being ABM capable
Afawk all sensors assigned to HQ-20 units are low frequency. It's very unlikely they are intended for ballistic/aeroballistic targets. It seems like PLAAF treats it as sort of supplement and amplifier. Otherwise it wouldn't make too much sense for it to be deployed with HQ-12 and S300PMU units. Could be a slow phase out situation for the older systems too.
Wait, that is just one unit?? It shows 9 launchers and 3 engagement radars!!! 3 launchers per radar? If all that is in a single battery - that's unheard of. Only Nasams batteries have something similar, with 3 fire units, each with a radar, but that's a much smaller system and a simpler, cheaper radar.
A battalion I think
Being "ABM capable" is not a big deal these days, because the "BM" part of "ABM" (i.e.: ballistic missiles) covers such a large breadth of weapons.
Having ABM capability against short range ballistic missiles, for example, is something that most modern MR-LR SAMs have a degree of capability against even if they are primarily oriented for air breathing threats.
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| Type | Role | Branch | Closest foreign equivalent |
| HQ-6A/B/D | SHORAD | PLAAF | Skyguard-Aspide/Avenger |
| HQ-7A | SHORAD | PLAGF | Crotale (Reverse engineered) |
| H(H)Q-9/B | Long range air defense/ABM | PLAAF/PLAN | S-300/400 |
| H(H)Q-9C | HIMAD/AMB | PLAAF/PLAN | Patriot PAC-3 MSE |
| HQ-10 | SHORAD | PLAN | RIM-116 RAM |
| HQ-11 | Short-medium range air defense | PLAAF | IRIS-T SLM/NASAMS |
| HQ-12A/B/C/D | Medium range air defense/Limited ABM | PLAAF | MIM-23 series |
| HQ-13 (FB-10) | SHORAD | PLAGF | Type 93 SAM |
| HQ-15 (FK-3000) | Anti-cluster/drone VSHORAD | PLAGF | Pantsir SMD-E |
| H(H)Q-16A/B/C/D(?)/FE | Medium range air defense/ABM | PLAGF/PLAN | Buk series/IRIS-T SLX |
| HQ-17/A | SHORAD | PLAGF | Tor-M (Reverse engineered) |
| HQ-19 | Exoatmospheric ABM | PLAAF | THAAD-ER |
| HQ-20 | Dedicated SAM for aerodynamic LO targets (?) | PLAAF | N/A (Couldn't really think of any equivalent) |
| HQ-22/A | Medium-long range air defense | PLAAF | Patriot PAC-2 |
| HQ-29 | Mid course interceptor/ASAT | PLAAF | KEI/Nudol |
| S-300PMU/PMU-2 | Long range air defense/ABM | PLAAF | Literally just S-300 |
| S-400 | Long range air defense/ABM | PLAAF | Just a normal S-400 |
AFAIK, these are all the in service PLA SAMs that I can name off the top of my head and their closest equivalent, though HQ-7 and HQ-6 probably have already been fully phased out by now. I also heard S-300PMU has been mostly phased out as well and it's just S-300PMU-2 left, HQ-12 possibly might have also been mostly gone by now.
HQ-20 closest foreign equivalent should be the S-350.