Beijing: Pictures of the new Chinese HQ-29 ballistic missile defense system are going viral on social media in China. After which there is speculation that it may be introduced for the first time in the military parade to be held in Beijing in September. This system has not yet been officially accepted, but it is believed to be China's most advanced ballistic missile defense system. The HQ-19 ballistic missile has been compared by many defence experts to the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system. A video clip posted on Chinese social media on Tuesday showed a six-axle transporter erector launcher - a vehicle used to transport and launch missiles, carrying two large missile canisters.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the vehicle carrying the HQ-19 was headed towards Beijing. There are rumblings in Chinese defence circles that it may be officially shown to the world for the first time at a military parade on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The system seen in the video resembles the transporter erector launcher seen on the road in March, which military observers speculated at the time was the new HQ-29. A SCMP report last week reported the sighting of this missile.
Is China going to show the world the HQ-19 defense system?
China, which has already developed air defense systems like HQ-9 and HQ-22, is now preparing to take a big leap through HQ-29. It is being claimed that this system will not only be able to intercept high-end ballistic missiles, but is also being prepared to challenge systems like America's THAAD and Russia's S-400. According to the SCMP report, the HQ-29 system is actually considered to be an advanced variant of the HQ-9B system, but many new features have been added to it. It has active radar homing interceptor missiles, which can track and destroy incoming ballistic missiles at a distance of more than 100 km. HQ-29 missiles can be fired from fixed and mobile launch platforms and can be rapidly deployed on any front. SCMP reported that its multi-tracking and high-speed interception functions make it extremely effective against short-to-medium range ballistic missiles. Chinese experts are describing the missile system as a "double-barrel satellite hunter" with the ability to hit missiles and even low orbit satellites at altitudes of more than 500 kilometers.
Although Chinese officials have not yet officially acknowledged the existence of the HQ-29, experts believe it is a strategic mid-course interceptor designed to destroy ballistic missiles when they are outside the Earth's atmosphere. The HQ-29 has been developed by China at a time when the US has deployed the THAAD system in South Korea. Beijing has always considered it a threat to its strategic balance. With the HQ-29, China will now have a platform that will have the ability to shoot down threats coming at high altitude and hyperspeed. With the deployment of HQ-29, China will create a multi-layered air defense. PLA is already using systems like HQ-16 (medium range) and HQ-22 (long range). After integrating these with HQ-29, China will create a layered air and missile defense shield, which will first track the enemy's missile, then destroy it from the maximum distance.
How much trouble will India face from HQ-19 defense system
India is currently using the Russian S-400 system which is much more advanced than China's existing air defense system HQ-9, but HQ-29 can change the balance, especially if it is deployed near Tibet or Arunachal border. Because the HQ-29 ballistic missile defense system will work under an attacking strategy, which will strengthen the PLA's first strike capability. Will this defense system be able to stop India's Brahmos missile? If we try to find the answer to this question, it is revealed that there can be a tough competition between HQ-29 ballistic defense system and Brahmos.
Comparing Brahmos vs HQ-29, it is revealed that technically India's Brahmos missile is superior to China's HQ-29 air defense system. Brahmos is equipped with capabilities like supersonic speed (Mach 2.8–3.5), sea-skimming flight profile and terminal maneuver, which make it extremely difficult for any radar and interceptor to track and intercept. HQ-29 is designed for ballistic missiles, while Brahmos is a cruise missile, which flies very close to the ground and reaches the target in a short time. That is why it will be extremely difficult for HQ-29 to intercept Brahmos. However, SCMP report shows that HQ-29 has advanced radar and multiple target angle.
