Stories
China Rattled by US Missile Deployment in Japan? HQ-9 Deployed in Gobi for Desert Drills.
- •China has objected to the deployment of the US Typhon missile system in Japan, considering it a strategic offensive weapon.
- •The PLA's Eastern Theater Command unit conducted exercises in the Gobi Desert with HQ-9 long-range air defense missile systems.
- •The drills simulated drone attacks, equipment malfunctions, and emergency situations, testing soldiers' emergency response and joint operational capabilities.
- •The HQ-9 is designed to counter aerial attacks in various weather conditions and amidst heavy electronic jamming.
- •The Eastern Theater Command's exercise demonstrates China's regional military mobility and ability to rapidly deploy across different theaters.
Key Questions Answered
China sent an Air Force unit from its PLA Eastern Theater Command to the Gobi Desert to conduct military exercises involving the HQ-9 long-range air defense missile system. This exercise demonstrated regional military mobility and tested the troops' rapid deployment and joint operational capabilities in changing conditions.
The HQ-9 is China's third-generation medium-to-long-range air defense system designed to counter aerial attacks across various weather conditions and heavy electronic jamming. It can effectively target aircraft, drones, and precision-guided weapons.
China lodged a diplomatic protest with Japan over the deployment of the US Typhon missile system on Japan's Kyushu Island during the 'Eastern Shield-26' exercise. Beijing criticized the system as a strategic offensive weapon that increases the risk of military confrontation and an arms race in the region.
