Air-defence unit within PLAGF's 73rd Group Army demonstrates capabilities to counter UAV swarms

An air-defence unit within the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force’s (PLAGF’s) 73rd Group Army demonstrated its capabilities to counter swarms of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in an exercise recently conducted in a desert region in northwestern China.

A PLAGF soldier using a previously unseen handheld jammer to force a small UAV into a controlled landing. An air-defence unit within the PLAGF’s 73rd Group Army demonstrated its capabilities to counter UAV swarms in an exercise conducted in a desert region in northwestern China. (CCTV)

Weihutang, a programme on military affairs from state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), released footage on 19 October showing how the unit used a variety of weapons to counter the UAVs, including man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADSs), short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems such as the HQ-17, and Type 90 towed anti-aircraft guns.

Moreover, two previously unseen handheld radio-frequency jammers – somewhat similar in appearance to assault rifles – were used, one of which featured an organic electronic warfare (EW) sensor on the top alongside an optical scope.

The footage also seems to show that two separate net guns were deployed during the exercise, both of which also featured optical scopes. That said, a non-organic EW sensor was observed operating alongside one of them.

No further details were provided about the jammers and the net guns.