Special Report: Pakistan fields new air-defence systems
A scale model of HQ-17AE is deisplayed at Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference 2026. (Janes/Akshay Arkane)
Pakistan appears to be expanding its air-defence architecture by deploying new Chinese and Turkish systems. These include the Chinese HQ-17AE short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system and Turkish firm Aselsan's Şahin counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) weapon and Korkut self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG).
Footage published by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on its official social media channels on 7 September showed the air-defence systems in operation for the first time. The video also showed several other PAF-operated platforms, including J-10C and JF-17 multirole fighter aircraft, Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, Shahpar-II UAVs, the Baykar Akinci UAV, and Wing Loong II UAVs.
Capabilities
China's state-owned Global Times cited a Chinese military affairs expert on the same day as saying that the HQ-17AE would help fill a gap in Pakistan's short-range air defences and strengthen its ability to counter low-altitude threats, including UAVs.
The HQ-17AE SAM system was developed by the Second Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). Designed to counter aerial threats and saturation attacks, the system integrates its combat and support functions on a single 6×6 wheeled off-road vehicle, providing a high degree of mobility.
Citing CASIC, China Central Television (CCTV) said the HQ-17AE incorporates an all-solid-state phased-array radar, a vertical cold-launch missile system, and advanced missile-control technologies. These features are intended to provide rapid reaction times and maintain effectiveness in complex electromagnetic environments.
The system can launch missiles while moving and can be networked with other vehicles during operations. CASIC added that each vehicle carries eight missiles and can simultaneously engage up to four targets by guiding four missiles at once, providing a capability against multiple airborne threats.
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