Chinese shield can shoot down ballistic missiles, worrying the West

China's Defense Ministry said last week it was developing a new generation of air defense systems, but did not provide further details. Analysts say the weapon is likely designed to counter a variety of threats, including long-range ballistic missiles, according to the National.Interest.

"Compared to previous air defense missiles, the new system has a longer target detection range and possesses more modern technologies. This helps China be among the countries capable of designing and manufacturing air defense systems that can accurately attack targets 1,000 km away," said Wang Mengyi, Deputy Director of the General Design Department.of the Second Academy, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation,declare.

The air defense system appears to be the HQ-19, a ballistic missile defense variant of China’s mainstay HQ-9 air defense system. It was first revealed in 2016, when the US Department of Defense released a report on China’s military capabilities.

"China is developing a new ballistic missile shield codenamed HQ-19. As of May 2016, it is still in the process of testing to intercept ballistic missiles with a range of 3,000 km. The HQ-19 missile uses a kinetic target destruction mechanism, which can hit ballistic missiles or satellites in near-Earth orbit. HQ-19 will be a significant upgrade from HQ-9, an air defense system that is only capable of intercepting short-range ballistic missiles," said expert Alicia Sanders-Zakre of the Arms Control Association.

In addition to the HQ-19, China is also developing a number of air defense systems with a range of up to 2,000 km such as the HQ-26 and HQ-29, aimed at destroying ballistic missiles.

Little is known about the HQ-26, but it is believed to be as powerful as the US SM-3 and is expected to be deployed on the Type 055 destroyer. Meanwhile, the HQ-29 could be as powerful as the US Patriot PAC-3, which was developed in 2003 and successfully tested in 2011.

China's new air defense system could also be the HQ-18, a copy of Russia's S-300V. A HQ-18 battery can be equipped with up to 6 launchers with 24 combat-ready missiles.

Although China's current air defense capabilities are inferior to those of Russia and the West, its future complexes will be very powerful and cause concern in the West.

"The S-300V series is among the most powerful anti-ballistic missile systems in the world. China's upgrade will certainly make the West worried because they do not have equivalent weapons. Only stealth fighters like the F-22 and F-35 are capable of penetrating and destroying systems like the HQ-18," said military expert Dave Majumdar.