Rather than confirmed big-scale delivery, a substantial portion of Chinese cooperation includes components, access, or conversations, according to an intelligence note that News18 was able to get.
New Delhi:
Mass destruction in Iranian cities in coordinated airstrikes by the US and Israel has put the spotlight on the failure of Tehran’s air defence system in intercepting incoming projectiles. The HQ-9B air defence system, which Iran recently procured from China to boost its arsenal, appears to have fallen short of its task. Earlier, HQ-9B had failed to adequately protect targets in Pakistan when India launched Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack. The sub-par show in Iran has now prompted combat analysts to raise questions on the HQ-9B’s capabilities.
The US and Israel’s combined airpower may have simply overloaded the HQ-9B-backed infrastructure, which was hastily assembled after hostilities in the Gulf started, even though the collapse of the air defense system may point to defects and weaknesses.
How Does HQ-9B Look?
Inspired by American Patriot PAC-2 and Russian S-300PMU systems, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation developed HQ-9B, a completely domestic air defense system. This has been in use for the last ten years after being tested for the first time in 2006. Its range is 260 km, and it can shoot down projectiles at high altitudes by rising to 50 km, according to several accounts. Features like
It works well against stealth aircraft thanks to passive infrared seekers and active radar homing. According to rumors, the HQ-9B can track up to 100 targets and engage 6–8 targets at once.
The HQ-9B is a key component of China’s air defense network since it has been stationed in Beijing, Tibet, and the South China Sea, all of which are vital to the country’s strategic objectives.
How Iran’s Arsenal Fits It
Iran began expanding its defensive arsenal as Gulf tensions escalated. It has been learned that Iran purchased the HQ-9B as part of an oil-for-weapon agreement with China.
Following the Russian S-300PMU-2’s poor performance against Israeli missiles during the 2025 confrontation, Iran made this significant modification. The S-300PMU-2 and Bavar-373 (long range), Khordad-15 and Raad (medium range), and short-range Tor-M2, Pantsir-S1, Zolfaqar, and tactical MANPADS missiles were reportedly used to support the HQ-9B, which comprised the long-range layer. The Fordow enrichment facility, the IRGC’s missile and UAV facilities, the airbases close to Tehran and Isfahan, and the Natanz nuclear complex are only a few of the important locations where HQ-9B were probably stationed.
Conflict That Is Growing Quickly
Tehran retaliated sharply yesterday after the US and Israel launched a coordinated strike on Iranian towns after weeks and months of intense exchanges. The strikes have disrupted more than 20 of Iran’s 31 provinces, including Tehran, the country’s capital.
Large portions of the Middle East have been impacted by the strikes and counterstrikes; one of the busiest airports in the world, Dubai, was forced to close. Iran has expanded the fight by focusing on US allies Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in order to make it clear that supporting the adversary will have repercussions. Tehran has promised to launch the “most ferocious offensive operation in history” in retaliation for the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei is “one of the most evil people in history,” according to US President Donald Trump, who also declared that the US offensive will go on “as long as necessary to achieve our objective of peace throughout the Middle East and indeed, the world.”
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