PLA Anti-Air Missile (SAM) systems
- Thread starter FORBIN
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H-200 fire control radar of the FK-3 system.
To be fair, it's doable from persistent space. Assuming, of course, it survives.
To be fair, s-500 is*. This is why it's main interceptor is so stupidly huge(b/c it achieves hypersonic intercept not through thrusters, but by increasing flow over aerodynamic surfaces in higher atmosphere).
Pro - dual purpose, higher protected footprint. Con, of course, impressive grand total of two interceptors per huge 5-wheel launcher.
*Also, 40n6 with it's corresponding TELs is part of s-500 system, but this is only limited tactical ABM at most.
I.e. China doing everything through layers of specialist systems is unique Chinese approach
Though to be fair, perhaps it's unfair to even spell it this way, as there are arguably only two complete ecosystems out there, with China emerging as such very recently. Americans don't count, because theirs is kinda patchy, and doesn't form continuous coverage for threat layers.
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Kyrgyzstan bought qw-12 manpads
So which other country is also equipped with complete anti-air/anti-missile ecosystem?
Russia obviously.
Israel lacks long range atmospheric, ROC - long range, Iran - ABM.
US doesn't have shorter and long range range layers (through there's top tier strategic ABM). I.e. it's a patchwork of protection bubbles, with only medium range one being consistent and continuous.
I think China has the most complete system of air defense at the moment. But they lack the numbers. Compared to China's number of massive cities, the number of air and missile defense is still too low. And I doubt they will be able to increase much since that will require huge manpower increase in the air defense units as well. They probably want to utilize their manpower for actual flying units.
After 2024 Zhuhai and especially the 2025 parade - yes, pretty hard to argue. I will refrain from judging if this degree of completeness is necessary, as Ukraine is quite an overturning experince on subject matter; many approaches and takes from before the war are now laughable, and maybe China's path of comprehensively covering niches with thoroughly(3+) layered, nuanced defenses is the true path forward.
But numbers are clearly an issue for China - HQ-22A was there, after all, as were all new CIWS systems from PLAAF ADF.
Does Russia have a THAAD equivalent? In terms of intercept altitude and speed, the PLA's air defense/missile defense layers are even more complex than Russia's, and can be said to be the most complex in the world.