Serbia acquires Chinese HQ-17AE amid Russian arms delays

Serbia did not receive the ordered weaponry from Russia, so it turned to an alternative from another country. The Serbian Ministry of Defence published photos of the Chinese HQ-17AE anti-aircraft system. We describe its capabilities.

Neither the Serbian government nor the local Ministry of Defence had previously informed the public about purchasing this anti-aircraft system from the People’s Republic of China. According to local observers, the system might have been purchased as an alternative to the Russian Pantsir-S1 system, the delivery of which was disrupted by the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war.

HQ-17AE in Serbia

The Serbian Ministry of Defense has published photos from a military event at which elements of this Chinese air defense system were presented.

The Chinese HQ-17AE air defense system is the export version of the Chinese HQ-17A wheeled air defense system, essentially a copy of the Soviet Tor-M1 air defense system. China tried to obtain a license to manufacture it, but Russia refused to cooperate, so the devices were reverse engineered.

The HQ-17AE protects soldiers and strategically important facilities from threats from the air. It can intercept air targets at a range of 1.6 kilometers to 14 kilometers and operate at altitudes of 10 meters to 10,100 meters. The missiles used in the launchers are guided to their targets by a semi-active warhead that identifies targets using radar.

A launcher and a reloading tool were presented during the event. Details of the Serbian order made in China are not known; even the local media do not report how many batteries they have purchased.

Serbia has intensified relations with China in all areas and especially in military cooperation. The President of China, XiJinping, chose Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbia as a place to visit during his visit to Europe.

Xi then said that Serbia is China’s first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe, saying that their bilateral cooperation has given a strong impetus to their respective development and renewal and brought tangible benefits to both peoples.

Like some other Eastern European or Balkan countries, Serbia’s military is based on Soviet technology due to long-standing political and cultural ties with Moscow. However, Russia’s fierce war against Ukraine has brought Serbia closer to China. Currently, Serbia is the only European country that uses Chinese weapons – especially drones and air defense systems./.msn.com/