HQ-17

China's HQ-17 remains in PLA service, documented in 2026 training by China Military Online; the wheeled HQ-17AE is an export derivative of HQ-17A, according to Quwa.

Overview

The HQ-17 (Hongqi-17) family is the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force’s organic short-range surface-to-air missile system, filling the innermost tier of China’s layered ground-based air defences. Derived from Russia’s Tor-M1 (SA-15 Gauntlet) and indigenised by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), it pairs an autonomous search-and-track radar with cold-launched command-guided missiles on a single chassis, offering point and area protection for mechanised forces on the move. Within that network it is intended to destroy targets that long- and medium-range air defence systems fail to hit, according to Army Recognition.

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