ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military has displayed what appears to be China’s HQ-17A short-range surface-to-air missile system in an official promotional video, Bloomberg reported.
The Pakistan Army released the footage on its official X account on Monday. It shows a six-wheeled military vehicle equipped with a large rectangular radar array for around 28 seconds.
However, the military did not identify the equipment shown in the video. Bloomberg reported that if Pakistan has acquired the HQ-17A, it would represent the first known sale of the system to the country.
Chinese Military Account Identifies System as HQ-17A
China’s official armed forces press account subsequently identified the model as the HQ-17A in an X post on Monday.
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation manufactures the system, which China first publicly displayed during its 2019 National Day military parade.
The HQ-17A provides short-range air defence and is designed to counter multiple aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, drones and cruise missiles.
Moreover, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates that China’s People’s Liberation Army operates around 200 HQ-17 systems and approximately 50 HQ-17A units.
Display Highlights Growing Pakistan-China Defence Cooperation
According to Bloomberg, Serbia and Tajikistan have acquired the HQ-17AE export variant, which is based on the HQ-17A platform.
Meanwhile, the apparent appearance of the system in Pakistan comes amid expanding military cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing.
Their defence relationship attracted international attention during the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, when Pakistan deployed Chinese-manufactured J-10C fighter aircraft during operations against the Indian Air Force.
Nevertheless, Pakistan’s military has not publicly confirmed acquiring the HQ-17A or disclosed details about its deployment, numbers or operational status.
