China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-9 vs Lockheed Martin THAAD
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-9 and Lockheed Martin THAAD are both air defense system, compared here on public specifications. The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-9 leads on engagement range (200 vs 200 km). Several China-origin figures here are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, so treat this comparison as directional.
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Full data
Full spec sheet
 China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-9
Wins 0/5 |  Lockheed Martin THAAD
Wins 5/5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | 4.2 Mach | 8.24 Mach ✓ |
| Engagement range (km) | 200 km | 200 km |
| Engagement altitude (m) | 27,000 m | 150,000 m ✓ |
| Simultaneous targets | 6 | 24 ✓ |
| Firepower | ||
| Warhead (kg) | 180 kg | N/A |
| Sensors & avionics | ||
| Radar range (km) | 300 km | 1,000 km ✓ |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | N/A | $1,000,000,000 |
| Operator countries | 3 | 5 ✓ |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the longer engagement range? +
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-9 has the longest engagement range at 200 km.
Which is cheaper? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD has the lower public unit-cost figure at 1,000,000,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Which has the higher max speed (mach)? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD has the higher max speed (mach) at 8.24 Mach.
Which has the higher simultaneous targets? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD has the higher simultaneous targets at 24.
Which has the higher engagement altitude? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD has the higher engagement altitude at 150,000 m.
Which has the higher radar range? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD has the higher radar range at 1,000 km.
Is the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-9 better than the Lockheed Martin THAAD? +
On the public specs we track, the Lockheed Martin THAAD leads on 5 of 6 headline metrics, see the full spec sheet for the metric-by-metric breakdown.
Where does this comparison data come from? +
Every figure in the table is sourced from public manufacturer pages, defense-ministry releases and reference publications, and is verifiable on each system's spec page. WeaponSpecs does not accept vendor placement.
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