China China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation
HQ-16
A Chinese medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed jointly with Russian assistance, filling the gap between short-range point defenses and the long-range HQ-9. It is fielded in both land and naval vertical-launch variants.
In service since 2011 · 3 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
40
km range
18,000
m altitude
4
targets
150
km radar
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Chinese state channel
State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.
Channel: State export agency
Fielded & proven
Limited · 3 operators
In service since 2011. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 3 Mach Stronger than 34% of air-defense systems
- Engagement range
Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.
- 40 km Stronger than 45% of air-defense systems
- Engagement altitude
Maximum target altitude the system can reach.
- 18,000 m Stronger than 45% of air-defense systems
- Simultaneous targets
Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks.
- 4 Stronger than 22% of air-defense systems
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- HQ-16 interceptor missile
- Warhead
Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.
- 70 kg Stronger than 68% of air-defense systems
- Warhead type
Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.
- Fragmentation
- Guidance
How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.
- Semi-active radar homing, Inertial + datalink
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- 3D surveillance and engagement radar
- Radar range
Published detection range against a typical fighter-sized target. Higher sees first.
- 150 km Stronger than 54% of air-defense systems
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- Battalion command network
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 3 Stronger than 54% of air-defense systems
Specifications compiled from public China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the engagement range of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-16? +
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-16 has a maximum engagement range of 40 km.
What is the main armament of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-16? +
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-16's primary weapon is the HQ-16 interceptor missile.
What is the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-16 used for? +
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-16 is a air defense system typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-16? +
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-16 is operated by 3 countries.
How much does the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-16 cost? +
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-16: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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