China China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation
HQ-7
A short-range, low-altitude surface-to-air missile system reverse-engineered from the French Thomson-CSF Crotale, providing point defense for PLA airfields and ground formations against low-flying aircraft and cruise missiles.
In service since 1988 · 5 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
15
km range
6,000
m altitude
1
targets
20
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
Established · 5 operators
In service since 1988. Status: active · ~300 built.
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.
- Engagement range
Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.
- 15 km Stronger than 19% of air-defense systems
- Engagement altitude
Maximum target altitude the system can reach.
- 6,000 m Stronger than 15% of air-defense systems
- Simultaneous targets
Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks.
- 1 Bottom 2% of air-defense systems
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 4x ready-to-fire missiles on tracked/wheeled launcher
- Warhead
Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.
- 15 kg Stronger than 32% of air-defense systems
- Guidance
How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.
- Radar command guidance
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- Pulse-Doppler search and tracking radar
- Radar range
Published detection range against a typical fighter-sized target. Higher sees first.
- 20 km Bottom 7% of air-defense systems
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 300
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 5 Stronger than 71% 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-7? +
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-7 has a maximum engagement range of 15 km.
What is the main armament of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-7? +
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-7's primary weapon is the 4x ready-to-fire missiles on tracked/wheeled launcher.
What is the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-7 used for? +
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-7 is a air defense system typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-7? +
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-7 is operated by 5 countries.
How much does the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-7 cost? +
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation HQ-7: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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