How is China shaping up in the global competition to sell air defence weapons?

Chinese defense companies are making a significant push in the global competition to sell air defense weapons, a market increasingly vital due to drone warfare witnessed in Ukraine and the Middle East. At the recent Eurosatory arms fair, Chinese firms showcased their latest surface-to-air missile systems and anti-drone technologies.

Experts suggest that China's cost-efficiency positions it well to capture sales from the Global South. However, geopolitical constraints are expected to limit its access to countries allied with the United States, which prioritize combat-proven and interoperable systems. Despite these challenges, Chinese defense systems have already found their way into multiple international markets.

North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco), China's largest ground-based arms manufacturer, displayed its Sky Dragon 100 and Yitian II surface-to-air missile systems. The company also presented anti-drone solutions, including anti-air guns and laser weapon systems. The HQ-9, a long-range surface-to-air missile capable of reaching targets up to 260 kilometers away, has reportedly been sold to nations such as Azerbaijan, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

In a notable instance of Chinese military hardware presence in Europe, Serbia is operating four batteries of the FK-3, an export version of the HQ-22 medium-range air defense system. The production of advanced surface-to-air missile air defense systems is highly complex, requiring robust domestic industrial capabilities for high-frequency radars and sophisticated missile interceptors, thus limiting the number of countries capable of exporting such systems globally.