Breaking News: China’s New HQ-29 Adds Hypersonic Kill Layer to Missile Defense Network.

During the V-Day military parade on September 3, 2025, to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the end of World War II, China unveiled its long-speculated HQ-29 air and missile defense system for the first time. The system was displayed as part of the People’s Liberation Army’s strategic deterrence segment, drawing immediate attention from military analysts worldwide due to its advanced interceptor capabilities and previously classified status. The public debut of the HQ-29 confirmed years of rumors surrounding its development and signaled a notable expansion of China's layered missile defense network.
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China’s newly unveiled HQ-29 interceptor missile system rolls through Tiananmen Square during the 2025 Victory Day military parade, marking its first public appearance as part of the PLA’s growing layered defense against hypersonic and ballistic threats. (Picture source: CCTV China footage)

Technically, the HQ-29 is assessed to be a dual-role exo-atmospheric interceptor capable of engaging both ballistic missiles in their midcourse phase and space-based threats in low Earth orbit. The missile is launched from a six-axle transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) carrying two large vertical canisters, each estimated to house a solid-fueled, high-velocity interceptor measuring approximately 7.5 meters in length and 0.5 meters in diameter. Based on trajectory modeling and system layout, the maximum engagement altitude likely exceeds 150 kilometers, with an operational range estimated between 400 to 600 kilometers.

The HQ-29 employs a hit-to-kill kinetic kill vehicle, equipped with an advanced dual-mode guidance system comprising inertial navigation, active radar homing, and infrared terminal seekers. The nose section of the interceptor reportedly integrates dozens of cold-gas micro-thrusters arranged in a hemispherical configuration to enable fine-tuned, multi-axis course corrections in space. This guidance package enables precision targeting of high-speed reentry vehicles, maneuverable ballistic missile warheads, and potentially even satellites in low orbit, placing the HQ-29 in the category of anti-satellite (ASAT)-capable systems.

From a combat capabilities standpoint, the HQ-29 fills a critical mid-tier layer between the HQ-9B long-range SAM and the strategic HQ-19 and SC-19 interceptors. It is optimized for intercepting short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs and IRBMs) during the midcourse phase, well beyond the atmosphere. This positioning makes it especially useful in regional missile defense operations where the threat of conventional or nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles is growing. The system can also function in synergy with early-warning radar networks and space-based sensors, allowing it to cue on targets detected by over-the-horizon surveillance systems.

Its mobility allows rapid deployment across China’s territory and beyond, depending on geopolitical necessity. The system is believed to be networked into China’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) architecture, receiving data via fiber-optic or satellite uplinks from strategic command centers and long-range tracking systems such as the JY-27A and SLC-7 radar arrays.

In terms of roles and missions, the HQ-29 is designed to support multiple layers of strategic and theater defense. It can provide regional ballistic missile defense over critical infrastructure, forward-deployed PLA assets, or high-value military and industrial zones. It also serves as a deterrent tool, demonstrating China’s ability to negate adversary missile strikes or low-orbit satellite reconnaissance assets. The dual capability to function as both a missile interceptor and potential ASAT platform significantly enhances China’s strategic posture in future high-intensity conflicts, including those that may extend into the space domain.

The unveiling of the HQ-29 at such a high-profile event further underscores China’s confidence in its operational readiness and its broader goal of achieving technological parity with U.S. and Russian missile defense systems. Comparisons are already being drawn to the U.S. SM-3 Block IIA interceptor and Russia’s S-500 Prometey, both of which are capable of exo-atmospheric engagements. However, the HQ-29’s integration into a mobile TEL-based platform provides enhanced flexibility for rapid redeployment and concealment, a critical factor in survivability during wartime conditions.

As Army Recognition continues to monitor the evolution of the PLA’s missile defense systems, the HQ-29 stands out as a key component of China's next-generation integrated air and space defense strategy. Its appearance marks not only a technological breakthrough but a geopolitical message that China is positioning itself as a space-capable military power with the tools to deny adversary dominance in both terrestrial and orbital domains.