Arab Defense Website – October 25, 2025: The Chinese Army Ground Forces (PLAGF) have begun bringing into service a new short-range air defense system, believed to be codenamed HQ-13, as part of a modernization program aimed at providing forward combat units with mobile and independent interception capabilities.
Footage broadcast by Chinese state television (CCTV) showed the system being operated by an air defense battalion of the 72nd Field Army. The system is installed on a Dongfeng Mengshi six-wheel armored vehicle, and integrates into one platform FB-10A missiles with radar, fire control unit and launch systems.
According to observers, the system is designed to accompany medium and light combined arms brigades, to provide point air defense against low-flying targets.
The maximum engagement range of the system is believed to be 18 kilometers, and it is intended to intercept helicopters, drones, cruise missiles, and fixed-wing aircraft. Its modular structure allows it to operate independently or within a larger network of interconnected air defense systems.
Chinese military sources indicate that the HQ-13 system aims to enhance the survivability of maneuvering units and protect vital infrastructure in the face of increasingly complex air threats. Each vehicle is an integrated fire controller capable of making engagement decisions autonomously, facilitating deployment and reducing logistical burdens during large-scale field operations.
Although the HQ-13 system has recently entered service with the Chinese ground forces, the export version of it, known as the FB-10A, has aroused international interest for some time. In February 2025, it was reported that a deal had been arranged to supply FB-10A systems from China to Chad, but these systems had not actually entered service within the Chadian army.
According to reports by the open source monitoring group Clash Report, one of the FB-10A systems was eventually diverted and fell into the hands of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group involved in the conflict inside Sudan.
The FB-10A system is characterized by dual guidance technology, high response speed, and great maneuverability, making it one of the most prominent short-range air defense systems designed to protect sensitive points and installations. Its primary tasks are to intercept helicopters, drones, cruise missiles and fixed-wing aircraft at low altitudes, within an effective range of about 18 kilometres.
The system was developed by the Eighth Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), to provide effective protection for forward units and vital infrastructure against low-altitude aerial threats.
In its design, the system is based on a modular architecture that allows it to be operated either as part of an integrated air defense network or as a completely independent unit. Each vehicle in the system is equipped with an advanced radar, detection and tracking unit, and a coordinate calculation system, in addition to eight missile launchers integrated into one platform that also acts as a fire control center, giving it the ability to operate autonomously without the need for external support.
In a remarkable development, field reports revealed that the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) recently obtained Chinese-made FB-10A systems, which are a class of short-range surface-to-air missiles (SHORAD). The appearance of these systems in the hands of a paramilitary force is a worrying development that complicates the field scene in Sudan, as it gives it advanced air defense capabilities that could limit the air superiority enjoyed by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
According to field sources, since the beginning of the year, the Rapid Support Forces have received increased support in the form of armored vehicles and logistical assistance, in addition to medium-range FK-2000 air defense systems, to which short-range FB-10A systems have now been added, indicative of a qualitative escalation in the capabilities of this force within the Sudanese conflict arena.
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