It looks like China will deploy its own Hongqi-9 air defense systems near India

By Boyko Nikolov On Sep 6, 2020

WASHINGTON, (BM) – The American agency Bloomberg draws a conclusion about the probability of a military clash between India and China, learned BulgarianMilitary.com.

According to military analysts, there is a real possibility that Beijing will position its Hongqi-9 anti-missile systems near the China-India border. Information about them is quite scarce, given that China, in principle, does not provide the world with information about the technical characteristics and potential of these systems. Some experts say the Hongqi-9 is the equivalent of the Russian S-300.

If this is the case, then China does not really have as many modern air defense systems. The S-300 is basically a purely Soviet development, which does not have the capabilities of the latest Russian and perhaps the world’s best air defense system S-400.

“It is difficult to know what kind of weapons there will be, but most likely the Hongqi-9 air defense missile will be deployed, which is equivalent to the Russian S-300 and the US Patriot air defense missile system,” told Sina News.

The comparison by the military experts of Hongqi-9 and the American Patriot is quite out of place and illogical, as the system produced in the USA is at least two or three times better than the above-mentioned Chinese one.

“It is estimated that the Hongqi-9 anti-aircraft missile has a range of about 300 kilometers,” the experts added.

A new clash of Indian soldiers with Chinese troops took place in the border region of Ladakh, the Ministry of Defense of India reported on August 31, as we reported.

The collision took place last weekend, the number of victims is unknown. The Ministry of Defense noted that a meeting of brigade commanders is being held at the Indian outpost in the Chushul-Moldo area to resolve the conflict.

Recall that the situation between the two countries has worsened after several military conflicts between the military of India and China in the area of Lake Pangong Tso.

Two weeks ago, India deployed a large amount of military equipment in the same region

India has deployed fighter jets, transport aircraft, and thousands of additional troops to the Ladakh region to counter movement by the People’s Liberation Army, BulgarianMilitary.com reported on August 12.

The two Asian giants have failed to reach a consensus on disengagement in Pangong Tso and Depsang Valley after six rounds of military-level talks.

Boosting its air combat capability in the Ladakh region, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed locally-developed armed helicopters carrying 70mm guns, unguided rockets, cluster bombs, and other weaponry.

“In light of the prevailing situation on the border, two Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) have been deployed for operations at high altitude (Leh sector) at short notice to support IAF missions”, the developer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said on Wednesday.

The 5.5-tonne class LCH is capable of carrying four French-made Mistral air-to-air missiles on each wing that can intercept a target at a range of up to 6.5 kilometres.

HAL mentioned that the helicopter is operating in a high altitude location in a forward area, demonstrating its quick deployment prowess in extreme temperatures.

Terming it “the lightest attack helicopter in the world”, HAL chief R Madhavan underscored that it meets the specific and unique requirements of the Indian Armed Forces. The twin-engine LCH is not only lighter than the American AH-64E Apache attack helicopter but also comes at half the price, i.e. less than $35 million per unit.

The Indian Air Force has already deployed its Chinook and Apache attack helicopters to the region.

How did the conflict between India and China start in June this year?

On the night of June 15-16, clashes between the Indian and Chinese military occurred in the area of the Galvan River in the Union territory of Ladakh. According to Indian army sources cited by local media, no firearms were used – sticks and stones were used. At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed, 76 wounded, sources in the Indian army also claim that about 45 Chinese soldiers were killed and wounded.

The situation in Ladakh escalated after clashes took place in early May with the participation of about 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers. More than 100 people were injured on both sides. Subsequently, India and China said they were making efforts to maintain stability.

The Sino-Indian confrontation on the border

The Sino-Indian confrontation on the border has been gaining momentum lately. In mid-June, it was reported that clashes between the military of both countries led to casualties for the first time in 45 years. At the same time, it is impossible to reduce the degree of tension, despite the active negotiation process.

The conflict is taking place in the highland region of Aksaychin, located on the border of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, Pakistan and India. This territory is under the control of China, but India disputes this situation and includes this region in the union territory of Ladakh.

The stumbling block for the parties is the issue of ownership of the mountainous territories in the north of Kashmir and part of the Indian state of Archunachal Pradesh. This dispute became the cause of the border war in 1962, as a result of which a line of de facto control appeared in Aksaychin. Then India lost part of its lands in the Himalayas.

And although the parties entered into a settlement agreement, the claims still exist: China is still trying to gain control over 3.5 thousand square meters. km in the Indian Archunachal Pradesh, and India accuses Beijing of illegal occupation of more than 43 thousand square meters. km in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Various skirmishes between Chinese and Indian border guards on the disputed land occur regularly. However, in May they became especially intense due to the buildup of the contingent, first by Beijing, and then by New Delhi.

During the clashes between the military on June 15-16, the dead appeared. The Indian side officially confirmed the deaths of three of its soldiers, while the Chinese did not provide any information. The Indian agency ANI, citing sources, wrote that as a result of the clash, India lost at least 20 military personnel, and the Chinese side – 43 people killed and seriously wounded.

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