On 05 June 2026, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted the first publicly disclosed live-fire trial of the Hong Qi (HQ)-16F surface-to-air missile (SAM), with the state broadcaster CCTV airing footage of an unmanned brigade of the 73rd Group Army firing the system in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China.
The test was conducted over 1,000 km from the unit’s home garrison in Fujian to showcase the HQ-16F’s capacity to operate in demanding terrain and amid electromagnetic interference. The HQ-16F was shown intercepting an airborne target at a range of around 50 km.
While Chinese state media stopped short of naming the system and disclosing its specifications, a close-up of the nameplate during the broadcast read “HQ-16F.” In 2022, China Aerospace and Technology Corporation (CASC) showcased an apparently export-oriented model called the HQ-16FE, which provided a stated range of 160 km and an altitude envelope of 15 m to 27 km.
Interestingly, in 2024, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) revealed that it would induct the HQ-16FE into its expanding integrated air defence system (IADS), joining the HQ-9BE and FD-2000 long-range SAMs.
Therefore, the recent test of the HQ-16F ties directly into the PAF’s – and potentially, the wider Pakistani military’s – long-term procurement planning of SAM solutions, especially from China.
HQ-16F / HQ-16FE vs Older HQ-16/LY-80 Variants
Compared to the current HQ-16 and LY-80 variants in service with the Pakistan Army (PA) and Pakistan Navy (PN), the standout feature of the HQ-16F/FE is its vastly extended range of 160 km (to the 40-70 km of older variants) and greater altitude scope of 15 m to 27 km. However, the HQ-16F/FE missile itself carries a wide assortment of design improvements compared to its predecessors that, as a whole, position it as a new sub-lineage or family, one geared for the future.
First, the HQ-16F/FE swaps out the semi-active radar-homing (SARH) seeker, which relies on a separate radar to ‘paint’ the intended target until the missile is in proximity, with an active radar-homing (ARH) seeker. ARH allows the SAM to operate beyond the off-board targeting radar’s range limits. Instead, ARH-tipped SAMs rely on direct data (e.g., coordinates) from the main targeting radar using data links, but once in proximity to the target, the ARH will activate, enabling the SAM to operate completely independently. Therefore, it is plausible that a major boost to the HQ-16F/FE’s range came from changing the seeker itself, enabling the SAM to operate against its own physical limitations rather than an externally constraining bottleneck, like the targeting radar’s limits.
Second, observers noted from the test footage that the HQ-16F featured a new wingless airframe (i.e., lower drag), whereas the older HQ-16 or LY-80 variants carried the cropped delta wings (via the Russian Buk SAM lineage). Instead, the HQ-16F – like its American and European analogues – utilized small control fins at its rear or base (suggesting thrust vectoring). Some PLA observers note that the HQ-16F employs lateral-thrust rockets around its body to ignite and enable sideways interception, reinforcing the notion that this new variant was designed from the outset to deal with threats such as supersonic cruise missiles (SSCM).
However, while the missile itself is new, the overall dimensions of the HQ-16F match those of its predecessors, indicating an emphasis on facilitating reuse of existing launch infrastructure. So, for example, in theory, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) could potentially refit its Type 054A frigates with the HQ-16F without necessarily changing the vertical launch system (VLS) cells. Thus, there is a potential downstream benefit for the Pakistan Navy (PN) and its fleet of four Tughril-class (Type 054A/P) frigates, which use the same VLS cells. Basically, in the future, the PN could potentially refit its existing frigates with the HQ-16F with relatively minimal modifications (interestingly, the air surveillance and targeting radar and command-and-control or C2 elements are already in place for a more modern SAM system, compared to the older architecture of the PLAN frigates).
Third, one can also plausibly infer that the HQ-16F/FE’s new seeker uses (like the PL-15-series) an active electronically scanned array (AESA) system, which would provide it greater resiliency against electronic countermeasures (ECM).
Should the PAF follow through with its commitment to induct the HQ-16FE, then it will have greatly modernized its medium-range coverage layer. Based on what can be observed of the HQ-16F and the HQ-16FE’s specifications, and China’s broader missile development trends, the HQ-16F/FE maps closer to SAMs such as the Israeli Barak-series, French Aster-series, and Italian-British CAMM than the Buk, the older HQ-16s were derived from, which is a significant progressive indicator of the PAF’s IADS modernization efforts. Moreover, the HQ-16F/FE will likely continue to evolve toward longer-range applications.
Upon induction, the PAF will likely leverage the HQ-16FE to counter supersonic cruise threats such as the BrahMos. The HQ-16F/FE seems to offer the closest design attributes for the role (i.e., an ARH seeker, wingless configuration, and seemingly TVC-centric flight control). It takes a similar approach to the MBDA CAMM-ER in service with the PN, which was procured in great part to address the BrahMos SSCM threat at sea. And, regarding the PN, the HQ-16F/FE can also provide a simpler, lower-cost pathway to extend its anti-air warfare (AAW) range, reinforcing the 40-70+ km coverage of the CAMM-ER.
