[People News] On February 28, the U.S. military and the Israeli military launched a surprise strike operation code-named “Epic Fury,” targeting Iran’s key military and political facilities. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several core senior officials were precisely struck and killed in the operation. During the action, some of Iran’s air defense systems failed to form effective interception, including radars and air defense equipment manufactured in China.

According to a report by the British magazine The Economist, during this military operation against Iran, the Chinese-made HQ-9B air defense system deployed around Tehran failed to intercept the U.S.–Israeli forces. In the operation, the U.S. military and the Israeli Air Force deployed F-35 and F-22 stealth fighter jets, coordinated with drones and electronic warfare aircraft to suppress Iran’s air defense system while simultaneously jamming radar, making it difficult for it to complete effective detection and targeting.

Beijing military enthusiast Gao Jian said in an interview with Radio Free Asia on Wednesday (the 4th) that the Chinese Communist Party authorities have long promoted the HQ-9B as having anti-stealth and anti-electronic-interference capabilities, but there is a clear gap between the real combat environment and the promotional demonstrations. He said: “Promotional materials usually only show technical parameters and demonstration footage, but when actually facing stealth fighters and electronic warfare systems, whether the air defense system can function still depends on real combat performance.”

The report also stated that Iran’s air defense network is composed of equipment from multiple sources, including the Chinese-made HQ-9B and JY-26 radar, Russia’s S-300 system, and Iran’s domestically produced air defense equipment.

Electronic Warfare Suppresses Iran’s Air Defense System

Regarding this, Gao Jian believes that air defense systems usually rely on a complete early-warning, command, and communications network. Once the radar or data links are suppressed, even if missiles possess interception capability, they may still be unable to function effectively.

He said: “Last year, some media reported that the Chinese Communist Party sold the HQ-9B system to Iran. But judging from this operation, the interception effect was not obvious. The CCP often claims that these air defense systems have anti-stealth and anti-interference capabilities, but in a real electronic warfare environment, many technical indicators may not be fully realized.”

According to a July 2025 report by the British media outlet Middle East Eye, shortly after a ceasefire in the Iran–Israel conflict, Iran began obtaining a batch of long-range air defense missile systems from China to rebuild its air defense capability damaged during airstrikes. Sources said that the equipment included HQ-9B long-range surface-to-air missiles and supporting radar equipment, and the related transaction may have been completed through an “oil-for-weapons” arrangement to circumvent international sanctions.

In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party has frequently showcased domestically produced weapon systems in official media and military industry exhibitions while emphasizing their technological performance. However, some observers believe that the performance of weapons ultimately still needs to be verified in real combat.

Fujian military enthusiast Wang Fulin told reporters: “Many pieces of equipment are promoted as extremely powerful during peacetime, with impressive technical parameters, and their prices are only 30–50 percent of comparable Western weapons. But most of them have not undergone real combat testing. Whether a weapon is good or not still depends on its battlefield performance.”

CCP Military Equipment Faces Real Combat Testing

Wang Fulin also pointed out that modern warfare often involves electronic warfare, stealth aircraft, and system-based operations. Without support from a complete command and operational system, even advanced weapons may be unable to perform effectively.

He said: “This time the United States and Israel used the most advanced technologies. In comparison, some of the CCP’s weapons systems and software capabilities probably still have gaps. Personally, I think this kind of equipment may be more suitable for dealing with low-intensity conflicts, such as anti-piracy operations.”

Military analysts note that the HQ-9B is one of the Chinese Communist Party’s relatively expensive export air defense systems. If its related combat performance continues to be questioned, it may affect the confidence of some Belt and Road countries in high-end Chinese weapons equipment.

Combat Performance of CCP Air Defense Equipment Draws Attention

Since the HQ-9 series is also an important component of the CCP military’s own air defense system and is deployed in regions such as China’s southeastern coastal areas, some Western observers have raised the question that if the HQ-9B deployed in Iran has difficulty functioning against stealth aircraft and electronic warfare systems, whether similar problems might exist in comparable systems deployed within China has also become a topic of discussion.

Meanwhile, overseas social media platforms have recently seen a large number of comments about CCP weapons systems “failing” in Iran. Some netizens said that military equipment promotion often emphasizes technical parameters, but in complex battlefield environments it may still be affected by factors such as electronic warfare. Others joked that such discussions resemble a military industry product showcase, using phrases like “Made in China” to express skepticism.

Although there are still differing accounts regarding the specific performance of the HQ-9B in the Iran war, discussions in the media and on social platforms show that the performance of CCP air defense equipment in real combat environments has already attracted sustained attention from international military observers. (Reprinted from Radio Free Asia)

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