Azerbaijan is preparing a military parade in the capital, Baku, to mark the fifth anniversary of its victory in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. During the preparations, locals spotted Chinese HQ-9 air defense systems among other military equipment.
Previously, there had been no reports of such systems being in service with Azerbaijan or of any possible purchase. In other words, the delivery was carried out in secret.
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It is noted that this is the HQ-9BE, which is an export variant of the HQ-9B (an upgraded variant of the HQ-9). In this variant, the HQ-9BE reportedly has a range of up to 260 km against air targets and a maximum engagement altitude of 27 km.
In addition to conventional targets such as aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles, the HQ-9BE is capable of intercepting even tactical ballistic missiles with a range of up to 1,000 km. The system is capable of engaging up to eight targets simultaneously with 16 missiles. It was first unveiled just four years ago in 2021.
The HQ-9 is an improved copy of the Soviet S-300 air defense system. However, Azerbaijan already has S-300PMU2 systems in its arsenal, which it purchased from russia in 2011. According to the announced characteristics, the S-300PMU2 is somewhat inferior to its Chinese counterpart, although the two systems are generally very similar.
The S-300PMU2 is capable of hitting aerodynamic targets at a distance of up to 200 km and an altitude of up to 27 km, as well as intercept ballistic targets. Therefore, it would make more sense to continue procuring russian S-300PMU2 systems rather than diversifying the fleet with non-standardized equipment.
This means that the HQ-9BE will require a separate stockpile of missiles, spare parts, and equipment, as well as separate training for crews. If additional capabilities were truly required, purchasing S-400 systems would have been a more logical choice, as they at least use the same chassis.
However, Azerbaijan still chose the Chinese option. This may indicate a significant deterioration in relations between Azerbaijan and russia. There were sufficient reasons for this — from the persecution of Azerbaijani citizens in russia to the downing of an Azerbaijani airliner, followed by Moscow's denial of responsibility during Putin’s meeting with Ilham Aliyev.
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