U.S. Air Force Shows HQ-16 SAM Surrogate to Train Pilots for Potential Strikes on Chinese Air Defenses
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On July 25, 2025, during the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the U.S. Air Force revealed a new HQ-16 surrogate target vehicle, marking a significant step in preparing combat pilots for engagements against modern surface-to-air missile systems. The event, considered the world’s largest aviation gathering, provided a high-profile platform for the Wisconsin National Guard to demonstrate this latest capability. As reported by DVIDS, this unveiling is part of broader efforts to train U.S. forces for future conflicts involving advanced air defense networks, particularly those deployed by peer adversaries such as China.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The unveiling of the HQ-16 surrogate at AirVenture 2025 sends a clear message: the U.S. Air Force is not merely simulating generic threats, but actively preparing its personnel to recognize and destroy adversary systems modeled on Chinese technology (Picture source: U.S. National Guard)
The HQ-16, originally developed by China and exported to several allied nations, is a mobile medium-range surface-to-air missile system capable of engaging multiple aerial targets, including fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, and unmanned platforms. It is equipped with radar-guided interceptors and fire control systems designed to track and destroy targets at medium altitudes and ranges up to 40 kilometers. The system forms a key layer of integrated Chinese air defense networks on both land and sea, including navy-deployed variants, making it a critical threat model for U.S. tactical training.
The surrogate showcased at AirVenture is a towable, high-fidelity replica of the HQ-16 transporter erector launcher (TEL). It replicates the visual, thermal, and radar signatures of the original system using embedded heaters and radar-reflective materials. Such precision-mimicking ground targets enable U.S. pilots to rehearse detection, threat identification, and prioritization procedures under realistic operational conditions. These surrogates also play a crucial role in validating the effectiveness of onboard sensors and targeting systems, including those used in electronic warfare and precision strike missions.
Compared to past training systems that used generic or decommissioned platforms, this HQ-16 surrogate represents a generational leap in training realism. It is similar in concept to the Soviet SA-6 and SA-11-based mockups used during Cold War exercises, but with far more accurate electromagnetic and visual signatures. Unlike those legacy systems, this model is explicitly modeled on a current, actively deployed threat, underscoring a shift in U.S. training doctrine toward peer-conflict readiness. Few other surrogate systems in U.S. inventories provide this level of fidelity against Chinese-origin platforms, setting a new standard for adversary emulation.
Strategically, the deployment of an HQ-16 surrogate reflects a broader American recognition of the likelihood of needing to suppress integrated air defense systems in a high-intensity scenario, particularly in the Indo-Pacific theater. The HQ-16’s presence in both PLA Ground Force and PLA Navy inventories signals its role in protecting mainland Chinese assets as well as deployed naval task forces. Training U.S. pilots to identify and neutralize such systems indicates preparation for strikes inside contested zones, potentially on Chinese territory or against Chinese fleets in a maritime campaign. This surrogate, therefore, not only serves a tactical function but carries strong geopolitical implications, highlighting the U.S. shift toward preparing for major theater war with China.
The unveiling of the HQ-16 surrogate at AirVenture 2025 sends a clear message: the U.S. Air Force is not merely simulating generic threats, but actively preparing its personnel to recognize and destroy adversary systems modeled on Chinese technology. By investing in such specific and high-resolution surrogate targets, the Pentagon is laying the groundwork for future operations that may demand the suppression of advanced Chinese air defenses, whether on land or at sea. This development signals a serious escalation in the realism and focus of U.S. military training, aligning with broader strategic priorities in the Indo-Pacific region.
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
On July 25, 2025, during the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the U.S. Air Force revealed a new HQ-16 surrogate target vehicle, marking a significant step in preparing combat pilots for engagements against modern surface-to-air missile systems. The event, considered the world’s largest aviation gathering, provided a high-profile platform for the Wisconsin National Guard to demonstrate this latest capability. As reported by DVIDS, this unveiling is part of broader efforts to train U.S. forces for future conflicts involving advanced air defense networks, particularly those deployed by peer adversaries such as China.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The unveiling of the HQ-16 surrogate at AirVenture 2025 sends a clear message: the U.S. Air Force is not merely simulating generic threats, but actively preparing its personnel to recognize and destroy adversary systems modeled on Chinese technology (Picture source: U.S. National Guard)
The HQ-16, originally developed by China and exported to several allied nations, is a mobile medium-range surface-to-air missile system capable of engaging multiple aerial targets, including fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, and unmanned platforms. It is equipped with radar-guided interceptors and fire control systems designed to track and destroy targets at medium altitudes and ranges up to 40 kilometers. The system forms a key layer of integrated Chinese air defense networks on both land and sea, including navy-deployed variants, making it a critical threat model for U.S. tactical training.
The surrogate showcased at AirVenture is a towable, high-fidelity replica of the HQ-16 transporter erector launcher (TEL). It replicates the visual, thermal, and radar signatures of the original system using embedded heaters and radar-reflective materials. Such precision-mimicking ground targets enable U.S. pilots to rehearse detection, threat identification, and prioritization procedures under realistic operational conditions. These surrogates also play a crucial role in validating the effectiveness of onboard sensors and targeting systems, including those used in electronic warfare and precision strike missions.
Compared to past training systems that used generic or decommissioned platforms, this HQ-16 surrogate represents a generational leap in training realism. It is similar in concept to the Soviet SA-6 and SA-11-based mockups used during Cold War exercises, but with far more accurate electromagnetic and visual signatures. Unlike those legacy systems, this model is explicitly modeled on a current, actively deployed threat, underscoring a shift in U.S. training doctrine toward peer-conflict readiness. Few other surrogate systems in U.S. inventories provide this level of fidelity against Chinese-origin platforms, setting a new standard for adversary emulation.
Strategically, the deployment of an HQ-16 surrogate reflects a broader American recognition of the likelihood of needing to suppress integrated air defense systems in a high-intensity scenario, particularly in the Indo-Pacific theater. The HQ-16’s presence in both PLA Ground Force and PLA Navy inventories signals its role in protecting mainland Chinese assets as well as deployed naval task forces. Training U.S. pilots to identify and neutralize such systems indicates preparation for strikes inside contested zones, potentially on Chinese territory or against Chinese fleets in a maritime campaign. This surrogate, therefore, not only serves a tactical function but carries strong geopolitical implications, highlighting the U.S. shift toward preparing for major theater war with China.
The unveiling of the HQ-16 surrogate at AirVenture 2025 sends a clear message: the U.S. Air Force is not merely simulating generic threats, but actively preparing its personnel to recognize and destroy adversary systems modeled on Chinese technology. By investing in such specific and high-resolution surrogate targets, the Pentagon is laying the groundwork for future operations that may demand the suppression of advanced Chinese air defenses, whether on land or at sea. This development signals a serious escalation in the realism and focus of U.S. military training, aligning with broader strategic priorities in the Indo-Pacific region.
