In mid March, China Central Television (CCTV) aired a military report titled ” A Brigade of the Western Theater Command Air Force Surface to-Air Missile Conducts Air Defense Drills”, shedding light on a significant training exercise conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The report detailed an air defense confrontation drill carried out by a brigade stationed at the Baishiyichang Station, part of the Lanzhou Base under the Western Theater Command Air Force.

The HQ-6, also known as LY-60 is a surface-to-air missile system with operational range of 18 km for SAM. China claims it is designed to intercept military aircraft and missiles flying in medium to low altitudes. HQ-6 has many variants, HQ-61, LY-60 (export variant), YJ-5 and HQ-64, the more famous variant. A single command vehicle can manage and coordinate up to four HQ-64 batteries, uniting standalone HQ-64 units into a seamless air defense network. Additionally, each of these HQ-64 networks can be merged into a wider air defense area. The HQ-64 SAM system can be fully deployed in the field in just 9 to 15 minutes.

The recent exercise featured the 95696 Unit, a ground-to-air missile brigade equipped with the HQ-6 surface-to-air missile system. Its not sure which variant was being used. Stationed in the rugged western regions of the country, the brigade used this drill to simulate real-world scenarios, testing their ability to respond swiftly and effectively to potential incursions.

The Western Theater Command oversees vast and strategically vital areas, including Tibet and Xinjiang, which border India. The Baishiyichang Station, nestled within the Lanzhou Base, served as the backdrop for this exercise.

While specific details of the drill were not disclosed, such exercises typically involve tracking simulated targets and executing missile intercepts, all under high-pressure conditions.