Chinese People’s Liberation Army unveiling of the Type 625 short-range air defense system marks a pivotal moment in military capabilities, as recent images surfaced on Chinese social media on December 28, 2023. The live-firing exercise, featuring the 77th Group Army of the PLA, Western Theater Command, showcased the Type 625’s prowess, underscoring China’s commitment to modernizing its defense infrastructure. The Type 625 represents a leap forward in anti-aircraft weaponry, merging a potent 25mm anti-aircraft Gatling gun with surface-to-air missile launchers. Designed primarily for countering low-altitude threats, including helicopters, Su-25s, and combat drones, this system addresses the escalating challenges posed by modern aerial warfare.
The Type 625 integrates a six-barrel 25 mm Gatling-Type Gun System capable of targeting various airborne threats (aircraft, cruise missiles, helicopters, loitering munitions, and low-flying UAVs) within a range of 2.5 km and an altitude ceiling of 2 km. The cannon also serves a secondary role in ground combat, effective against light armored vehicles in ground combat scenarios. Mounted on an 8×8 wheeled high-mobility chassis and equipped with advanced radar, optoelectronic detectors, and sensitive radar variants.Type 625 system showcases adaptability and precision. Its sophisticated features, including the highly sensitive radar variant capable of detecting minute objects with minimal reflective surfaces, underscore China’s stride towards a comprehensive and versatile air defense network.
The system also incorporates four canister FB-10 air-defense missiles on each side of the turret. FB-10 is a mobile light air defense missile system developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation for the export market. Unveiled at the 2016 Zhuhai Airshow, it features a 6×6 TEL with a phased array radar, optical sensor, and eight missile tubes. The engagement range is 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), and the engagement altitude is from 15 to 5,000 meters (49 to 16,404 feet). FB-10 missiles is similar to the HQ-10 rolling airframe missile system with infrared/radar dual mode hybrid guidance system although this feature is designed to be more relevant for defending against anti-ship missiles with radar emitters.
The 625E missile artillery integrated system uses an 8X8 wheeled high-mobility chassis, which should be another variant of the ZBL-08 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle. The chassis adopts a front-engine layout, and a large-sized control room is designed next to the body-cab. The central part of the body is equipped with a large combat module (turret) that integrates Gatling machine guns, anti-aircraft missiles, and fire control systems. A radar can also be seen extending up from behind the missile system in some photos taken of the Type 625E. This device, while unnamed, will likely supplement the system’s anti-aircraft role by allowing operators to detect and track low-flying aircraft like drones, helicopters, and cruise missiles before engaging.
