China Radar: China has built a new powerful radar system in Yunnan, near the Myanmar border. This radar, called a Large Phased Array Radar (LPAR), helps China watch over a large area, including deep inside India. Reports say this radar can see up to 5,000 km away and can track missile tests. Chinese media did not give many details about it, but experts believe it is very advanced.
Unlike old radars that turn to scan an area, this new radar does not need to move. Instead, it uses special electronic antennas to scan instantly. This lets it follow many targets at once, even missiles. These kinds of radars are very important for defense because they can warn about attacks early.
According to Business Standard, on January 30, South China Morning Post reported that this radar was shown in a special military video sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping. In his Lunar New Year message, state broadcaster CCTV showed close-up footage of the radar. The video revealed that the radar is a tall structure, about six stories high, and has many antennas arranged in an octagon shape.
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Only a few countries in the world have such radar systems. Besides China, the United States and Russia also use LPAR technology. Experts compare China’s new radar to the American PAVE PAWS system, which was created during the Cold War to detect missile launches.
The US radar can detect objects up to 5,600 km away and can follow many missiles, including those launched from submarines. While China has not shared the full details of its radar, some analysts believe it may be just as powerful or even slightly better. China has worked on phased-array radar technology since the 1970s to improve its defense and missile warning systems.
China already has two large radars in Shandong, which were built in 2022 to monitor missile threats from North Korea, South Korea, and Japan. Now, the new radar in Yunnan gives China more power to watch over India.
India’s Concerns
India has reason to be concerned because this radar can track missile tests from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, where India tests important weapons like the Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile and the K-4 submarine-launched missile. China can now monitor these tests in real time, studying how India launches missiles, how fast they travel, and where they go. The radar also helps China keep an eye on the Bay of Bengal and the Malacca Strait, which are important for India’s navy and trade.
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This is not the first time China has placed radars near India. It already has similar radar systems in Korla and Xinjiang, which watch northern India. Now, with this new radar in Yunnan, China can see even more, increasing India’s security worries.
In January, top Chinese military leaders told soldiers to be ready for war. During visits to army units before the Lunar New Year, General Zhang Youxia and General He Weidong, China’s second and third highest military officials, called for “stronger training and combat preparation.” They said China faces “military tensions on multiple fronts, the border with India and the Taiwan Strait.”
