US defense contractor Torch Technologies is producing a batch of China’s HQ-22 surface-to-air missile system full-scale replicas for US Air Force (USAF) training purposes.
The Alabama-based company said the copies do not have firing capabilities, but they will feature the weapon’s look, radar signature, heat signals, and battlefield behavior to enhance aircrew and electronic warfare teams’ familiarity with the enemy military hardware.
The mock-ups are being designed to “increase the realism for training and testing of our nation’s service members” without exposing them to the risks of handling the actual equipment.
Details of the quantity being made, the readiness timeline, precise locations of deployment, and cost were not disclosed.
Chinese Weapon Copies
The incoming HQ-22 copy is not the first such system in the USAF’s training arsenal.
In late July, a Chinese HQ-16 towable surrogate target was displayed at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s 2025 AirVenture event at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The weapon is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system acting as a key component of Beijing’s layered air defense strategy, and its replica was developed to train the USAF fifth-generation fighter pilots in threat recognition and countermeasures.
HQ-22
Typically compared to the US Patriot and Russian S-300 systems, the Chinese-made HQ-22 is a long-range air defense missile system with an operational range of up to 170 kilometers (105 miles).
It can simultaneously engage a variety of aerial threats, including fourth-generation aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles, and drones.
The HQ-22’s export version is the FK-3, with Serbia as the first European country to officially induct it into service.
