China has built a new, advanced radar facility in Yunnan Province, near the Myanmar border, significantly boosting its ability to provide early warnings about ballistic missiles.
This Large Phased Array Radar (LPAR) reportedly has a range of roughly 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles), allowing it to monitor a large area encompassing the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and a considerable portion of India.
The development is being viewed with concern in India, as the radar's capabilities appear to be focused on tracking Indian ballistic missile tests.
This new LPAR facility represents a key component in China's expanding defense infrastructure. These types of radars are specifically designed to detect and track missile launches at long distances.
The 5,000-kilometer range of the Yunnan site means it can observe not only the IOR but also most of South and Southeast Asia, including all of India. This provides China with the capability to closely monitor India's missile development program, including tests conducted at facilities like Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Island, located off India's eastern coast. This is where India frequently tests missiles like the Agni-V and K-4.
The location of the radar in Yunnan Province, close to Myanmar, is strategically important. Its position near China's southwestern border provides a clear view across the Bay of Bengal and the wider IOR.
This is a crucial maritime area where India has a significant naval presence. This placement improves China's ability to collect real-time data on missile trajectories, speeds, and ranges. This information can be used by China to improve its own missile defense systems.
The construction of this radar facility occurs during a period of increased tension between China and India. The two countries have unresolved border disputes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and both have competing strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is placing a high priority on strategic situational awareness, and LPARs are a critical part of its missile warning and space-tracking network.
This development highlights the growing technological challenge that China presents to India. China already operates several other LPAR stations, including one in Korla, Xinjiang, which covers northern India.
The Yunnan site expands China's monitoring capabilities further south, increasing its ability to track India's growing missile capabilities. India has successfully tested the Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which can reach targets over 5,000 kilometers away, and is also developing hypersonic missile technology. The PLA appears to be actively keeping pace with these advancements.
LPARs, like the one in Yunnan, are complex technological systems. They use thousands of antenna elements to electronically steer radar beams, eliminating the need for physical movement. This allows for rapid detection and tracking of multiple targets, including ballistic missiles and satellites, over great distances.
The reported 5,000-kilometer range is comparable to systems like the U.S. PAVE PAWS network, which has a detection range of up to 5,600 kilometers (approximately 3,500 miles).
The deployment near Myanmar also potentially indicates the use of neighboring airspace for surveillance purposes, a tactic previously attributed to China in its IOR operations.
Beyond its ability to track Indian missile tests, the radar also enhances China's broader strategic position. It improves Beijing's early warning capabilities against potential threats from the IOR, where the Indian Navy operates nuclear-powered submarines equipped with ballistic missiles.
The site also strengthens China's capacity to monitor U.S. and allied military activities in the region, including bases like Diego Garcia and naval movements in the Andaman Sea. This demonstrates the PLA's goal of gaining information dominance across Asia.
For India, the new LPAR presents a significant challenge, but also a motivation for further technological development. The Indian armed forces are already accustomed to tracking Chinese surveillance vessels in the IOR, which often appear during missile tests. The addition of a land-based radar with such a wide range increases this threat, potentially undermining the confidentiality and effectiveness of India's missile tests.
In response, India might speed up the development of its own ballistic missile defense (BMD) program. This includes the two-tiered Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) and Advanced Air Defence (AAD) systems, which are designed to intercept missiles at ranges of up to 5,000 kilometers.
India is also actively working on developing its indigenous radar capabilities to counter such threats, as evidenced by projects undertaken by the DRDO.
