© Screenshot ZN.UA Yitian promises protection where large systems cannot work.
The state-owned Chinese company Norinco has developed the Yitian mobile anti-aircraft system, mounted on the chassis of the Yema 4×4 off-road vehicle, which is aimed at defeating helicopters, drones, and high-speed cruise missiles at low and ultra-low altitudes.
According to Defense Blog, the system combines an armored crew vehicle with modified launchers adapted for the TY-90 family of missiles, which are derived from air-to-air missiles and adapted for launch from the ground.
Norinco says the ground-based warhead weighs about 3kg and is designed to disable helicopters, particularly by damaging rotor blades or destroying the airframe with a single hit. The company also points to the missiles' “omnidirectional strike capability”, meaning it can intercept targets approaching from multiple directions.
Yitian is designed with mobility and rapid deployment in mind: a modified Yema 4×4 chassis allows the system to be used in areas where larger air defense systems cannot operate. According to the manufacturer, the system is operated by a crew of two and is controlled using joysticks and an intuitive interface, which reduces training time and allows one team to control both the vehicle and weapons in difficult conditions.
Norinco emphasizes that Yitian aims to strengthen defenses against “low-altitude stealth threats.” It is noted that the system is designed to engage both small and large UAVs and to repel high-speed cruise missiles. in the final stage of approach.
China is not preparing to dominate the planet with weapons alone. Its strategy is much more cunning.
Petro Gerasimenko wrote in detail about “How China plans to become a world hegemon.”
