China has unveiled a groundbreaking 16-barrel anti-drone and anti-missile weapon system, marking a significant leap in modern military defense strategy.
At a Glance
- New 16-barrel gun system abandons traditional interception methods
- Employs a “plane-to-point” barrage concept to neutralize aerial threats
- Adaptable for land vehicles, naval vessels, and mobile use
- Targets drone swarms, missiles, helicopters, and rockets
- Seen as a cost-effective solution to growing drone warfare threats
Revolutionary ‘Barrage’ Concept Transforms Aerial Defense
China has introduced a radical shift in air defense with its newly unveiled 16-barrel anti-drone and anti-missile system. Instead of traditional “point-to-point” interception, the weapon employs a “plane-to-point” strategy, saturating the sky with projectiles to form a dense wall against incoming threats.
This barrage-based approach dramatically boosts the chances of intercepting fast-moving or clustered targets such as drones, missiles, and helicopters. The system represents a fundamental change in how nations may approach modern aerial defense, especially as drone warfare becomes more common.
Watch Global Times’ report on the new anti-drone system.
Technical Specifications and Capabilities
Designed for layered defense, the 16-barrel gun fires high-density munitions with rapid reload capabilities. According to lead designer Yu Bin, this system creates overlapping zones of fire, allowing it to neutralize multiple simultaneous threats, including drone swarms and high-speed projectiles.
Unlike single-point defenses, this system doesn’t just track one target at a time—it floods the airspace, making it harder for anything to break through. The munitions used are tailored to allow operators to adjust the density and spread of fire depending on the tactical situation.
Mobile Land-Based Adaptation of Naval Technology
China has repurposed its naval Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) for mobile land use, mounting it on trucks equipped with rotary cannons, radar systems, and missile launchers. The truck-mounted variant carries a six-barrel 25mm rotary gun and four FN-16/HY-6B surface-to-air missiles, covering an air defense radius of 3–4 kilometers.
Military analyst Fu Qianshao emphasized the tactical advantage of mobility: “The new self-propelled anti-aircraft system can be used in mobile air defense, meaning that it can provide air defense to troops on the move rather than staying in a fixed position,” he told Defense Mirror.
Addressing the Growing Drone Threat
This system is tailored to handle a critical gap in modern defenses: low-flying, slow, and compact drones. These targets often evade radar and conventional missile systems. The 16-barrel gun uses specialized sensors to detect and prioritize drone swarms and automatically decide whether to fire using its gun or missiles based on the threat profile.
“With special radar and sensors, it can target drones that are difficult to spot and come in large numbers or in a swarm,” Fu added. This makes the system highly adaptable to unpredictable and cluttered combat scenarios.
Cost-Effective Countermeasure
In an era where adversaries use swarms of cheap drones to overwhelm defenses, China’s system offers a pragmatic solution. Fu Qianshao explained: “Since such drones are inexpensive, using the less expensive gun is more reasonable than using the missiles, but the missiles provide versatility and cover more situations.”
This layered response not only saves money but ensures that expensive munitions aren’t wasted on low-priority threats. The system’s ability to toggle between guns and missiles ensures smarter, more efficient use of resources.
Related Developments: GL-6 Active Protection System
Complementing the 16-barrel platform, China has also developed the GL-6 Active Protection System (APS) for tanks and armored vehicles. The GL-6 uses radar-guided launchers to intercept threats like rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles mid-flight.
Footage aired on state-run television shows the GL-6 successfully intercepting drone-launched RPGs, underlining its value in armored warfare. According to The War Zone, it has already been tested on China’s Type 96 and Type 99/ZTZ-99 main battle tanks.
Strategic Context: The Taiwan Strait
The rollout of these counter-drone technologies comes amid rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait. With Taiwan and the U.S. investing heavily in drone capabilities, China is rapidly advancing its own countermeasures.
These new systems reflect a broader military shift toward unmanned warfare, and China’s technological leap with the 16-barrel barrage system may alter strategic balances in the region.
Global Implications for Military Technology
China’s innovation in drone defense is already drawing global attention. As militaries worldwide confront the growing threat of low-cost, high-volume drone attacks, China’s model may serve as a blueprint for future countermeasures.
If battlefield testing continues to validate the system’s capabilities, it could influence military doctrine and procurement strategies well beyond East Asia.
