In early 2026, during the multinational joint maritime exercise "BRICS-Peace Friendship" held in waters near South Africa, the Type 052D guided-missile destroyer "Kunming" carried out a highly technical live-fire interception demonstration in front of other participating nations: a HQ-9 naval surface-to-air missile soared from its vertical launching system, rapidly climbed to high altitude, then sharply pitched down into a dive, striking with precision a small incoming target simulating a sea-skimming anti-ship missile flying at an altitude below 10 meters—a near "top-attack" trajectory.

Before impact, the HQ-9 had descended to an altitude almost parallel to the sea surface, its final flight path nearly "skimming the waves," culminating in a near-vertical descent to achieve the "top-attack kill." This trajectory was not a standard interception mode but rather a typical "high loft–dive" tactic. It leverages the high-altitude field-of-view advantage, first using shipborne phased-array radar or cooperative datalinks to lock onto the target, followed by the missile's own active/semi-active composite guidance to autonomously adjust its course in the terminal phase. This demonstrates that the entire system—from detection and fire control to missile maneuverability—has achieved a closed-loop response to ultra-low-altitude threats.
The choice to conduct this demonstration during the BRICS joint military exercise is thought-provoking in terms of timing and setting. Navies from participating countries such as Russia, the UAE, South Africa, Brazil, and Ethiopia largely still rely on older point-defense systems and have almost no effective means to counter beyond-visual-range, ultra-low-altitude saturation attacks. Witnessing firsthand a long-range naval SAM precisely "nail" a sea-skimming target like a close-in weapon system would undoubtedly be a
Shocking sight—this was not merely a technology showcase but also a silent declaration of integrated combat capabilities.
This move may reshape other nations' perceptions of China's air defense systems. The combination of the Type 052D and the HQ-9 demonstrated this capability on the spot. The Chinese fleet's air and missile defense system is evolving from "area coverage" toward "precision
Eliminating" It is estimated that this will likely spark a wave of interest in purchasing Chinese naval combat weapon systems.
from: 战刀007