China Unveils World’s First Anti-Drone Barrage Weapon to Counter Drone Swarms and Missile Threats
In a major leap forward in modern warfare technology, China has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s first anti-drone and anti-missile barrage weapon system. Designed to counter the rapidly growing threat of drone swarms and low-flying aerial attacks, this state-of-the-art air defense system marks a significant departure from traditional military defense strategies. Developed by leading Chinese defense engineers and showcased in Modern Weaponry magazine in April 2025, the new system features a groundbreaking 16-barrel gun capable of firing not just individual projectiles, but a full-scale “barrage” that can blanket an entire airspace.
What sets this advanced system apart from conventional anti-air weapons is its innovative “plane to point” interception strategy. Unlike traditional “point to point” systems that rely on direct targeting of incoming threats—often struggling against fast, unpredictable, and saturating drone attacks—this new concept projects a wall of munitions across a wide area. The result is a dramatically increased probability of successfully neutralizing multiple threats simultaneously. Chief designer Yu Bin explained that the system creates a plane of fire, likening the difference to aiming a needle at a thread versus casting a net across the sky. This fundamental shift in defense strategy addresses the critical vulnerabilities exposed by recent drone swarm attacks in global conflict zones.
Engineered with futuristic battlefields in mind, this modular barrage weapon system can be deployed on a wide range of platforms, including trucks, tracked vehicles, wheeled armored units, and even naval vessels. It is designed for high mobility, rapid reload speeds, and customizable fire density, making it exceptionally versatile for different combat scenarios. The weapon system utilizes unique munitions tailored for maximum coverage and efficiency. During rigorous field trials, it demonstrated the ability to intercept and destroy all small-sized drones in a single barrage. It also showed strong performance against high-speed threats such as missiles, rockets, mortar shells, and howitzer rounds—highlighting its multi-dimensional defense capabilities.
China’s unveiling of this advanced anti-drone system comes at a time of escalating strategic tensions in the Taiwan Strait. The United States and Taiwan have been investing heavily in long-range drones like the MQ-4C Triton and MQ-9B Reaper. In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has ordered over 3,500 drones and is developing a dedicated UAV testing facility in Chiayi County. Taiwan’s asymmetric warfare strategy focuses on using drones for surveillance, electronic warfare, and rapid response strikes during potential beach landings—making the need for effective countermeasures more urgent than ever.
The new Chinese barrage weapon system appears tailor-made to address these evolving threats. Its ability to simultaneously intercept multiple aerial targets makes it a formidable tool in defending against saturation drone attacks, which have become increasingly common in modern conflicts. According to military analyst Fu Qianshao, the system is not only cost-effective and efficient for domestic deployment but also holds significant potential in the global defense market. As drones become more prevalent on battlefields due to their affordability, agility, and difficulty to detect, nations around the world are seeking advanced counter-drone technologies. The Chinese system’s dense firepower, flexible deployment options, and area-wide interception capability position it as a leading solution in the new era of aerial warfare.
This development signals a broader transformation in military strategy worldwide. As warfare shifts from traditional aircraft and missiles to a new paradigm dominated by inexpensive yet effective drones, the focus is now on creating defense systems that can respond with speed, scale, and precision. With this barrage weapon, China has not only addressed a critical gap in air defense but has also fired one of the first major shots in the race to dominate the skies in the era of drone warfare.
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