New Humvee-type air defense vehicle spotted in China

An upgraded version of China’s Yitian-L short-range air defense system has been spotted on the move with two six-round missile packs, apparently tripling its ready-to-fire load to 12 missiles from the four carried by the production model, images shared on social media show.

The vehicle was photographed while being transported, and the images show a reworked launcher on the platform of the Dongfeng Mengshi 4×4, the Chinese equivalent of the Humvee, with two boxes of six launch tubes each in place of the four separate canisters on earlier Yitian-Ls. It was not clear where or when the photos were taken, whether the vehicle belongs to the Chinese military or is an export version, and whether the missiles are the standard TY-90 or a smaller derivative. NORINCO, which builds the Yitian family, has not publicly commented on the new configuration.

The Yitian-L is a lightweight version of China’s Yitian air defense system, meant to protect troops and fixed sites from low-flying helicopters, drones and cruise missiles. In its known form, it carries four TY-90 infrared-guided missiles and a folding 3D X-band radar on the roof. NORINCO says the radar can detect targets at up to 18 km (11 miles) and the TY-90 can hit them from 500 m out to 6 km (3.7 miles) and at altitudes of up to 4 km, Janes reported. Two operators run the system from inside the vehicle using a joystick-based digital console.

The TY-90 was originally developed as a short-range air-to-air missile for Chinese helicopters before being adapted for ground launch. It homes in on the heat from its target, so it can be fired and left to guide itself without the launcher keeping a radar beam on the target. That passive guidance also means the vehicle does not give away its position by emitting radar signals during the engagement.

Packing more missiles onto a single light vehicle addresses a problem air defense units have faced in Ukraine and the Middle East, where small drones arrive in large numbers and a four-missile launcher can empty quickly. The original Yitian and the newer Yitian II, both mounted on armored personnel carriers, carry eight TY-90s each, so a 12-round Yitian-L would carry more missiles than either of the heavier versions.

 Lightweight Yitian air-defence vehicle built on a 4×4 off-road Yema chassis. Screengrab from video posted to social media

The Yitian-L has so far been an export product. Mauritania was the first known operator, displaying eight systems in June 2024, and Mali received Yitian-L systems earlier this year under a 2024 contract with NORINCO. In 2025, NORINCO also showed another lightweight Yitian variant on a Yema 4×4 chassis. The Chinese army has meanwhile fielded its own Mengshi-based short-range system, believed to be designated HQ-13, armed with FB-10A missiles.

Mali received a new shipment of Chinese military equipment that likely includes YITIAN-L short-range air defense systems. Screengrab from video posted to social media

The images do not show whether the upgraded Yitian-L keeps the same radar and fire control, whether the extra missiles cost it range or performance.