Report: China develops new SWS3 gun-missile system
China has developed a new SWS3 35mm Gun-Missile System, a mobile short-range air defense platform designed to counter low-flying threats such as drones, cruise missiles, and precision-guided munitions.
The system combines dual 35mm autocannons with surface-to-air missile pods, mounted on 6×6 and 4×4 armored vehicles, to provide a flexible and fast-reacting air defense solution.
The SWS3 system delivers integrated detection, tracking, and engagement capabilities using modular radar arrays and electro-optical targeting devices. These features support autonomous operation as well as networked deployment, allowing SWS3 units to be incorporated into broader layered air defense structures.
The system’s fire control solution supports what developers describe as “1+1 interception,” combining both cannon and missile fire in a coordinated engagement against aerial targets. This approach offers redundancy and is intended to improve effectiveness in saturation attack scenarios involving multiple incoming threats at varying altitudes and speeds.
The SWS3 system reportedly draws influence from comparable systems such as the Russian Pantsir-S1, Germany’s MANTIS, and the U.S. Army’s M-SHORAD, all of which blend missile and gun components for low-altitude defense. However, SWS3 reflects domestic adaptation based on operational needs and a focus on countering the growing threat from small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
