China displayed on Thursday some of the most advanced air defense systems against aerial threats including stealth airplanes and drones, at the World Radar Expo, a national level radar industry exhibition.

The radar systems developed domestically are considered superior to their foreign counterparts and represent a trend in radar equipment development, analysts said.

The three-day ninth World Radar Expo kicked off in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, on Thursday. It was cohosted by the China Radar Industry Association, the China Electronics Technology Group Co Ltd (CETC) and the China Electronics Information Industry Group Co Ltd.

The World Radar Expo has been held in the ancient city of Nanjing for two consecutive editions as the city is a lucky place for Chinese radar development. As the birthplace of the Chinese radar industry, the No. 14 Research Institute of CETC has been located in the city for 72 years and has witnessed the glorious course of the Chinese radar industry from scratch, to repair and imitation, and to independent development. 

At the expo, the No. 14 Research Institute displayed two types of anti-stealth radar systems, namely the flagship YLC-8E UHF-band 3D surveillance radar and the versatile SLC-7 L-band 3D surveillance radar.

The antenna of the YLC-8E is gigantic. With its high power and cutting-edge information process technology, it can detect even the most advanced stealth aircraft, its developer told the Global Times in a statement at the event on Thursday, noting that the YLC-8E can also detect other types of targets at long range and high definition with its key parameters superior to foreign competitors.

The SLC-7, on the other hand, can take on even more types of targets, including stealth aircraft, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, near-space targets, as well as artillery shells and rockets, making it much more versatile than many other competing products, the No. 14 Research Institute said.

Dubbed the terminator of drones, the YLC-48 portable multifunctional reconnaissance radar has outstanding ability to detect low-altitude, small and slow targets. It adopts the domestic pioneering circular digital phased array system and thanks to the wide use of digital integrated circuits, the radar is small, light and mobile, making it suitable for all kinds of lightweight weapons platforms, for all-weather operations with rapid deployment and withdrawal, according to its developer.

The No. 14 Research Institute also developed the AUDS high-mobile anti-drone system based on the YLC-48, which can greatly enhance China's public safety and low-altitude security defense capabilities in sensitive areas, the institute said.

Also, on display was the YLC-18 3D blind compensation radar for targets like aircraft and cruise missiles flying at medium and low altitudes. It can serve as detection radar against low-altitude targets and form a radar intelligence network with medium and high-altitude surveillance radars, or it can be used as a target indication radar for anti-aircraft artillery or surface-to-air missile units, the Global Times learned at the expo.

 The KLJ-7A, China's first airborne active phased array fire control radar available for export , is also on show at the expo.