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China’s Poly Defence Showcases LY-70 Mobile Air Defense System for High-Intensity Combat at WDS 2026.
At the opening day of the World Defense Show in Riyadh, China’s Poly Defence is displaying the LY-70 mobile surface-to-air missile system, a ground-based air defense solution built to counter a wide range of aerial threats. The system highlights Beijing’s push into a competitive market where militaries are prioritizing mobile, layered air defense for both maneuver forces and fixed infrastructure.
On 8 February 2026, at the opening of the World Defense Show in Riyadh, Poly Defence is presenting the LY-70 mobile surface-to-air missile system, a ground-based air defense capability engineered to address a broad range of aerial threats in contested electromagnetic environments and high-intensity operational scenarios. Positioned in a market where armed forces are seeking layered protection for maneuver units as well as fixed sites, the system is presented as a package combining mobility, sensors and interceptors within a single integrated architecture.
At the World Defense Show in Riyadh, China’s Poly Defence is showcasing its LY-70 mobile surface-to-air missile system as a flexible, integrated air defense solution aimed at countering modern aerial threats in high-intensity and electronically contested environments (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group)
The LY-70 is intended to defeat targets including high-performance combat aircraft, cruise missiles, anti-radiation missiles, air-to-ground munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles and attack helicopters. According to the manufacturer, the system is tailored for the protection of critical assets and for escort missions accompanying moving formations. Emphasis is placed on its capacity to operate in saturated environments, where numerous simultaneous tracks and electronic interference can challenge command chains and fire control loops.
Mobility is a central component of the concept. The launcher is mounted on a multi-axle truck chassis, enabling redeployment along road networks and supporting on-the-move operations. The company highlights a high level of integration intended to shorten reaction times between detection, identification and engagement. Survivability considerations are also part of the narrative, with the vehicle configuration designed to limit exposure while retaining the ability to fire and then reposition.
From a sensor perspective, the system relies on radar detection as well as an infrared search and tracking device. The radar is advertised as being able to detect more than one hundred targets and to track up to eight simultaneously. The infrared subsystem can reportedly detect dozens of contacts while maintaining a dedicated track on a selected objective. Within this framework, a single combat vehicle is presented as capable of guiding multiple interceptors at once, with up to sixteen missiles in flight to prosecute eight threats in parallel.
The performance envelope communicated by the manufacturer includes an interception slant range extending from short distances out to 40 kilometers against fixed-wing aircraft, with an altitude coverage beginning at very low level and reaching into the upper end of the medium-altitude regime. Detection range against similar targets is given as 70 kilometers. Two missile variants are associated with the system, each with different probability figures depending on whether the target is an aircraft or an incoming weapon, reflecting an attempt to adapt the effector mix to operational priorities.
Beyond the raw numbers, the company underscores resistance to jamming, ease of operation and the ability to sustain combat effectiveness in demanding battlefield environments. These characteristics are increasingly sought by operators who must integrate new air defense nodes into broader networks while facing drones, precision-guided munitions and stand-off attacks that compress decision timelines.
Held in the Saudi capital, the exhibition gathers official delegations, procurement authorities and industry representatives from across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia. For Poly Defence, presenting the LY-70 in this setting provides access to customers looking to expand medium-range air defense layers, often as part of broader modernization drives that mix legacy systems with new sensors, command networks and interceptor families.
The regional context gives particular relevance to systems capable of reacting to a combination of aircraft, cruise missiles and unmanned platforms. Many armed forces are examining how to reinforce protection of infrastructure, energy facilities and deployed forces while maintaining mobility across vast territories. A truck-mounted configuration such as the LY-70 aligns with doctrines that value dispersal, rapid redeployment and the ability to plug into higher-echelon surveillance assets.
By bringing the LY-70 to the exhibition floor on the first day of the show, Poly Defence is signaling its intention to compete in a segment where mobility, multi-target handling and resilience to electronic warfare are decisive criteria. The presentation outlines a system aimed at both point defense and escort roles, combining truck-mounted launchers, radar and infrared tracking, and a pair of missile options to address aircraft and missile threats across a medium range band, now showcased to an audience of decision-makers gathered in Riyadh for one of the region’s largest defense events.