China’s PLA Unveils ASN-301 Anti-Radiation Drone in First-Ever Radar Strike Simulation

China’s People’s Liberation Army has released training footage showing batch launches of the ASN-301, an anti-radiation loitering munition designed to locate and destroy active radar emitters. The footage simulates strikes on radar sites, indicating that the system has moved from prototype testing to operational training as a SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) weapon intended to disable enemy air-defense networks.

The ASN-301 uses a simple delta-wing airframe with a rear-mounted pusher propeller driven by a small piston engine. It has a body length of about 2.5 metres, a wingspan of 2.2 metres, and a weight of approximately 135 kilograms. The drone’s top speed is around 220 km/h, with an operational range of about 288 kilometres and an endurance of roughly four hours. These features allow it to stay airborne long enough to detect and attack radar signals across wide areas.

The drone’s main component is its passive radar-homing seeker, which detects emissions in the 2–16 GHz frequency range — commonly used by early-warning and fire-control radars. Once an emission is detected, the ASN-301 switches to terminal homing, locking on to the source within a 25-kilometre radius. It carries a high-explosive fragmentation warhead with a laser proximity fuse, releasing about 7,000 pre-formed fragments to disable radar antennas and associated electronics.

The ASN-301 is designed as a low-cost SEAD platform that can be launched in numbers from mobile, truck-mounted rail systems. These launchers enable quick deployment and repositioning. When used in groups, the drones can force enemy radar operators to turn off their systems to avoid detection, reducing overall air-defense coverage. The long loiter time and broad frequency detection range give the ASN-301 an advantage in identifying radar sites that operate intermittently.

The system shows similarities to earlier anti-radiation drones such as the Israeli IAI Harpy, Germany’s DAR series, and Iran’s Shahed models. However, the ASN-301 is built entirely by China’s domestic defense industry and is now being used in training as a ready-to-deploy weapon. It demonstrates China’s progress in producing indigenous SEAD/DEAD systems and its focus on developing cost-effective unmanned solutions for air-defense suppression.

The platform does have limitations. Since it relies on active radar signals to guide its attack, radar shutdowns, mobility, decoys, and electronic countermeasures can reduce its effectiveness. Defensive measures such as short-range interceptors, jamming systems, and directed-energy weapons can also be used against it. Despite these limits, the ASN-301 adds an affordable and flexible option for air-defense suppression operations.

Overall, the ASN-301 represents a practical step in the PLA’s development of modern loitering munitions. Its appearance in training films suggests the system is now part of China’s regular operational exercises. As loitering anti-radiation weapons continue to develop, they are expected to play a growing role in reducing the effectiveness of radar-dependent air-defense networks across modern battlefields.