On the condition they aren’t in the NATO alliance or recognized as a NATO partner– or caught in a feud with Beijing –so many countries are now able to afford world-class air defenses made by China. Although Russia is very aggressive in promoting its exportable air defense technology China’s state-owned companies–and some private sector manufacturers–offer a broader catalog than any other competitor. The newest addition is the HQ-17AE, a road mobile short-range SAM launcher, that made its latest appearance in this year’s Air Show China. The HQ-17AE is easily comparable to the Russian-made Tor-M2 on a wheeled transporter but there’s…