Profiles of several top Chinese weapons scientists have disappeared from the Chinese Academy of Engineering’s website.
Those removed include nuclear weapons expert Zhao Xiangeng, radar specialist Wu Manqing, and missile designer Wei Yiyin. No explanation has been given for the removals.
Zhao Xiangeng (former CAE Vice-President) led nuclear weapons development, Wu Manqing headed China’s top electronics conglomerate (CETC), and Wei Yiyin was a chief designer for the nation’s most advanced surface-to-air missiles.
Removing the digital footprints of scientists involved in nuclear and missile guidance suggests the ongoing anti-corruption probe has shifted from “operational” military leadership to the defence-industrial complex and R&D sectors, potentially indicating either a massive security breach or a fundamental political purge amid Chinese missile and radar failure in Pakistan, Iran and Venezuela.
The People’s Liberation Army had planned to reunify Taiwan through military means and achieve China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) military goals, but received huge setbacks after Chinese-made radar, missile and drone failures in Pakistan, Iran and Venezuela.
Profiles of several leading figures in China’s defense research — including nuclear expert Zhao Xiangeng, radar specialist Wu Manqing, and missile designer Wei Yiyin — have disappeared from the Chinese Academy of Engineering website.
Chinese-made system failed in Iran and Venezuela
Apart from the 50 CM-302 anti-ship missiles, the Islamic Republic received Chinese 6 HQ-16B surface-to-air missile systems, 1200 FN-6 MANPADS, 300 Sunflower-200 kamikaze drones, 3 HQ-9B anti-ballistic systems, 6 HQ-7AE, 4 YLC-9B radars, 3 Type 305A radars, 6 SLC-2 counter-battery radars, and 50 HQ-19 anti-satellite interceptor missiles, Reuters said.
At the first wave of U.S. attacks on Iran, the U.S. Air Force destroyed a stockpile of missiles in Tehran. CM-302 anti-ship missiles, HQ-16B anti-air missiles, HQ-7AE, HQ-9B anti-air missiles, SLC-2 and YLC-8B radars were completely destroyed on day one.
Some CM-302 anti-ship missiles failed to reach the target and malfunctioned mid-flight due to technical issues.
The so-called anti-stealth system that could quickly counter stealth fighters quickly became ineffective in Venezuela under the electromagnetic suppression of the US military; the FK-3 surface-to-air missile system, Su-30, and S-300VM completely lost their firepower advantages after coming under heavy electronic warfare and electromagnetic suppression by the F-35 and EA-18G Growler.
United States forces used Navy EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft during the January 3 strike on Venezuela, employing high-power jamming to disable multiple layers of the country’s air-defense network.
Why does it matter?
No official explanation has been given, fueling speculation about internal security, political purges, or changes in classified defense programs.
The removals may signal sensitivity around China’s strategic weapons development amid rising global tensions, amid America’s complete and overwhelming air superiority over Iran and Venezuela, despite China delivering the HQ-9B missile system and YLC-8B anti-stealth radar.
Putin arrested top scientists after missile failure
Putin was boastful at the annual meeting that Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic missiles cannot be intercepted by America’s missile defence system, but they were intercepted by America’s Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor missile in Ukraine.
The arrests are seen as an attempt to cover up after Russian-made military technology, such as the Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic missiles, failed in the war with Ukraine.
Russia has arrested and imprisoned multiple top scientists involved in developing hypersonic missile technology—capable of speeds over —on charges of high treason since 2015. Key experts, including Anatoly Maslov and Alexander Shiplyuk, have been jailed for 14–15 years for allegedly passing state secrets to countries like China.
Anatoly Maslov (78): A prominent aerodynamist with ITAM was jailed for 14 years for allegedly passing secrets to Germany.
Alexander Shiplyuk (57): Former director of the Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (ITAM), he was arrested in 2022 on charges of passing secret information to China.
Valery Zvegintsev: Another senior ITAM expert arrested in the same crackdown.
Alexander Kuranov: Held similar, specialized roles, focusing on Hypersonic Systems Research, and was detained on suspicion of giving secrets to foreign nationals. ABC News
The arrests are part of a broader “spy mania” within Russia, targeting academics who work with international partnerships, even though this was encouraged in prior years.
Authorities allege that information shared by these scientists at international conferences or in academic papers was classified.
Colleagues argue these scientists are patriots whose work was improperly deemed treasonous, stating it is now impossible to work on military research in Russia without fearing arrest.
The cases are held in secret, and a treason conviction now carries a penalty of up to life imprisonment in Russia.
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