On the 3rd, China held a large-scale military parade in Beijing, showcasing its latest equipment including unmanned underwater vehicles, giant missiles, and laser weapons, highlighting its military strength. Military experts closely monitored the parade. The following are six key highlights compiled by AFP.
1. Long-Range Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
The Dongfeng-5C Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) that appeared on the 3rd is a significant upgrade in China’s military technology. The “Global Times” claims this massive liquid-fueled nuclear weapon can strike any location on Earth and is “on constant alert.”
2. Unmanned Underwater Vehicles
This time, China showcased two new giant torpedo-shaped unmanned underwater vehicles, AJX002 and HSU100, transported by long trucks. Defense analyst Leker told AFP that the former is “presumed to be for reconnaissance purposes,” while the latter is “more mysterious but reportedly has minelaying capabilities.”
According to Naval News, while China still lags behind the United States in surface naval power, it has the world’s largest extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV) development program, with at least five models already launched.
3. Hypersonic Missiles
The parade on the 3rd featured four new anti-ship missiles, each several meters long: the YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20. These missiles can be launched from ships or aircraft and are designed to inflict serious damage on large vessels.
Among them, the YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20 may also be hypersonic, meaning their flight speed is at least five times the speed of sound.
4. Laser Weapons
The parade also featured the LY-1 laser weapon, which appeared as a large white device with a blue display screen. Previously, an account linked to the Chinese military on the social media platform X had widely promoted this as the “world’s most powerful laser air defense system.”
Leker noted that the public first saw technical information on this system around August last year, but there were no clear images at the time. He believes that the “shipborne” LY-1 now “appears to have at least entered advanced testing stages.”
This so-called directed energy weapon is capable of causing major damage with high precision and has a low cost per shot. The United States is also actively developing such weapons.
5. Other Drones
In addition to unmanned underwater vehicles, Beijing also displayed several surface, aerial, and ground drones on the 3rd. The surface drones can be used for maritime military operations. Leker stated that these drones may require manned visual navigation when entering or leaving ports and are likely specialized for mine warfare, especially minesweeping.
As for aerial and ground drones, they encompass a wide range of multi-functional capabilities, including logistical resupply, transporting supplies and ammunition, and reconnaissance.
6. Radar
Early warning radar technology was a major highlight of this parade. Several large detection devices could be seen during the ground procession, and military aircraft equipped with such radar flew overhead, demonstrating the PLA’s surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
China’s KJ-600 early warning aircraft made its public debut on the 3rd. According to the state-run English media “China Daily,” this warning aircraft is specifically designed for use on aircraft carriers and is expected to begin service on the Fujian ship within a few months.