Beijing unveiled a slew of drones, long-range missiles, and nuclear ICBMs as it vies to match the US military’s primacy in the Indo-Pacific.
China unveiled a wide range of new, advanced weapon systems across its military branches on Wednesday, in a display of might targeted at both its local populace and the globe.
The parade, attended by dozens of world leaders aligned with Beijing, commemorated the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II and was the first time such a grand procession had been organized in the last six years.
Many of the new capabilities on display are designed to allow China to project military power far from its shores, as Beijing vies to match US primacy in the Indo-Pacific.
Among the debut weapons were long-range, powerful anti-ship missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, capable of carrying nuclear warheads worldwide. Some glitzy, high-tech systems also appeared in public for the first time.
Importantly, most of these weapons or platforms were not demonstrated and likely haven’t been combat-tested. Very little is confirmed about their true capabilities, with analysts often relying on details from state media or specifications of previous variants.
Here’s a look at the new weapons that China debuted on its Victory Day parade.Two new laser weapons made their debut
One of the first new systems put on display was the LY-1, which appears to be a laser weapon. Though it was mounted on a truck, state media said it’s meant to be a defense system on aircraft carriers.
Parade narrators for CGTN, China’s English-language state media outlet, said the LY-1 is capable of « precision destruction and consistent strike. »
Beijing also later rolled out a truck-mounted weapon, dubbed a « high-energy » laser by state media, in its anti-drone contingent. The laser is meant to work together with microwave weapons to take down uncrewed aerial threats.China rolled out a new type of advanced tank that state media called ‘highly intelligent’
Near the front of the pack were also what CGTN called the new-generation Type-100 tank and Type-100 fighting vehicle.
Close-ups of the main battle tank indicate that it’s an improved version of the Type-99, a Chinese third-generation tank based on the Soviet T-72 chassis.
CGTN narrators called the tank « highly intelligent », saying it could perform « coordinated combat », but did not elaborate on what that meant.
Notably, the Type-100 appears to have a remotely operated or uncrewed turret mounted above the main gun, while the Type-99 typically requires a human operator for its roof-mounted gun.
China Daily, a state media outlet, later wrote that the Type-100 is a fourth-generation tank with an « unmanned turret, an advanced radar, an active protection system, as well as augmented reality technology. »
Little was said about the Type-100 fighting vehicle, but camera shots of its chassis showed a quadcopter drone sitting atop the rear of its lower-body hull.
