Roggeveen said the most unusual feature of the parade was the number of systems that are not yet in active service.
“A lot of the equipment we saw is in the prototype or preproduction phase,” he said.
DF-61 missiles take part in a military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender held in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing. Credit: AP
The biggest revelation of the day, Roggeveen said, was the unveiling of the Dongfeng-61, a new land-based intercontinental missile with a range extending beyond 14,000 kilometres. The newest addition to China’s nuclear arsenal sits alongside the DF-5C, the latest version of a missile program China began in the 1970s. Chinese state media boasts that the liquid-fuelled intercontinental strategic nuclear missile has the entire globe within its strike range, meaning it could hit targets in the United States, Europe and Australia.
The parade featured hypersonic anti-ship missiles that China has previously tested against mock-ups of US aircraft carriers, including the Yingji-19, Yingji-17 and Yingji-20.
A liquid-fuelled intercontinental DongFeng-5C missile, which has a global strike range.Credit: VCG via Getty Images
Other missiles on display included cruise missiles such as the Changjian-20A, Yingji-18C, Changjian-1000, and other hypersonic missiles, the Yingji-21, Dongfeng-17 and Dongfeng-26D. The latter, an intermediate-range ballistic missile, has been dubbed the “Guam Killer” because it is said to have been specifically designed to target the US military bases on Guam.
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Roggeveen said all these missiles would play a crucial role in any Chinese invasion of the self-governing island of Taiwan.
“These are missile systems designed to sink ships and make airfields around the region unusable,” he said. “China is trying to show it could inflict so much damage that it wouldn’t make sense for the US to intervene in a regional conflict. That’s bad news for Taiwan.”
What about lasers?
Among the most impressive capabilities on show was the LY-1, a massive directed-energy laser system that has the capacity to strike and potentially destroy hostile missiles, drones, and even fighter jets while in flight. Displayed on top of an eight-wheeled HZ-155 armoured truck, the lasers have been hailed by Chinese state media as “the most powerful laser air defence system in the world”.
People’s Liberation Army LY-1 directed-energy weapons on display.Credit: Bloomberg
These weapons rely on electromagnetic energy to disable a target through heat, disruption of internal electrical systems, or blinding of sensors such as optics and radar.
And what about drones?
Roggeveen said another striking feature of the parade was the unveiling of four new types of “loyal wingman”-style drones, which he described as unpiloted planes designed to fly alongside and be used by crewed aircraft.
Two massive unmanned underwater vehicles were also publicly demonstrated for the first time. Measuring around 20 metres in length, the undersea drones could be used to carry torpedoes or mines to hunt submarines and ships, or be used for reconnaissance and surveillance.
HSU100 unmanned underwater vehicles were shown off at the parade.Credit: Bloomberg
The parade also showed off new unmanned helicopter drones, which can be deployed from ships for surveillance and other missions.
What other new weapons did China unveil?
During joint military exercises with Cambodia last year, China unveiled its military “robot dogs” with automatic rifles carried on their backs. On Wednesday’s parade, the PLA unveiled even more advanced “robot wolves” that can undertake frontline reconnaissance, deliver supplies and launch precision strikes. Capable of climbing ladders, the robots can replace human soldiers in life-threatening conditions as a way to reduce combat casualties.
China’s ‘robot wolves’ at the military parade.Credit: Nine News
Although impressed by the capabilities on show, Ryan said it was one thing to hold a parade and another to fight in a conflict. “Good goose-stepping militaries are not always the best war-fighting militaries,” he said.
With Reuters
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