New hardware at parade highlights military might

The People's Liberation Army is expected to showcase new military hardware equipped with world-class technologies and capabilities at the upcoming V-Day parade on Wednesday.

New types of battle tanks, carrier-borne aircraft, fighter jets and strategic missiles will be highlighted during the 70-minute event, senior military officers said at a recent news conference.

All of the hardware to be displayed has been domestically developed and built, and is already in active service.

The weapons feature a high level of information and automation capabilities and reflect the PLA's efforts to adapt to the development trends of science, technology and modern warfare. They will demonstrate the military's strength and ability to win wars, the officers said.

In addition to conventional weaponry, the parade will also feature unmanned platforms, counterdrone equipment and cyberspace operations apparatus, including new types of combat drones, directed-energy weapons and electronic jamming instruments, they said.

Among the weapons to be displayed, hypersonic ballistic and cruise missiles are expected to attract significant attention, as China has invested heavily in the cutting-edge arena of hypersonic armaments.

The DF-17, China's popular hypersonic weapon, is a solid-fueled road-mobile medium-range ballistic missile. It made its public debut at the National Day parade in October 2019 and is speculated to appear again.

With a futuristic aerodynamic design, the DF-17 can deliver a conventional warhead for short- or medium-range precision strikes in all weather conditions, and is capable of penetrating enemy defense networks, according to the PLA.Each DF-17 unit can independently launch the missile without support from other facilities.

Observers said the DF-17's biggest advantage over other ballistic missiles lies in its payload — a hypersonic glide vehicle that can fly above the edge of the atmosphere and change direction frequently, creating sophisticated trajectories that are difficult for missile defense systems to track and intercept.

China will stage a military parade on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. It will be the country's 19th military parade since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949 and the second V-Day parade.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn