A new weapon dubbed ‘the most powerful laser air defence system in the world’ is expected to be unveiled in China tomorrow.
Lasers are set to be at the forefront of a hi-tech military parade to mark 80 years since the end of World War II, which will be attended by world leaders Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un.
Rehearsals for the event in Beijing showed the new weapon mounted on an eight-wheeled truck and covered in a green tarpaulin.
When the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) eventually removes the tarpaulin, China will show off the secret weapon that has been hiding from the world for so long, the Telegraph reported.
At least, that is what propagandists for the Chinese military have claimed – and want the West to believe.
Across the world, nations have been ramping up defence budgets – from Britain to Russia – to win the arms race.
All eyes will be on Tienanmen Square tomorrow to find out if the PLA has come up with a new weapon.
Rob Peters, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said that US analysts will be watching for ‘technical indicators’ to judge if what is on display look ‘real’ or like ‘bulls***’.
He added: ‘Whenever [China] shows new exquisite technologies … it is good to remember that [for all its evident progress] we should be a little bit cautious that they have got the best stuff or they know how to use it.’
The Chinese system set to be unveiled is speculated to be a 10kw OW5-A10, a truck-mounted laser reportedly able to intercept swarms of drones.
The X account ‘Zhao DaShuai’, which is linked to the Chinese military, says it is the ‘most powerful laser air defence system in the world’.
Other new military hardware revealed from the rehearsals include four new anti-ship missiles in the so-called ‘eagle attack’ class.
The military has said all the equipment presented is domestically produced and ‘in active duty’.
The last two military parades show shifting trends in defence procurement.
In 2015, the PLA focused largely on strategic missiles able to hit the US mainland.
And in 2019, drones were the star of the show, with the GJ-11 attack drone unveiled for the first time.
Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former instructor for the PLO told AFP, referring to tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea: ‘China must develop powerful anti-ship and anti-aircraft carrier capabilities to prevent the US from posing a serious threat to China’s national security.’
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