To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
New nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), giant underwater drones and laser weapons have been unveiled in China’s military parade today in a show of strength against the West.
China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un grinned as the weapons were being displayed during the commemoration of the end of World War II in Beijing.
This is the Chinese leader’s third parade on Tienanmen Square – equaling the total of his three immediate predecessors – so he has proven that he knows how to throw on a good spectacle for other authoritarians.
Much of the weaponry and equipment in the parade is being shown to the public for the first time, according to Chinese media.
One of them is the DF-5C, a new variant of the Dongfeng-5 nuclear ICBM, which is carrying as many as 12 warheads.
It is a two-stage missile that uses liquid fuel, which means its trajectory is propelled by two consecutive rocket stages, each with its own engine.
The missile is capable of striking targets across the globe, including the Western Europe and mainland America.
Hypersonic anti-ship missiles – which China has previously tested against mock-ups of US aircraft carriers – were also paraded.
Those included the Yingji-19, Yingji-17 and Yingji-20.
Multiple other cruise missiles and hypersonic missiles – some equipped with ‘all-weather combat capabilities’ – were shown off as well.
Also shown were underwater drones including the AJX002, a long, black tube-shaped craft that looks like a narrow submarine with a rear propeller, and a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-61, which could carry carry nuclear warheads to distant targets.
Another anticipated weapon was also unveiled – the LY-1 laser, which was mounted on top of an eight-wheeler HZ-155 armoured truck.
As Metro reported yesterday, this is billed to be the ‘world’s most powerful laser defence system’.
Marching in the parade were the traditional People’s Liberation Army (PLA) units from the navy and army, but also new ones like the cyberspace unit.
The new unit is in charge of cybersecurity defense measures, according to the official Xinhua news agency, and also participated in live-fire drills.
Another debut was the information support force, created in 2024 to build network information systems to support military combat readiness.
This is the first major military parade in the People’s Republic since 2019 on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China.
Yet, for many in the West, the defining image of the grand show of military might is not the parade of nuclear missiles, stealth fighter jets, or drones.
It is the sight of Xi, Putin and Kim standing side by side, smiling and joking in an unprecedented show of solidarity against the West.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.