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Liu Zhen

Some of China’s most cutting-edge weaponry will roll through the heart of Beijing in a massive military parade on Wednesday.
The spectacle will mark 80 years since the victory over Japan in World War II. It will also show just how far the People’s Liberation Army has come in an ambitious and fast-paced modernisation drive.
But not everything will be on display. Some of the most potent and advanced weapon systems will remain hidden from public view – either because they are still under development, too sensitive to be revealed, or because it is not possible to include them in the parade.
These are some of the most important assets in Chinese military technology that you won’t see in Tiananmen Square.


Under development
Most prominent are two sixth-generation stealth fighter jets – unofficially dubbed the J-36 and J-50 – that drew global attention when they made maiden flights at the end of last year. They have since been spotted in more test flights.
China’s military has also been testing powerful electromagnetic weapons such as rail guns and coil guns, which could offer a reliable and cost-effective means of countering hypersonic and ballistic missiles. But the existing prototypes are so large that they are currently only mounted on warships – so they are unlikely to appear in the parade.

There is also the “reusable experimental spacecraft” that has reportedly been in testing since 2020. It is believed to be similar to America’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, which can remain in orbit for months and has a number of military uses. But the Chinese spacecraft is shrouded in secrecy – even its appearance remains classified – so it is safe to say it will not be part of the pomp and ceremony.
China last held a military parade in 2019, and since then much of the PLA’s new equipment has been for the navy, with a range of vessels commissioned or under construction. They include the Fujian aircraft carrier, which is expected to enter service this year, and another aircraft carrier under development known as the Type 004. In addition, there are the new Type 075 and Type 076 amphibious assault ships, and the Type 096 ballistic missile submarine, which is under development. While these warships of course will not be seen next month, some of their aircraft and missiles could make an appearance.


Cyberwarfare
Operations in cyberspace are seen as critical to national defence and a key part of the PLA’s vision and strategy for the future.
It set up the Strategic Support Force to manage this realm in 2015, with a separate Cyberspace Force established in 2024 that reports directly to the Central Military Commission.
The Cyberspace Force oversees intelligence gathering, network attacks and infrastructure protection operations.
The United States and allies frequently accuse China of involvement in cyberattacks – which it denies – to get hold of intelligence or cause disruption.
Beijing has said some of the PLA’s “new forms” of combat, including cyberwarfare, will be part of the parade. But whatever is included, it will be more about deterrence – by signalling the PLA’s capabilities in cyber operations – rather than revealing any core technologies.

Artificial intelligence
Integrating AI technology into the military is a top priority for China, with officials saying it will revolutionise all aspects of modern warfare – from command and control to information, surveillance and reconnaissance, and across weapon systems.
The PLA is reportedly developing artificial intelligence tech to help process battlefield data in real time and support decision-making by commanders. Machine learning tools are also being used to generate combat scenarios and tactics for training.
China’s military has also invested heavily in image and object recognition using AI. By leveraging the technology to analyse and identify satellite imagery, radar data and electronic signals, it aims to improve the efficiency and accuracy of target detection, classification and tracking.
AI software is used to analyse equipment data for maintenance purposes, and to work out logistics operations and optimise the storage, transport and distribution of military supplies.
It is also important for unmanned systems, some of which might be on show in the parade – though their AI-driven “brains” will not be seen.

Unmanned aerial vehicles – including the latest Wing Loong and Rainbow reconnaissance and strike drones and the GJ-11 stealth strike drone – are known to be equipped with AI systems. These drive features such as autonomous navigation, target recognition, mission planning and coordination with other platforms.
Similar capabilities are also being built into other unmanned vehicles and vessels, as well as robots, for operations including reconnaissance, patrol, attack and logistics support.
Nuclear deterrence
Nuclear weapons underpin China’s defence strategy and previous military parades have included systems to reinforce deterrence such as intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and strategic bombers.
Expect to see these at the parade, but the most crucial elements of nuclear deterrence will not be on show.
They include the command, control and communication system for nuclear weapons – from where a strike order would be made. The system is among the most classified defence secrets, protected with the highest-level encryption, designed to withstand destruction and able to resist interference.

China’s ICBM silos in the northwestern desert region – super reinforced to survive a first strike – will also stay where they are. As will the “Underground Great Wall” tunnel network that stretches thousands of kilometres and was designed to protect nuclear forces and deploy missiles.
The PLA Navy’s nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines will also be absent – the active Type-094A, and the next-generation Type-096, which is expected to enter service by the early 2030s. They could make an appearance down the track at a naval fleet review or other maritime event.
Early warning system
Another key part of national defence, this strategic system is designed to detect, track and intercept ballistic missiles.
It makes use of a growing constellation of dedicated early warning satellites. These are equipped with advanced infrared sensors to detect the heat signatures of potentially nuclear-carrying ballistic missiles just after they are launched from anywhere on Earth.
The system also uses large, fixed-site phased-array radars on the ground which are capable of long-range detection and precise tracking of ballistic missiles during mid-course flight.
One phased-array radar station – as big as a 10-storey building – has been highlighted by state media. The vast station, located in the PLA’s Northern Command Theatre, is believed to have a detection range spanning thousands of kilometres and its P-band wave allows high-fidelity tracking of incoming targets, including stealth aircraft.
The early warning system will stay well behind the scenes during the parade but is essential for detecting strategic threats and providing precise targeting data to missile interceptors. It has been put through its paces in at least six land-based missile defence tests since 2010.
Underwater monitoring
The so-called Underwater Great Wall is being built and expanded in the seas near China and is part of its maritime strategic defence and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
The aim is for continuous acoustic and other physical signature monitoring in specific maritime areas to detect, track and identify potential adversary submarines and underwater activities.
It has fixed fibre-optic hydrophone arrays on the seafloor along with underwater sensor nodes, and could potentially make use of autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles. The sensors gather underwater noise and magnetic anomaly data which is transmitted via the seafloor fibre-optic cables and other communication links to shore-based processing centres.
The network’s exact location is confidential, but observers believe it is concentrated in the East China Sea and South China Sea and that it could extend to the western Pacific.
It is vital for the survivability and operational security of China’s nuclear submarines while improving the ability to detect, locate and track enemy submarines in these critical maritime zones.
Military satellites
China has made rapid advances in military satellites and anti-satellite capabilities, and they are crucial to the modernisation push and its “informatised warfare” strategy.
Many of the military and dual-use satellites – the US claims more than 510 – are capable of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. That means they can monitor, for example, foreign forces in the Pacific region. They include a fleet of Yaogan series satellites with high-resolution optical imaging and electronic intelligence gathering capabilities.
The BeiDou satellite navigation system provides high-accuracy navigation, positioning and timing services to the PLA – especially for guided munitions and military logistics – meaning it does not have to rely on America’s GPS.
Military communication satellites are also in operation for the PLA’s command and control, with a secure and anti-jamming data chain. Early warning satellites watch for strategic anti-missile systems, and space situational awareness satellites track objects in orbit and safeguard Chinese space assets.
China also has anti-satellite capabilities that aim to degrade or deny adversaries’ access to space.
The most well-known is its direct-ascent anti-satellite missile, notably tested in 2007 when it destroyed an old Chinese weather satellite, generating significant orbital debris.

In June and July, the Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 spacecraft carried out rendezvous and proximity operations that suggested the potential for interference with or destruction of other satellites.
Non-kinetic anti-satellite capabilities include electronic warfare – jamming or spoofing adversary satellite communications, and navigation signals and cyberattacks targeting satellite data links. Ground-based directed energy weapons like lasers are also believed to be in development to potentially target satellite optics.
Industrial might
China’s massive industrial base is another hidden strength – and the driving force behind the military modernisation.
It has meant most of the PLA’s weapons can be made in China – from rifles to aircraft carriers, hypersonic missiles and stealth fighters – meaning the military is backed by a strong supply chain that is efficient, resilient and cost-effective.
This industrial might also supports arms exports, which in turn provide valuable real-world operational data that can be used to refine and upgrade weapon systems that have not been tested by the PLA in real combat.
And in areas where China continues to depend on foreign suppliers – such as advanced semiconductor chips and aircraft engines – Beijing is pushing for self-reliance through a military-civil fusion strategy. That means any advances from across the commercial or academic spheres – from artificial intelligence to quantum computing – are rapidly integrated into defence applications.
Aircraft engines are one of the most prominent examples, with Beijing designating the sector as a national priority and investing heavily in state-owned enterprises, research institutes and universities to advance metallurgy and materials science.
This has led to progress in areas like high-temperature alloys and in advanced manufacturing techniques including 3D printing and thermal barrier coatings for turbine blades and discs. Technology developed for the commercial aircraft engine CJ-1000A – designed for the C919 passenger jet – is being used in military engines such as the WS-10 and WS-15 that power advanced fighters like the J-20.


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From next-generation stealth fighters to strategic missile defence, some of the PLA’s key assets will be absent from the spectacle


From next-generation stealth fighters to strategic missile defence, some of the PLA’s key assets will be absent from the spectacle.


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The People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From next-generation stealth fighters to strategic missile defence, some of the PLA’s key assets will be absent from the spectacle

From next-generation stealth fighters to strategic missile defence, some of the PLA’s key assets will be absent from the spectacle