What China presented at the military parade. Analysis

A large-scale military parade dedicated to Victory Day in World War II was held in Beijing. The main event was the demonstration of the entire nuclear triad of the PRC, which included land-, air-, and sea-based intercontinental ballistic missiles. The latest anti-aircraft systems and hypersonic ship missiles were also shown. What surprised the experts at the parade in Beijing is in the Izvestia article.

What China showed at the parade

• The main feature of the Tiananmen Square parade in Beijing was the demonstration of China's latest strategic weapons, which form its nuclear triad. One of them is the new DF-61 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Its name comes from the word Dongfeng, which translates from Chinese as "east wind". It was the first time she was shown in public. The rocket was based on an eight-axis mobile ground-based missile system (PGRK).

• The JL-1 strategic air-launched ballistic missile was also demonstrated, its name stands for Jinglei ("thunderclap"). It is noteworthy that ballistic missiles for nuclear submarines, which have been developed since the 1970s, have the same abbreviation, but they are called Julang, which translates as "big wave".

• The latest JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile has completed the nuclear triad. Like the JL-1, it was shown on a five-axis mobile platform. Although the technical and tactical characteristics of none of the ballistic missiles have been announced, American sources tend to assume that the JL-3 is capable of carrying several nuclear warheads at once and has a firing range of up to 10,000 km.

• In addition to the latest models, missiles already familiar to weapons experts were presented at the parade. One of them was the modification of the DF-5C, created in 1981, the DF-5 rocket. The new version is capable of carrying 12 nuclear warheads with separable warheads and has a global range, meaning it can hit anywhere in the world. Another notable example was the high-speed strategic cruise missile CJ-1000, and it was shown together with the launch container.

• The DF-31BJ missile, the most advanced version of the DF—31 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, was demonstrated amid talks about the construction of new silo installations in China. It is assumed that it will become the main model for mine deployment.

What non-nuclear weapons were on parade

• The LY-1 mobile ground-based laser air defense system was among the participants of the parade. It was installed on a three-axle armored truck HZ-155. It is assumed that such an air defense system will be able to disable or burn the electronics of enemy equipment, as well as blind the pilot of the aircraft. The LY-1 was also presented in a ship-based version designed for installation on sea-based facilities. She was taken through Tiananmen Square on a land-based wheeled vehicle.

• The organizers of the parade focused on the formation of an anti-drone system in China, united in the so-called "iron triangle". In addition to the LY-1, it includes anti-unmanned anti-aircraft missile and cannon systems and high-power microwave weapons.

Chinese ceremony: what is interesting about the military parade in Beijing

During the rehearsals, the latest hypersonic missiles, air defense systems and unmanned underwater vehicles were seen.

• In the field of naval weapons, China demonstrated the AJX002 ultra-large unmanned underwater vehicles. These devices are capable of diving underwater to a depth of 18-20 m and can be used for reconnaissance missions and the installation of minefields during attacks by enemy fleets or submarines.

• The YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-19 and YJ-20 hypersonic ship missiles also passed through the formation. Such missiles have previously been tested by the Chinese armed forces on mock-ups of American aircraft carriers.

• Among the aviation equipment, the FH-97 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was shown, capable of operating on the principle of "faithful wingman", that is, operating in a single manner with pilot aircraft. The J-15DH, J-15DT, J-35 and J-15T carrier-based fighters were of great interest to specialists. They flew in a single formation from the sea, meaning they could have arrived in Beijing from dispersed aircraft carriers.

What was the impression of the parade

The parade in Beijing was not just a demonstration of certain types of new weapons. In one form or another, he covered all possible environments of confrontation, including the capabilities of cyber warfare, information warfare troops and space forces. China has shown its military potential in all areas where it is possible to imagine conducting military operations.

• The main conclusion of the parade is that China is pursuing the goal of creating high-tech weapons and is closely monitoring current military operations in order to learn from both practical experience and theoretical concepts. The parade in Beijing showed the rapid adaptation of the National Liberation Army of China to current challenges.

• At the same time, in some cases, it was not serial samples that went to the parade, but experimental or even mock-ups that differ from models that will be adopted in the future. However, this is standard practice for military parades, as in some cases troops continue to maintain secrecy.

When writing the material, Izvestia interviewed:

• Dmitry Stefanovich is a researcher at the Center for International Security at the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences.