Underwater drones, robot wolves and more… The high-tech weapons at China’s military parade

Today (September 3) was the big day in China. The Asian giant held its largest-ever military parade, marking 80 years since its victory in World War II with a spectacle of deadly weaponry meant to send a message that the Dragon is rising to challenge the global leadership of the United States.

More than 50,000 spectators, including world leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, gathered at Tiananmen Square in central Beijing to watch what can only be described the ultimate military flex.

The world and China has long been waiting for this big moment; there were multiple rehearsals and the strictest of the security rules were in place to ensure that nothing interrupted the lockstep marching of 10,000 troops or the release of 80,000 pigeons and 80,000 multicoloured balloons to mark the 80th anniversary. So much so that people living nearby were even banned from cooking on Wednesday morning — on account that any smoke could haze up the sky — and instead given breakfast packs of hard-boiled tea eggs, bread rolls and spicy Sichuan pickles.

Before the parade began, Chinese President, wearing a Mao suit, in a speech hailed “unstoppable” China and vowed not to be intimidated by “bullies”.

If you missed out on watching this grand military parade, here’s what China displayed and the message behind it.

An ICBM that should worry the US

One of the highlights from the China military parade was the rolling down of the Dongfeng-5 (DF-5C), a new variant of the nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Experts note that the silo-based missile is capable of delivering a single nuclear warhead with an explosive yield of three to four megatons of TNT, equivalent to approximately 200 times the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Additionally, the missile has a range of more than 13,000 kilometres, placing the continental United States and Western Europe well within reach.

It is also believed to have the capacity to carry up to 10 multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle warheads.

Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, had earlier told South China Morning Post that the DF-5 was crucial in establishing China’s intercontinental nuclear capability. “Without the DF-5, China wouldn’t be regarded as a nation with credible intercontinental strike capability. It was instrumental in China’s emergence as a nuclear power, demonstrating to the world that China must be taken seriously,” he said.

Another ICBM makes a debut

China has added another ICBM to its arsenal and it’s been given the designation of DF-61. The massive missile, carried on an eight-wheeled mobile platform, rolled into the parade, taking analysts completely by surprise.

The DF-61 is believed to be China’s most advanced ICBM after the DF-41, which is currently in service. It is anticipated to be part of the PLA Rocket Force’s long-range missile operations. The DF-41 already boasts of a range of 14,000 km.

Earlier, Rick Fisher, a senior fellow with the International Assessment and Strategy Center think tank, told The Washington Times, “Sometimes called the DF-45 or DF-51, it is clearly intended to outperform the DF-41.” He had also said that the new missile’s estimated range would be 11,999 to 15,000 km.

‘Guam Killer’ missile makes an appearance

China’s PLA rocket Force also revealed its new DF-26D, a variant of the DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile. Dubbed the ‘Guam Killer’, this intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) is specifically meant to target the distant US military facilities on Guam, from where a core element of any US military response against a Chinese threat in the region would launch.

The DF-26D boasts of a range of almost 5,000 km and can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads. What makes this missile especially potent is that it incorporates navigation, electronic warfare (EW) countermeasures, and jamming systems to evade interception. These upgrades could enhance its precision and capacity to evade interception by American and allied defensive systems, such as Patriot, THAAD, and Aegis — the most potent counter-missile systems in the US arsenal.

Earlier, US analysts had expressed concern over the DF-26D missile, as this new Chinese system significantly erodes American power projection into vital Indo-Pacific domains. By threatening aircraft carriers more thoroughly, the DF-26D has forced the US Navy to plan for fighting well beyond standoff ranges.

China shows off its YJ-17 anti-ship missile

Even before the parade, there was a lot of speculation about China’s anti-ship missiles, designated YJ and Beijing didn’t disappoint. It displayed the YJ-17 missile, a medium-range ballistic missile equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle.

Originally designed for sea launch, this variant could be deployed from bombers to attack targets deep inside enemy territory. According to South China Morning Post, military commentator Wei Dongxu explained that the missile could be launched from aircraft “outside enemy air defence zones, penetrate interceptors and destroy targets before quickly returning to base.”

Combined with the other anti-ship missiles, such as the YJ-19 and YJ-20 sends a message that US aircraft carriers are vulnerable anywhere in the region.

99B-tank rolls down Tiananmen Square

Besides the missiles exhibited at the military parade, China also showed off its tanks and other military hardware such as the 99B tanks. The latest variant of China’s third-generation tanks, it features the advanced GL-XX APS system, which includes two APS projectile launchers and four APS fire control radars.

China’s version of Himars displayed

The US has its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) and now China has its answer to it — the PHL-16. A truck-mounted self-propelled multiple rocket launcher, the PHL-16 has been developed by Chinese ground-based weapons manufacturer Norinco.

The PHL-16 is around 12 metres (39 feet) long, three metres wide and three metres high, has eight barrels for ammunition and is operated by three crew members.

The PHL-16 is seen as important for ground forces because they can deliver a large amount of firepower over a wide area in a short time, making them effective for suppressing enemy positions, destroying concentrations of vehicles or infantry, and breaching fortified areas.

What sets apart the PHL-16 is its modular launch system that is designed to adapt to various mission requirements by using its automated system to promptly switch between rocket and missile configurations, enabling crews to rapidly adjust to changing battlefield conditions. The PHL-16 can launch a variety of ammunition, including 300mm rockets with a range up to 130 km and 370mm rockets with a range up to 300 km, as well as more advanced, larger calibre rockets such as the 750mm Fire Dragon 480 tactical ballistic missile, which has a range up to 500 km, according to PLA reports.

Laser weapons unveiled

China also displayed at least two types of air-defence laser weapons in the parade, including one large laser that state-run TV said would be mounted on warships.

Lasers are among a class called “directed energy weapons,” which can also include high-powered microwave systems. Rather than using projectiles for a kinetic kill, these weapons rely on electromagnetic energy to disable a target through heat, disruption of internal electrical systems, or blinding of sensors such as optics and radar.

Drones, drones everywhere — in the skies, in the seas

The Chinese military parade also displayed China’s technological advancements when it comes to drones. Two extra-large undersea drones made their debut at the parade.

The first of these, labelled the AJX002 measures about 18 metres to 20 metres (59 feet to 66 feet) in length, with a diameter of 1 metre to 1.5 metres (3 to 5 feet). This is believed to be an underwater nuclear-capable drone.

In addition, the GJ-11 also made an appearance at the Chinese military parade. An unmanned combat aerial vehicle designed for precision strikes and aerial reconnaissance missions, the GJ-11 is also known as “ loyal wingmen”.

GJ-11 chief designer Deng Shuai told state-run Global Times in 2023 that the drone “acts as both a sensor and an ammunition depot, as well as an intelligent assistant for pilots”. He said it had earned the “loyal wingman” moniker because it flew alongside crewed aircraft “like an armed bodyguard”.

Move aside robot dogs, China has ‘robot wolves’

While the world has been talking about robot dogs, China just unveiled ‘robot wolves’ at the parade. Chinese state media said that these machines are capable of frontline reconnaissance, delivering supplies and even launch precision strikes against targets.

Dang, they got the Temu Drone Killer Robot dogs and DJI Drones – China Military Parade 2025 pic.twitter.com/vetQ58ydIu

— ₿rentos► (@brentos93) September 3, 2025

Chinese media CCTV said that robot wolves are an upgrade from the earlier robot dogs and can replace human soldiers in life-threatening conditions to reduce combat casualties.

All in all, today’s parade sends a message to the world, especially the United States that China is way ahead of its rivals when it comes to military might.

With inputs from agencies

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