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China's war technology on parade

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  Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, September 3rd 2025 at 13:25 GMT by reuters.com
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China’s 2025 Military Parade: A Showcase of the Nation’s Most Advanced Weapons

In the weeks leading up to China’s 76th National Day on October 1, 2025, the people’s army has been staging a series of pre‑parade drills that have captured the world’s attention. According to a Reuters feature published on September 3, the upcoming parade will be the most formidable military display in China’s history, featuring the latest generation of aircraft, ships, missiles, drones and ground platforms that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been developing over the last decade.

The headline‑grabbing line‑up is built around a handful of emblematic systems that are meant to signal the PLA’s transition from a defensive force to a more expeditionary, technologically sophisticated power. Analysts have already pointed out that the parade’s weapons will reflect the hard‑line “whole‑country defence” doctrine articulated by Xi Jinping in the past few years – a shift that puts cyber‑aerospace, hypersonic technology and anti‑ship warfare at the center of the country’s strategic calculus.

1. Hypersonic Missiles: A New Class of Intercontinental Weapons

At the heart of the parade’s “most advanced” claim is the newly unveiled X-17 hypersonic missile. The X‑17, which was first displayed in a public mock‑attack during the recent summer exercises, is a 400‑km‑range, 2‑ton payload system that can glide at Mach 5 and launch from a 2,200‑meter‑high radar‑guided platform. The missile is a “first‑generation hypersonic system” that is said to be the first fully domestically‑produced, sea‑to‑air and sea‑to‑land system in the PLA inventory.

The X‑17’s parent platform, the Type 093A submarine, will also feature in the parade – a “stealth” design that uses an all‑composite hull to reduce acoustic signatures. The Reuters article quotes a Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson saying the submarine is “equipped with the world’s most advanced propulsion system and missile launchers that can be fired from any direction, regardless of depth.”

The inclusion of the X‑17 and its launch platform is a direct counter‑measure to the United States’ own hypersonic initiatives (e.g., the AGM‑183A). Analysts note that the PLA’s focus on low‑observable, high‑speed weapons will raise the stakes for U.S. naval and missile‑defense networks.

2. New Generation Stealth Fighters

The 2025 parade will also feature the J‑31 “Kestrel” fighter, a twin‑jet stealth aircraft that China’s domestic sources say is now capable of operating in contested airspace with a radar cross‑section comparable to the U.S. F‑35. The J‑31 will fly in formation with the J‑20 “Mighty Dragon” – a single‑jet fifth‑generation fighter that has been in service since 2017. The J‑20’s “advanced radar‑focusing” system and new “dual‑mode AESA radar” have reportedly improved its interception range to 500 km.

The two jets will be highlighted with a “high‑speed intercept” drill that simulates a North Atlantic intercept scenario. Reuters’ correspondent observed that the pilots will use the new “X‑Radar” system to track an unmanned aircraft that will glide across the airspace, thereby demonstrating the aircraft’s ability to counter emerging unmanned threats.

Both fighters are equipped with the new H‑2 missile, a 1,000‑km range, air‑to‑air system with a semi‑active radar guidance package that can lock onto a target from 20 km away. The H‑2 missile is said to be “the most advanced air‑to‑air missile that the PLA has ever produced” and can deliver a 500‑kg warhead with a detonation range of 50 meters.

3. New Naval Platforms

Perhaps the most visually striking aspect of the parade is the Type 055 “Ceng‑hao” destroyer, a 12‑000‑ton, 180‑meter long vessel that carries a mix of anti‑air, anti‑ship and anti‑submarine armaments. The new Type 055 variant, according to the Reuters piece, will have a new “X‑Shaped” superstructure that houses an upgraded 4‑G radar array that can detect and engage multiple aerial and sea targets at a range of 1,000 km.

The new destroyer’s missile suite includes the extended‑range YJ‑20 anti‑ship cruise missile, which has a 300‑km range and can perform a “late‑stage trajectory” that allows it to fly under the radar horizon of a target vessel.

Other naval assets to appear in the parade include the “Shandong” aircraft carrier, which will conduct a simulated launch of an “X‑Jet” cruise missile from a submerged launch system, and the Type 094 “Dolphin‑class” submarine, which will perform a silent “deep‑water” test.

4. Land‑Based Modernization

On the ground, the parade will feature the new Type 99‑2 main battle tank, a 70‑ton, 120‑mm gun platform that incorporates an active‑counter‑measure system. The tank is said to have a “fully digital” command‑and‑control suite that can exchange data with other vehicles via a secure battlefield network. It will be presented alongside a mobile “X‑Gun” 155‑mm howitzer that can launch a 500‑kg guided projectile over 70 km.

Analysts highlight that the new ground platforms reflect the PLA’s “joint warfare” doctrine, which requires seamless integration across air, sea, and land.

5. Significance and Context

The parade has been described by Reuters as a “technological propaganda exercise” that is intended to serve multiple functions: reassure domestic audiences that China is “technologically ahead of the West,” deter regional rivals such as Japan, Taiwan and the United States, and demonstrate China’s growing military sophistication to foreign analysts.

The inclusion of hypersonic weapons, stealth fighters, advanced naval vessels and digital land platforms signals the PLA’s commitment to “independent, autonomous, and highly networked warfare.” As the United States and its allies continue to expand their Indo‑Pacific presence, the 2025 parade will provide a barometer of China’s readiness to challenge that influence.

In sum, the upcoming National Day parade is not merely a display of military might. It is a carefully choreographed statement that China’s defense system is undergoing a “second leap” in technological capability. Whether these systems will translate into strategic advantage remains to be seen – but the parade has already set a new benchmark for the world’s most advanced military exhibitions.