China is preparing For one of the most anticipated and politically popular military events in recent years. September 3 Tiananmen Square,,,,, China Will celebrate the 80th anniversary of defeating Japan in World War II, a spectacular military parade that not only serves as a ceremony for historical memory, but also provides a message to the whole world The war of the future.
President Xi Jinping and several foreign leaders and officials, including Vladimir Putin, will attend the ceremony. The presence of the Russian president has reportedly prompted several European ambassadors to consider defecting from their activities, fearing that it would lead to the international legitimization of the Kremlin, in the ongoing war against Ukraine.
China’s new weapon sending message
The parade will last about 70 minutes and will be paraded along the avenue on Chang’an Avenue in the center of Beijing. As the supreme commander of the armed forces, Xi Jinping will review the troops before marching in the square. More than 10,000 military personnel, more than 100 aircraft and hundreds of ground vehicles will be involved.
The official theme is to celebrate peace and international justice, but the real content will be people’s ability to fight high-tech wars in new strategic areas: cyberspace, external space, electronic and treble wars. According to leaked information from Chinese clothing rehearsals and official information, more than 100 types of weapon systems will be exhibited, all of which will be produced and operated at home.
Import anti-ship missiles
The most anticipated weapons include the new YJ JI (Ying Ji, “Eagle Shot”) series anti-fleet, designated as YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-17, YJ-19 and YJ-20. These systems are designed for specific missions: medium and large U.S. Navy forces, especially aircraft carriers, are at the supreme core of the Pacific Ocean. These carriers are part of China’s A2/AD (Counter-Access/Region Denied) strategy, which creates a “defensive bubble” that prevents or prevents enemy fleets from entering the South China Sea. Taiwan Straits and the Western Pacific.
In recent decades, China has developed a wide range of anti-ship missiles, usually starting with Soviet technology and then indigenous designs derived from French Exocets since the 1980s. With the new series, China’s goal is to combine stealth, ultrasonic speed and artificial intelligence.
The exact specifications are the top secret, but from general testing and expert analysis, the focus of some prominent features is. First: at least Mach 4-6, so it has terminal control capabilities within the range of a hypersonic missile, which can evade the counterpropagation system. Second: a range of hundreds of kilometers. Third: merge the flight profile, at the mid-altitude cruise phase, then grazing down into the sea to reduce the possibility of interception. Fourth: Use Beidou satellite, active radar and IR sensor for multiple guidance. Fifth: Launch versatility, suitable for aircraft, ships, submarines and mobile land platforms, increasing saturation to enemy fleets. Together, these weapons signaled the United States that aircraft carriers are no longer inaccessible and that the Pacific Ocean is no longer the “Sea of the United States.”
Perform ultrasonic
It is also expected that the U.S. missile defense will be overcome in the parade and provide Beijing with a reliable strategic deterrence. Rehearsal images show the road-firing ballistic missile system, an ideal weapon to ensure a so-called second strike in the event of a nuclear conflict. China is developing and deploying a new generation of advanced mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) designed to ensure the survival of nuclear deterrent forces during pre-emptive strikes.
The main models include the DF-31AG, with an estimated range of more than 11,000 kilometers (6,835 miles), capable of achieving any targets on the mainland of the United States. Next is DF-41. It is considered China’s most powerful intercontinental missile, with a range of more than 12,000 to 15,000 kilometers (7,456 to 9,320 miles) and can carry up to 10 MIRV warheads, each capable of reaching a different target. It is mobile and can be launched from silo islands and rail platforms. Beijing also relies heavily on JL-3, an ICBM that can be launched from nuclear submarines and has been deployed on the new Type 096 submarine category.
Deadly invisible drone
According to several analysts, the September 3 parade will also be announced as combat with FH-97: China’s first drone. Nicknamed the “Faithful Winter”, it is able to work in conjunction with manned fighters to perform reconnaissance, attack and electronic blocking missions. If confirmed, China would be the first country in the world to have such stealth drones declared as “combat readiness”, and even before the United States and Australia, these drones were still trying similar models, such as the Australian Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat or the US Skyborg project.
Many details remain confidential, but from the onset, the FH-97 can carry guided bombs, air-to-air or air-to-air surface missiles and package sensors for reconnaissance and electronic warfare. Additionally, it can connect with fighters like the J-20 or J-16, which are the power multiplier for offensive and defensive missions. Finally, it should have an AI system to manipulate independently, follow a pre-programmed route, avoid threats and work with manned aircraft. Public aircraft in Washington, Tokyo and Taipei show in public that Beijing can support next-generation air force operations that are difficult to contradict the current defense theories.
Blocks and tackles
In addition to hypersonic missiles and ICBM, the weapons China is developing include less obvious but potentially revolutionary Arsenal: electronic warfare systems and guiding energy weapons. If missiles are obvious deterrent weapons, electronic and directional energy weapons are silent tools that can blind enemy radar and communication systems, neutralize in-flight drones and missiles, and protect Chinese forces from cyber and space attacks.
China has made substantial investments in this field, believing it is decisive in winning the conflict of “informatization” and “intelligence”. China’s mobile land and naval systems can plug the frequencies used by airborne radar, cruise missiles and satellites, while some of the army brigades combine cyberattacks and electronic support while positioning the enemy’s hardware and software as enemies. On the other hand, direct energy weapons use concentrated energy beams (laser, microwave, high-power electromagnetic wave) to strike targets without traditional projectiles.
The latest models of reconnaissance and combat drones will also be exhibited, including unmanned underwater drones, expanding China’s surveillance capabilities in the disputed waters. The debut of these systems’ September 3 parades has strong symbolic value: Beijing hopes to prove that it not only catches up with the West, but is also designed to surpass it in some regions.
This story originally appeared in Wired Italy and has been translated from Italian.
