China shows off J-35 stealth jet, new AEW&C and hypersonic missiles at massive military parade
September 3, 2025
China marked the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War on 3 September 2025 with one of its largest military parades in recent memory.
For analysts of defence aerospace, the event offered a rare, curated glimpse into the latest technologies and ambitions of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
While much of the spectacle was designed for political theatre, the parade nonetheless highlighted significant advances across strategic missiles, crewed and uncrewed aviation, and the growing integration of cyber and space power into China’s order of battle.
Full reveal of China’s nuclear triad
The most striking revelation was Beijing’s decision to unveil its full nuclear triad on parade for the first time.
Among the headline items was the Dongfeng 5 (DF-5C) intercontinental ballistic missile, upgraded with a range reportedly reaching 20,000 kilometres (12,500 miles) and multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles.
Alongside it rolled the new road-mobile DF-61, underscoring China’s shift toward survivable and dispersible deterrent forces.
Submarine-launched missiles such as the Julang-3 (JL-3) and the air-launched Jinglei-1, completed the triad display.
China unveiled its land-, sea-, and air-based strategic forces as the nuclear triad for the first time in Wednesday's V-Day military parade.
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) September 3, 2025
The triad included JingLei-1 air-based long-range missile, JuLang-3 submarine-launched intercontinental missile, DongFeng-61 land-based… pic.twitter.com/7ZnOYI0xzM
Collectively, the line-up served notice that China wants to be seen as a peer to the United States and Russia in strategic deterrence.
New hypersonic missiles on display
Equally eye-catching was the range of high-speed missile systems on display, spanning both hypersonic and supersonic domains.
The DF-17 and DF-26D ballistic missiles were paraded alongside new families of anti-ship weapons, including the YJ-17, YJ-19, YJ-20 and the much-talked-about YJ-21.
These systems are designed to complicate the operating environment for US and allied carrier groups in the Pacific by delivering manoeuvrable, high-velocity strikes at extended range.
🚨 Rare Shot: China’s strategic line-up — CJ-1000 hypersonic cruise missile, DF-26D, DF-31BJ & DF-61 — all captured from the same angle. pic.twitter.com/7K8wcssczh
— Defence Index (@Defence_Index) September 3, 2025
Complementing them were cruise missiles such as the CJ-20A and CJ-1000, providing flexible land-attack options.
The combined picture is of a layered missile arsenal, tailored for anti-access/area denial and intended to raise the cost of intervention in China’s near seas.
Directed energy weapons take centre stage in China’s parade
Another area receiving unusual prominence was directed-energy weaponry. The parade featured several counter-drone and air-defence systems based on lasers, missile-gun hybrids and high-power microwaves.
🚨 BREAKING:
— Defence Index (@Defence_Index) September 3, 2025
China showcases the LY-1, a massive directed-energy laser system (DEW) 🇨🇳 Displayed during the military parade, it highlights advances in cutting-edge defense tech. pic.twitter.com/v8pHR3Ssfb
Among them was the LY-1 shipborne laser, a system that Chinese state media suggested could provide close-in protection against drones or low-flying missiles. Although the maturity of these technologies remains uncertain, their appearance in a national showcase suggests they are moving beyond the laboratory stage.
For a country that faces the same proliferation of small uncrewed aerial systems as Western militaries, directed energy offers an attractive, potentially cheaper solution.
Uncrewed vehicles for land, sea and air
The emphasis on uncrewed systems was impossible to miss. A flotilla of drones, from the stealthy GJ-11 to the CH-9 armed UAV, passed the reviewing stand, joined by models described as “loyal wingman” combat drones intended to operate alongside crewed fighters.
Chinese drone systems at WWII victory day parade pic.twitter.com/KZ3EdgYOMt
— Chengdu China (@Chengdu_China) September 3, 2025
Even more striking were uncrewed underwater vehicles such as the HSU-100 and AJX-002, designed for mine-laying or ambush missions beneath the waves.
At the military parade in Beijing, China displayed its robotic dogs (copied from Boston Dynamics), its fighter escort UAV (similar to the Russian "Okhotnik"), the large torpedo shaped AJX002 underwater drone, & the Type 100/ZTZ-201 tank (similarities to the Russian T-14 Armata) pic.twitter.com/Gpf13Gdkm6
— raging545 (@raging545) September 3, 2025
This combination suggests China is investing in autonomy across domains, with drones seen not only as force multipliers but also as asymmetric counters to traditional Western strengths.
Fighter jets and AEW&C aircraft on display
Crewed aviation was far from absent. The flypast included the J-20 stealth fighter, upgraded J-16 multiroles, the carrier-capable J-15 and, perhaps most significantly, the new J-35A stealth fighter, widely assumed to be bound for China’s growing fleet of aircraft carriers.
🇨🇳#CHINA Held The #VDayMilitaryParade In #Beijing, Capital Of China.
— DrShPk (@DrShPk) September 3, 2025
The #AerialEchelons Consisting Of J-20, J-20A, J-20S, J-35A And Various Aircraft Flying Over #TiananmenSquare.
👇#WWII #VDay #VDayParade #VDayMilitaryParade #TiananmenSquare #China #Beijing #BeijingParade pic.twitter.com/0mW6Ocuuv1
Transport and support aircraft such as the Y-20 were also in evidence, but a highlight of the flypast was two airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms.
The Shaanxi KJ‑500 is a third-generation AEW&C aircraft, built on the Y‑9 transport airframe and outfitted with a dorsal radome incorporating three AESA radar panels to provide comprehensive 360° surveillance. It has been in operational use for several years and is a mature, reliable platform forming the backbone of China’s current airborne early warning capability.
Accompanying this was the new and carrier-capable Xi’an KJ‑600. It has a high-wing, twin-propeller design with a quad-tail configuration and a large dorsal rotodome, resembling a modernised version of the US Navy’s E‑2 Hawkeye.
Also not yet seen before … a KJ-600 spreading its wings! pic.twitter.com/7i6Zw3yyVo
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) September 3, 2025
Its first flight occurred in August 2020, followed by ongoing flight testing through 2021 and intensive trials by late 2023, suggesting near-operational readiness. During the parade, the KJ‑600 showed its wings visibly folding, implying confidence in its developmental maturity.
What should we learn from China’s military parade?
Beyond the hardware, the parade also revealed institutional shifts. Units from the newly established Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force and Information Support Force marched in formation, symbolising a doctrinal move towards integrated, multi-domain operations.
The message was clear: China no longer conceives of warfare as limited to land, sea and air, but as a seamless contest spanning space, cyber and the electromagnetic spectrum.
For outside observers, caution is warranted. Some of the systems on display may exist in only limited numbers, or may not yet have the reliability and logistical support to function in combat. Beijing is well aware of the propaganda value of parading prototypes alongside mature platforms.
Yet the breadth of technologies unveiled—from hypersonics and lasers to stealth fighters and drones—suggests that China’s defence aerospace sector is advancing rapidly, if unevenly.
