A long-range nuclear warhead that can evade US missile defences, a bomber capable of sinking aircraft carriers with next-to-no warning and a world-first stealth drone have been revealed at China’s military parade to celebrate 70 years of Communist Party rule.
The showcase of military might passing through Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and in the skies above had given a clear demonstration of advances in Chinese technology, defence analysts said.
Military vehicles roll down as members of a Chinese military honour guard march during the parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China in Beijing. AP
And the belief is the new weapons have already been deployed into the field, given China’s past practice to only display weapons ready for service.
“It is symbolic of the fact that American military primacy in Asia is almost over,” Lowy Institute International Security Program director Sam Roggeveen said of the parade.
“The US is still clearly the biggest and most advanced military we have in the world but China is catching up and, unlike the US, it doesn’t have global military commitments.”
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Hundreds of tanks, planes and missile launchers and more than 15,000 troops participated in the parade before the watchful eyes of President Xi Jinping and senior Communist officials.
One of the weapons to take centre stage was the Dongfeng-41 intercontinental ballistic missile, reputedly capable of travelling 15,000km and striking cities within the United States (and Australia) within 30 minutes of launch.
While China has long possessed nuclear missiles of that range, the DF-41 represents a significant step forward because it can carry 10 warheads and decoys, allowing a greater range of targets to be hit and making it harder to intercept with missile defence systems.
Also unveiled was the H-6N bomber, the latest version of a long-range strike aircraft now capable of air-to-air refuelling, extending the amount of time and distance it can spend in the air.
‘Like a boa constrictor’
What attracted the most attention though was its concave fuselage, leading to speculation it could carry a drone or an air-launched ballistic missile.
Mr Roggeveen said the Russians had been toying with air-launched ballistic missiles but China appeared to be the first to develop it for service.
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He said the advantage of “carrier killer” air-launched missiles was they could be fired by an aircraft outside the range of a warship’s defensive systems and hit their target “incredibly fast”, giving crews no chance to protect themselves.
Mr Roggeveen said while US and European militaries were at least half a generation ahead of the People’s Liberation Army in terms of military technology, China had stolen a march through the development of its stealth drone, known as Sharp Sword.
He said while Sharp Sword and similar drones were likely to have a similar purchasing cost to manned fighter jets, they cost a lot less to operate over their lifespan.
Further missile systems that made their debut included the submarine-launched JL-2 ballistic missile – capable of carrying a nuclear weapon up to 9000km – and the DF-17, which carries a hypersonic warhead that is launched for the final attack. Its speed makes it even harder to hit.
China also showed off the DF-100 hypersonic cruise missile which can travel up to 3000km, a supersonic surveillance drone and a lightweight tank.
Mr Roggeveen said China had prioritised systems that allowed it to neutralise American strength at sea and in the air, which its military bases in Asia offered.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute defence program director Michael Shoebridge said the display “was the fruits of sustained military modernisation” but believed the US still had the edge.
“Seeing stuff on trolleys and being towed around is very different to seeing stuff that works,” he said.
He said China’s military was still dealing with challenges imposed by a reorganisation within, a purge of leaders under Mr Xi and the integration of new systems all at once.
“They are making progress but they are like a boa constrictor that has swallowed three goats,” he said.
ShareLicense articleRead MoreChinaDefenceXi JinpingCCP influenceAndrew Tillett writes on politics, foreign affairs, defence and security from the Canberra press gallery. Connect with Andrew on Facebook and Twitter. Email Andrew at andrew.tillett@afr.comMost Viewed In PoliticsScott Morrison must turn power into prosperityGrowing alarm Aussie firms are missing out on submarine workUnchecked globalism a threat to Australia’s sovereignty: MorrisonLabor finally remembers that it is the economy, stupidJohn Setka’s wife pleads guilty to drink drivingLatest StoriesM&ATicketek owner TEG acquired by private equity giant Silver Lake
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