Today’s military parade left everyone deeply impressed. In my opinion, there are several key characteristics of this parade:
1. “More Steel, Fewer People”
The parade showcased more equipment and fewer people compared to previous years. During the Korean War, China’s military was “steel-light, manpower-heavy.” Now, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is “steel-heavy, manpower-light.” This reflects the success of China’s industrialization and military modernization after more than seventy years of effort.
2. High Proportion of New Equipment
This parade featured a particularly high proportion of new equipment. The “Dongfeng-61” intercontinental strategic nuclear missile, the “Jinglei-1” air-launched long-range missile, underwater drones, and other equipment were all publicly displayed for the first time.
3. Advanced Global Standards
The equipment shown in this parade is on a par with global advanced levels. It can be said that what the U.S. has, we essentially have too (excluding stealth strategic bombers); and what the U.S. doesn’t have, we also possess.
4. Comprehensive and Abundant Equipment
The equipment displayed is not only in a complete system but also in large quantities. For active equipment to be deemed “active,” it must meet certain operational thresholds. For instance, I suspect that there are more than 10 underwater drones currently in service, or it wouldn’t be classified as active-duty.
5. Powerful Unmanned Equipment
Unmanned and intelligent technologies go hand-in-hand. Previously, China’s military equipment was quite outdated, so the goal was to achieve mechanization. Now, we’ve succeeded in mechanization and are striving for informationization and intelligence. From this parade, it’s clear that we are at the forefront of mechanization, and our information capabilities are at least on par with the leading military powers, while our intelligence capabilities have also caught up.
Several years ago, the head of AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) told me that when fighting a formidable enemy, the following requirements must be met: first, there should be no technological gap in weapons; second, the equipment must form a system; third, there must be sufficient quantity. The PLA’s advanced active equipment meets all of these criteria.
Today’s parade featured many impressive pieces of equipment, but five in particular stood out to me:
1. J-20S
The J-20 now has a dual-seat version, which allows for “loyal wingman” capabilities—a feature the U.S. military hasn’t achieved yet.
2. J-35
This stealth fighter far exceeds the performance of the U.S. F-35.
3. Underwater Unmanned Submersibles
In recent years, China’s surface naval power has closed the gap significantly with the U.S., but the underwater gap remains. The appearance of unmanned submersibles indicates that the PLA is rapidly closing this gap.
4. Dongfeng-5C Liquid-Fuel Intercontinental Strategic Nuclear Missile
In my opinion, this missile is the best in its category, surpassing the U.S. Minuteman-3. It is a true national treasure for China.
5. Dongfeng-61 Intercontinental Strategic Nuclear Missile
The performance details of the Dongfeng-61 will be revealed by the authorities gradually. While official information is still pending, I can say that I was deeply shocked after seeing this missile.
As an ordinary military enthusiast, watching this parade left me feeling extremely excited. With China’s powerful industrial capacity, military modernization has been a great success. It is no exaggeration to say that the PLA’s active-duty equipment showcased in this parade is already at the world’s advanced level, and it has a strong deterrent effect against formidable enemies. The global standard is essentially the U.S. military’s standard, and we are now on par with the U.S. As for other countries, there should be a significant gap between them and us. From a national defense perspective, we can rest assured about our People’s Army.
The next task is to make sure these weapons are used effectively, which requires careful consideration. The world today is far from peaceful, and the PLA must focus on winning battles in order to better maintain world peace and safeguard China’s national interests.
