September 03, 2025

Here’s the Military Hardware China Showed off at Xi's Parade

By: Becca Wasser

This article was originally published on Bloomberg.

China’s once-a-decade military parade marking the end of World War II showed off an array of new weapons — including, for the first time, large autonomous sea vehicles.

The messaging of the parade was largely outward-facing, with many of the systems labeled so their designations would be visible on camera. New, large-missile designs hinted at longer ranges and bigger payloads, while other systems promised a cheaper means of wiping out drone attacks.

China’s latest-generation submarine-launched ballistic missile, the JL-3, gives its nuclear undersea fleet the ability to hit distant targets — including the US — while launching from locations far from their home shores.

Autonomous weapons were showcased as well — including a dog-like robot riding on the back of a vehicle — demonstrating China’s progress in developing uncrewed systems in the air, on the ground and even underwater.

Read the full article on Bloomberg.

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