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Soldiers march in Beijing's Tiananmen Square during Thursday's grand military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war. Photo: Xinhua

The 12 military ‘hits’ and ‘misses’ of China’s historic parade

Among the equipment on display, military weaponry enthusiasts might have been surprised to see the Dongfeng (or DF, meaning "East wind") series of ballistic missiles, plus a huge number of advanced aircraft and drones – some of which have gone into service only in recent years.

So here are today’s “hits” – the things that really caught the eye – and “misses” – the weaponry that failed to show up on the day.

Hits:

1. DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile

Dubbed the “carrier killer”, the Dongfeng-21D, better known as the DF-21D, missile has a maximum range exceeding 1,450km

 

 

2. KJ-2000 early warning aircraft

Featuring domestically designed electronics, it can detect, identify and track enemy targets flying at low altitudes and at long ranges. It can also be used to carry out command-and-control, battle management and airborne surveillance missions in all weather conditions

 

3. J-15 carrier-based aircraft

A Chinese home-grown fighter jet, but basically an updated copy of Russia’s Sukhoi  carrier-based Su-33  

 

4. 99A main battle tank

The fire support vehicle houses a new  Chinese-made 105mm gun, which has an effective range of more than 2km against armoured targets

 

5. WZ-19 armed helicopter

Used mainly to attack tanks and other heavy targets. It has a take-off weight of 4,500kg, and a maximum cruising speed of 245km/h. It can fly three-hours without refuelling

 

6. More than 10 unidentified drones

The display of several unmanned aerial vehicles drew the attention of many military experts, even though none of the drones was identified, although it is clear that the Caihong-4 (CH-F, or Rainbow-4 above) was among them

 

7. A formation of 70 helicopters

These helicopters appeared at the climax of the parade, with two of the most advanced, WZ-19 and Z-9, leading the army aviation team

 

Misses:

8. J-20 stealth fighter

China’s first jet-powered stealth fighter. China is the fourth country to implement such a technology after Britain, France and the United States

 

9. J-31 China’s fifth-generation stealth fighter

 

10. DF-41 ballistic missile

A nuclear, solid-fuelled, road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, which was reported be able to carry multiple warheads to hit every city in the US. The missile, described by the Pentagon as China’s most powerful weapon, has been tested at least four times in the past three years, according to the US website, The Washington Free Beacon, citing unnamed US defence officials

 

11. 052D guided-missile destroyer

These warships, the PLA navy’s most advanced guided-missile destroyers, can carry HQ-16 medium-range air defence missiles. Their modular vertical-launch systems can provide powerful land-attack and anti-submarine capabilities.

 

12. 054A multi-role missile frigate

These ships can also carry HQ-16 medium-range air defence missiles, along with various anti-submarine rockets in a vertical launch-system.

 

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