MISSILES, DRONES, LASERS: New weapons expected at Beijing military parade

China will showcase a range of new weapons during a vast military parade on Wednesday, in a show of strength that is being seen as a challenge to US military dominance.

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Military experts have been analyzing social media photos and footage from several recent rehearsals, which have shown anti-ship missiles, cutting-edge underwater drones, antimissile systems, and more tech that could pass by Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3.

While officials have kept secret the list of hardware to be displayed in front of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, many military enthusiasts have already spotted significant new systems, including what is rumored to be a gigantic laser weapon.

The military has said all the equipment presented is domestically produced and “in active duty”.

‘EAGLES’ TO COUNTER US SHIPS

Four new anti-ship missiles several meters long have been scen: the YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20. “YJ” is short for “Ying Ji”, which means “eagle attack” in Chinese.

These missiles can be launched from ships or aircraft and are designed to inflict critical damage on large vessels. The YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20 models could be hypersonic, meaning they can fly at least five times the speed of sound.