China to Showcase New Weapons at V-Day Parade In Beijing on September 3

China will unveil a range of new military hardware at its Victory Day (V-Day) parade on September 3, in Beijing, marking 80 years since the end of World War II.

Major General Wu, deputy director of the Military Parade Leading Group Office, said the display will highlight “new-type fourth-generation armaments” including main battle tanks, carrier-based aircraft and fighter jets. Unmanned platforms, counter-drone systems, directed-energy weapons, combat drones, cyberspace warfare tools and electronic jamming equipment will also be featured.

Wu confirmed that land-, sea- and air-based strategic weapons, as well as hypersonic precision-strike systems capable of traveling at five times the speed of sound, will appear for the first time. “The weapons and equipment will fully demonstrate our military’s ability to adapt to technological advancements, evolving warfare patterns, and win future wars,” he said.

The September 3 event will be the second such parade since 2015 to commemorate Japan’s surrender in 1945. It will last about 70 minutes and include 45 formations of troops marching past Tiananmen Square, with President Xi Jinping overseeing the event alongside visiting foreign leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Hundreds of aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers, will take part, while large-scale formations will showcase precision-strike missiles, anti-ship systems and early-warning aircraft.

The event will likely be closely monitored by the United States and its allies, who are paying particular attention to China’s hypersonic missile development and counter-drone technologies.

Chinese state media said all weapons on display are domestically produced and in active service. The parade will group units in formations designed to show how different forces—on land, at sea and in the air—operate together in real combat situations.

Rehearsals have been taking place in Beijing’s suburbs, involving tens of thousands of troops. Security has been tightened across the capital, with checkpoints, traffic diversions and closures of shopping centers and office buildings ahead of the parade.