New hypersonic missiles and drones: what’s been rolling through Beijing’s streets?
New YJ anti-ship and laser weapons among the armaments spotted in photos and videos of a military parade rehearsal in the Chinese capital
New hypersonic anti-ship missiles and a road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile system were among a line-up of advanced Chinese weaponry seen on the streets of Beijing over the weekend.
The images and footage show unmanned underwater vehicles, a gigantic laser weapon, a fleet of drones and unmanned ground vehicles being transported, as well as next-generation tanks and armoured vehicles.
Preparations are in full swing for the military parade to be held in the heart of the Chinese capital on September 3, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
New anti-ship missiles from the YJ series were among the weaponry seen in the photos. They showed the YJ-15 missile as well as three that appeared to be hypersonic missiles: the YJ-17, YJ-19 and YJ-20.
The YJ-17 appears to have a distinctive hypersonic glide vehicle similar to the DF-17, China’s first HGV missile in service. Meanwhile, an air inlet visible on the YJ-19 and its similarity to the Russian Zircon hypersonic cruise missile suggest it is also an HCV missile driven by an air-breathing scramjet. And the YJ-20’s biconic aerodynamic configuration points to it being a manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle.