China to Debut Several New Aircraft at Sept 3 Parade

China will introduce multiple new types of military aircraft at its Victory Day (V-Day) parade in Beijing on September 3, an event marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The Sept 3 parade will be the second of its kind since 2015 to commemorate Japan’s 1945 surrender. President Xi Jinping will preside over the event alongside visiting foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to Chinese state-owned media, the event will feature the maiden public appearance of several new combat aircraft described as “major hardware in the armed forces” designed for high-intensity warfare. Among the aircraft expected to debut at the parade are the Shenyang J-35 (FC-31) and the Xi’an H-20 bomber.

The display will also include unmanned systems, counter-drone equipment, directed-energy weapons, combat drones, cyberspace warfare tools, and electronic jamming platforms.

Earlier, Major General Wu, deputy director of the Military Parade Leading Group Office, said the display will highlight “new-type fourth-generation armaments” such as battle tanks, carrier-based aircraft and fighter jets.

The aircraft formations will be organized with inter-service groupings, mixing early-warning, transport and strike planes from the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force, Navy and Air Force. This is intended to demonstrate China’s ability to conduct joint operations across multiple branches.

Hundreds of aircraft, including fighter jets, bombers and helicopters, are expected to fly over Tiananmen Square.

The parade will last around 70 minutes, featuring 45 formations of troops and weapon systems, with precision-strike missiles, anti-ship platforms and domestically produced early-warning aircraft also on display.