On the 70th anniversary of communist rule in China
A massive military parade in Beijing
Showcased some fancy new weapon systems
But how dangerous do they make the Chinese military?
Welcome back to China Uncensored. I’m Chris Chappell.
This episode is sponsored by Surfshark...
because if you’re going to be making fun of
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Seventy years ago on October 1st, the world's bloodiest dictator
took over the world's most populous nation
with the world’s most murderous ideology.
And from then on, the Communist Party
has ruled what it called the People's Republic of China.
And to celebrate seventy uninterrupted years of communist delight,
China's leaders threw the country a birthday party.
And no birthday party would be complete without
some cutting-edge weapons of mass destruction.
Get him, Tanya!
That donkey will never walk again.
Ok, I actually meant these cutting-edge weapons of mass destruction.
Bigger sticks, but no candy.
There once was a time that China relied on
reverse-engineered Soviet military systems,
or, at best, developed sub-standard weapons at a snail's pace.
But not anymore!
Now China relies on reverse-engineered US military systems,
and uses that to develop not only its own tanks and planes,
but also cutting-edge stealth technology,
combat drones,
and hypersonic missiles.
Not to mention the latest in pop-up leadership.
In the past decade, China's defence budget
has grown by at least 10% every year.
At $168.2 billion dollars,
China's military spending is now second only to the United States.
Yeah, there’s still a lot of distance between first and second place.
China’s October 1 parade saw familiar weapons
like Wing Long combat drones that were deployed in Libya,
or DF-26 missiles dubbed "the Guam Killers"
because they have the range to hit military installations
in the US territory of Guam
in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
But besides these important staples,
the Chinese military showcased some sophisticated new systems,
including a few world-firsts.
So in today's episode,
let's look at nine military systems that got the red carpet treatment
on the 70th anniversary of communist rule in China.
Number 9
First, what pundits widely called the biggest surprise of the day—
the Dongfeng-17.
It's a known fact that the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force,
or PLARF,
would play a central role in any conflict involving China.
Little surprise then that missiles were center stage.
Specifically, the DF-17—
ballistic missiles that deploy
a triangular hypersonic glide vehicle.
They launch like an ordinary ballistic missile.
But the warhead has small wings,
and after separating from the booster,
it acts like a maneuverable glider.
Hypersonic, so it can fly at five to ten times the speed of sound
and deliver a conventional or nuclear warhead.
The glider lets the DF-17 fly at a flatter trajectory
and so avoid enemy radar.
They're harder to detect and can evade
anti-ballistic missile interceptors.
Countries like Russia and the US are said to be
working on similar designs,
but so far China’s the only one
that's got this in its official arsenal.
Number 8
Another much-anticipated hot-off-the-assembly-line weapon
making its public debut is the road-mobile DF-41
intercontinental strategic nuclear missile system.
One missile can pack a single big wallop
or carry up to 10 independently targetable warheads.
Prior to the launch of the DF-41,
China didn’t have a ballistic missile
capable of hitting the U.S. mainland
in the event of a nuclear war.
The best they could do was hit Guam.
But with the DF-41, China looks to have overcome
its biggest weakness in military strategy against the United States.
Chinese state media say this rollout is for, quote,
“balancing power and securing victory.”
Um, against no target in particular,
but just so you know,
the continental United States is within range.
Number 7
Another new weapon that was supposed to be shrouded in mystery
but got leaked in a promo video ahead of the parade
was hidden inside these launch canisters.
They say "DF-100" on the side,
but maybe to restore a sense of mystery,
the CCTV announcer called it the CJ-100 hypersonic cruise missile.
“Here comes the CJ-100 cruise missile formation…
the latest in the CJ series.
The hypersonic weapon features high precision,
and long-range strike capability, as well as fast response.”
The CJ stands for Cháng Jiàn or “Long Sword.”
The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force
“accidentally” posted footage of what appears to be
a test launch of the CJ or DF-100 a week before the parade.
An expert told the South China Morning Post
that the missile's slim dorsal fins,
foldable tail fins and additional propellant
suggests it's a long-distance hypersonic weapon
with "a range of more than 680 miles.”
Can’t hit the US, but it’s good enough for the South China Sea.
Number 6
Another debut was the JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile or SLBM.
“The second generation JL-2 can be launched from nuclear submarines.”
...launched with just the wave of a hand.
The People's Liberation Army Navy started testing
the JL-2 from submarines as far back as 2002.
Since 2016, the Chinese military has had 48 launchers and warheads
ready to deploy from nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.
But until this October 1 parade,
the Chinese military had never officially acknowledged
the existence of this weapon.
So this was the official unveiling of the JL-2,
which is believed to have a range of more than 5,000 miles
and the ability to deliver one big nuclear warhead,
or up to 8 smaller nukes.
It’s like getting one big cupcake,
or 8 mini cupcakes.
Of radioactive destruction.
Number 5
After sleek-looking missiles,
it was time for something that looked a little more goth—
the HSU-001 drone submarine.
It looks like the submarine equivalent of too much black eyeliner.
But like the Smashing Pumpkins,
this Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
"could be a game changer."
Since it’s the world's first openly deployed fully-robotic submarine
capable of long-range missions,
this submersible drone could really be a sea-change in naval warfare.
So far though, only small, short-range drone subs have been used—
because long-range autonomous subs are too expensive and complex.
Not much is known about this HSU-001,
but since it doesn't have any torpedo tubes
I assume it’s to be used for spying...
on the mermaids in the South China Sea.
How dare they violate China’s territorial waters!
Those mermaids better recognize the nine-dash line.
Number 4
Another drone debut was this blade-like craft
with the designation DR-8 or WZ-8.
A supersonic spy drone.
Designed to soar over the Pacific ocean at speeds
ranging between three and five times the speed of sound,
the supersonic spy drone uses a mysterious propulsion system.
The Chinese military has not disclosed
any information about the propulsion,
but the tech nerds at The Aviationist figure that
it's probably a liquid or hybrid rocket engine.
The South China Morning Post reported that
“The DR-8 would be expected to play a key role
should there be a conflict with U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups
in the South China Sea or Western Pacific.”
The DR-8 spy drone is said to be able
to launch from the ground or from another aircraft.
Though frankly, even in the parade it’s terrifying.
Number 3
The H-6N Long-Range Bomber is an upgraded version of the H6 series,
which until now could only carry and drop gravity nuclear bombs.
But the fuselage of the new H-6N seems to have a cavity
that would allow it to carry a huge air-launched nuclear missile.
And in smog like that, you probably won’t see it coming.
Another new feature is an in-flight refueling probe
for air-to-air top-ups.
That would give the H-6N an estimated range of 3,700 miles.
Or from Beijing to...Alaska?
Not really a threat.
Number 2
Another new reveal was the latest version
of the “Sharp Sword” stealth combat drone,
the Hongdu GJ-11 Lijian.
The drone “now features a completely redesigned rear aspect
with a stealthier exhaust.”
Because sometimes, you just need a stealthy exhaust.
The drone can carry two tons of laser-guided bombs or missiles.
It also happens to look a bit like the U.S. Navy’s X-47B attack drone.
I’m not saying it was stolen technology, but...
Anyway, good luck,
because America’s X-47B supposedly performed well in tests
but was never deployed.
In any case, a non-weaponized version of the GJ-11
will deploy on Chinese aircraft carriers,
all two of them,
where it will be used for surveillance
and reconnaissance missions.
Number 1
The final debut worth mentioning is one
that looks like you could order the kit from Taobao
and assemble it in your garage:
A two-man gyrocopter called the Hunting Eagle.
The ‘Hunting Eagle’ gyrocopter is basically a smaller,
cheaper and slower version of a helicopter.
So...it would be terrible in combat.
But don’t worry, this eagle won’t be in combat.
The “hunting” part means “search and rescue, border control,
reconnaissance, anti-riot, and other roles.
It will also be used to self-deploy Chinese special forces
on missions into enemy territory.”
So...not as fierce as those other weapons,
but I still wouldn’t want that landing in my back yard.
Or in Hong Kong.
So why did the Chinese Communist Party
choose to show off all these advanced weapons?
For the same reason my friend Damien
always takes his shirt off at the gym in front of the ladies.
Sure, he gets a lot of attention.
But deep down inside, he’s insecure.
And he wants America to know that
if they mess with him in the South China Sea,
he can stand up for himself.
Wait, I’m not talking about Damien anymore.
But it’s basically the same thing.
Think of this month’s giant military parade
like Xi Jinping with his shirt off.
Wait, don’t think about that.
But anyway,
just because the Chinese Communist Party is insecure,
doesn’t mean its military is just a bluff.
They’ve spent decades stealing US technology
and developing their own weapons.
Sure, their troops lack combat experience.
But some of their weapons could still cause
major damage to the US in a war.
And the Chinese Communist Party televised the whole parade,
and broadcast a version with English voiceover,
to make sure that its frenemy across the Pacific knows what’s up.
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