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Nuclear missiles are seen in the parade of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, on Chang'an Street in central Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2009. (Xinhua/Wang Qingqin)
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BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's National Day
military parade culminated in the final staging of giant nuclear-capable
intercontinental ballistic missiles Thursday.
The camouflage nuclear missiles, riding on 18 launch
vehicles, rumbled past Tian'anmen Square and were reviewed by Chinese leaders
and foreign guests.
The parade, marking the 60th anniversary of the
founding of the People's Republic of China, reached a crescendo of excitement
when the gigantic vehicles, each had 20 wheels, came to the center stage,
carrying "remarkable symbols" of China's defense muscle.
Glorious tradition of the paraded brigade included
conducting the country's first-generation nuclear weapon live firing tasks when
it was stationed in a rough plateau area with awful weather conditions.
Senior Colonel Zhang Guangzhong, head of the nuclear
missile formation of the parade, said the nuclear missiles, delivered to his
troop in 2007, were upgraded and boasted quicker response, longer range and
enhanced maneuverability.
Zhang said the research and development of strategic
nuclear missiles "represents the highest level of the country's homegrown
weapons."
"Many of our domestically-made arms have been
produced on the basis of technologies and experience of developed countries, but
China had chosen a completely independent way in developing strategic nuclear
weapons," Zhang said.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) headquarters
praised the nuclear missile as a "trump card."
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Conventional missiles are displayed in a parade of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, on Chang'an Street in central Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2009. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)
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"With the development of the PLA's strategic
armament, the army's capability in maintaining world peace and containing war
crisis has been enhanced," the PLA says.
Maj.-Gen. Gao Jianguo, spokesman at the joint
headquarters for the military parade, said a week ago that China would "show
restraint" in developing nuclear weapons.
"China has never deployed nuke weaponry outside its
territory. It has not joined the nuclear race and will never in the future," Gao
said.
A white paper on national defense released by the
Chinese government in January clarified its longstanding policy of "no first use
of nuclear weapons" and reaffirmed its will to implement "a self-defensive
nuclear strategy."
"In peacetime, the nuclear missile weapons of the
Second Artillery Force are not aimed at any country," the white paper said.
"But if China comes under a nuclear threat, the
nuclear missile force will go into a state of alert, and get ready for a nuclear
counterattack to deter the enemy from using nuclear weapons against China," it
said.
It would use nuclear missiles to "launch a resolute counterattack against the enemy" in case of a nuclear attack, it said, adding it could perform nuclear attack either independently or together with the nuclear forces of other services.
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Conventional missiles are displayed in a parade of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, on Chang'an Street in central Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2009. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
Photo Gallery>>> |
Female pilots flying training jets
conclude air display
BEIJING,
Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army's 15 female pilots
ridding 15 training jets K-8 appeared as the final formation of an air display
at the end of a grand military parade in Beijing Thursday morning.
With music of a popular military song to express pilots'
enthusiasm for the nation's blue sky echoing around Tian'anmen Square, five
training jets flew over hundreds of thousands of spectators, leaving red, yellow
and blue smoke trails behind to conclude the air show that lasts for nearly ten
minutes. Full story
China National Day parade crescendoed
when nuclear weapon appears
BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's National Day military
parade culminated in the final staging of giant nuclear-capable intercontinental
ballistic missiles Thursday.
The camouflage nuclear missiles, riding on 18 launch
vehicles, rumbled past Tian'anmen Square and were reviewed by Chinese leaders
and foreign guests. Full story
China's first early warning aircraft
hints strategic leap in air defense
BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The organizer of China's
National Day parade showed the most important hardware progress the country's
Air Force made in the past decade as the long-range Kongjing-2000 and two other
smaller Kongjing-200 aircraft led air formations.
The Kongjing-2000 is China's first generation of military
airborne early warning and control (AEWC) system developed with its own
technology. The plane was deployed around 2004 after decades of trade embargo by
Western countries and unsuccessful acquisition of Russia-made equivalent. Full story
China new missile weapon to curb war
threat
BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- A new type of surface-to-surface intermediate and
long-range missiles rumbled past the Tian'anmen Rostrum Thursday morning.
This type of missiles of DF series can be armed with either nuclear or
conventional warheads, military experts say. Full story
Indigenous J-10 fighters become Air Force's
backbones
BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Although China's indigenous
J-10 multirole fighter was officially unveiled in 2006, it still deserved a new
aircraft at the National Day parade.
As a third-generation fighter in the world, the
single-seated J-10 reserves many independent intellectual property rights for
its Chinese developers and manufacturers especially for its high-agility
aerodynamic layout with its delta wings and a pair of canards. Full story
China's cruise missiles "sharp swords"
for precision attacks
BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's land-based cruise
missiles debuted at a National Day parade Thursday morning, marking the 60th
anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
The missiles, painted in camouflage, were one of the most
advanced domestically-made weaponry of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Full story
Nuclear-capable intercontinental
missiles bring climax to China parade
BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's National Day military
parade culminated in the final staging of giant nuclear-capable intercontinental
ballistic missiles Thursday.
The camouflaged nuclear weapon rode on 18 launch vehicles.
Full story
China displays its most advanced weapons in National Day
parade
BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday displayed
some of its most sophisticated weaponry in a grand military review to mark the
60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.
Fifty-two types of new weapon systems developed and made
in China, including the country's most advanced nuclear-capable missiles, were
displayed. Ninety percent of the weapons were exposed to paraded for the first
time. Full story
China's conventional missiles aimed at winning information
warfare
BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's first missile brigade,
carrying the country's surface-to-surface conventional missiles, rumbled past
Tian'anmen Rostrum Thursday.
The homegrown missiles were carried by 18 mobile
launchers, in a specially-designed formation. Full story
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