Chinese Parade Emphasizes Operational Fifth-Gen Fighters, Unmanned Aircraft

The People’s Republic of China emphasized operational and near-operational fifth-generation aircraft in its massive Sept. 2 military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan in World War II. Also trucked through Tiananmen Square were a number of uncrewed aircraft, many of which bear a striking resemblance to U.S. types, and the serial numbers of which indicate they are operational or in advanced testing.  But absent from the flybys and rolling stock were several recently revealed sixth-generation aircraft types likely to be advanced fighters, medium bombers, or semi-autonomous drones.

It was the first time three versions of the J-20 “Mighty Dragon”—China’s top-line stealth fighter—were displayed, along with two versions of the J-35, the Chinese Navy’s first stealth carrier-based jet, which resembles the U.S. F-35. The event also showed off new versions of Chinese intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, and other gear.

For the first time globally, five variants of advanced stealth fighter jets appeared together in a single parade.

The lineup included the J-20, J-20A, J-20S, and J-35A of the PLA Air Force, along with the PLA Navy’s J-35, all roaring over Tian’anmen Square in Beijing.… pic.twitter.com/FZAbljSALm

— Umair Aslam (@Defense785) September 3, 2025

The parade also featured a number of fourth-generation and support aircraft that flesh out Beijing’s airpower projection capability, such as the KJ-600 airborne warning and control aircraft—comparable to the Navy’s E-2D—and a tanker version of the Y-20 transport, which flew in tandem with the H-6N, the newest variant of China’s venerable strategic bomber. The tanker will be able to extend the range of all Chinese combat aircraft.  

The People’s Liberation Army “is showing the world and the U.S. military exactly what they want us to see,” J. Michael Dahm, a Chinese military expert with AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

“The equipment selected, the technologies showcased, the precision with which the parade was executed—all have been carefully choreographed to shape perceptions and message target audiences around the world,” Dahm added. The PLA “has been rehearsing and preparing for this parade for months,” he said, adding, “nothing was left to chance.”

To China’s domestic audience, Dahm said, the parade sends the message that the Communist Party “is strong and in control of the military,” and is “delivering on its promise to build a strong, developed nation, to resume China’s ‘rightful place in the world order.’” To regional neighbors, the parade shows China’s strength and ability to protect its territory and interests. Internationally, “the message is clearly that the PLA is developing the technology and capacity to challenge the U.S. and its allies.” The presence of world leaders, including those of Russia, North Korea, Iran, Maylasia, and others, “sends the message that China is positioning itself—with commensurate military power—to lead an alternative to the U.S.-led world order.”

Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Kevin B. Schneider, speaking at a Mitchell Institute event this week, said he and other Air Force leaders discussed the upcoming parade and agreed that the “big focus is on messaging.”

“The takeaway from this is, we are not deterred,” Schneider added. “We will continue to stay ahead of the challenges. We will continue to find ways to advance our capabilities and deal with potential adversary systems as they are developed and fielded.” Scheneider said he’s very optimistic that “we have been successful in doing that, and we will continue to be.”

The Air Force will continue to advance “our own capabilities to break down doors, to get into anti-access and area-denial areas, and to be able to operate in weapons engagement zones, something that we have done as a nation since day one,” Schneider said.

Fighters

Three versions of the J-20 Mighty Dragon flew over the parade, including the original J-20, the refined and improved J-20A—which has a sleeker canopy profile and a more pronounced spine—and the two-seat J-20S. China Daily, the PRC’s state-run news service, acknowledged that the second aviator in the J-20S performs both electronic warfare operations and “guiding unmanned aircraft to hit enemy targets.” The jet can also be used as a trainer, as the government said the jet can be flown from the rear seat. It also noted that the J-20S is the only two-seat stealth fighter in operational service.

Air & Space Forces Magazine first reported in 2021 that the second crew member on a J-20S could have the job of controlling unmanned aircraft flying in formation with the fighter.

China Daily quoted Fu Qiansho, an ex-Chinese air force “researcher” as saying the backseater “can enable the J-20S to better use precision-guided munitions and connect with the airborne early-warning and control systems. … It is better to have an operator to focus on these extended functions because only one pilot would be too busy to take care of all of those tasks in real air combat.”

U.S. Air Force officials, in contrast, have said tests show one F-22 pilot can comfortably direct up to six Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the semi-autonomous drones USAF wants to pair in formations with manned fighters.

China Daily also quoted Wang Yanan, editor of the magazine Aerospace Knowledge, as saying that the appearance of the J-20 and J-35 “means the Air Force and Navy are in the middle of a systematic transformation” from fourth- to fifth-generation types. He said the deepened spine of the J-20A likely means it can carry more fuel, and that the lower-profile canopy will aid stealth. Visibility out of the cockpit isn’t as necessary to the rear, because the J-20A has “electro-optical sensors mounted around the fuselage” to provide a 360-degree view, Wang said. Close-up views of J-20 jets in recent months show it has an EO system like the F-35’s Distributed Aperture System, which merges the views into a helmet-mounted presentation.

The Chinese government said the J-35 will be optimized for carrier defense and dogfighting, while the J-35A—which it describes as a “midsize” fighter—will have a multirole mission including precision strike.

Drones

China is apparently working on five collaborative combat aircraft, Dahm said, which go simply by the names “Type A through E.” While Types A, B, D, and E were displayed at the parade, Type C was missing. Those on display include a flying-wing type; a tailless diamond the size of the J-10 fighter; an apparent clone of the Kratos XQ-58; a clone of Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat, and another new type with diamond wings and no vertical surfaces. Also on display were China’s versions of the RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-9 Reaper, which, though uncrewed, are not expected to be capable of escorting crewed fighters.

Chinese state media said drones are cheaper and more expendable than stealth fighters, and that the more advanced ones will be able to strike targets without human guidance. They will also be able to act as pathfinders for crewed fighters, finding away around radars and air defenses, the reports suggested.

The CCA-type aircraft in the parade carried side numbers, which Dahm said “may indicate they are operational, or, at the very least, operational with a [People’s Liberation Army Air Force] brigade for test and evaluation.”

 It is “entirely possible,” he added, “if not likely, that these different UCAV/CCA designs are currently available in limited numbers for test, evaluation or training. There are no indications that these are widely fielded or operational with frontline PLAAF units in the Eastern or Southern Theater Commands.”

Other noteworthy revelations:

The Y-20B tanker variant of the Y-20 transport was flown over the show. It’s said to have new, indigenously produced engines, unlike the Y-20A, which has Russian engines.
The J-15DH and J-16, derivatives of the Russian Su-27 and Chinese J-15, made flybys. They serve a similar function as the EA-18 Growler electronic jamming aircraft in the Navy.
The KJ-600 AWACS will be the first of its kind deployed on a carrier, China News said. Sea trials are taking place.
The CJ-1000 hypersonic cruise missile of the PLA Rocket Force may provide “a very capable, long-range conventional strike capability that China could employ without ballistic missile launch indications that might risk confusion with a Chinese nuclear missile strike,” Dahm said.
China media said the DF-5C missile on display for the first time has the ability to make “global strikes.” It’s a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile, purportedly with 12 independently targetable re-entry vehicles. The DF-61, another hypersonic missile, was also mounted on trucks.

Not appearing in the parade were China’s recently unveiled J-36 medium-sized, cranked-arrow planform fighter/bomber with a side-by-side cockpit, and the J-XX, a lambda-wing fighter that may also be a collaborative drone. Dahm said it’s not typical for China to fly experimental types in national parades.