Key Points and Summary – China is preparing to showcase its most advanced fighter jets, including the J-16, J-20, and J-35, in “real-war scenario” flight formations at its upcoming Victory Day parade on September 3.
-This massive aerial display over Beijing is more than just a historical commemoration; it is a deliberate and powerful signal of the PLA’s rapidly modernizing airpower.
-By simulating complex combat operations with visible payloads, China is sending a clear message of deterrence to its rivals amid soaring tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea, underlining its growing military might.
J-20 Fighter Over Tiananmen: A Look at China’s Huge Military Air Show
WARSAW, POLAND – The South China Morning Post (SCMP) has reported that the September 3 Victory Day military parade in Beijing will feature “warplanes from the air force, navy and army” and that they will “fly in formations highlighting their joint combat operations, according to state media.”
Since the handover of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Communist Party (CCP) and the sale of the SCMP to the Alibaba Group in 2015, the paper has concentrated more on its coverage. It has been progressively covering more of the defense industrial sector than in previous years.
The publication reports from the state Xinhua news agency that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will showcase fighter aircraft from the Air Force (PLAAF), Navy (PLAN AF), and Army (PLAGFA) in joint formations during next week’s parade. The massive Victory Day celebration will be held in the center of Beijing at Tiananmen Square to mark 80 years since the end of World War II after Japan’s surrender.
According to the information provided by Xinhua, the various fighter jets will fly in joint formations.
Still, they will not just be in matched pairs for appearances, as is often the case when armed forces show off their newest hardware.
Instead, these aircraft are supposed to fly in patterns over the parade route where they will be simulating a “real-war scenario” and highlighting their joint combat operations, again according to Xinhua.
State-of-the-Art Platforms
Reports on the parade are that the aircraft would have capabilities ranging from early warning and command to precision strikes.
The formations would involve a mix of fighter jets carrying visible weapon payloads—also unusual for a parade or other public display—and would reveal the integration of their systems across the three services.
These aircraft will be largely state-of-the-art platforms, with many of the aircraft participating appearing in a PLA parade for the first time. The Xinhua agency reported that these fighters would be newly developed combat aircraft and categorized them as “cutting-edge assets for high-end warfare”.
The parade has been in planning for months now. As early as June, the all-powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) had stated that the aircraft and other weapon systems to be on display would showcase the PLA’s “strong ability to adapt to the scientific and technological developments and the evolution of conflict to win future wars”.
These flight displays say PRC officials would “fully reflect the latest level of development of China’s advanced weaponry, and demonstrate the confidence and strength of the people’s military to deter strong enemies and secure victory in the skies”.
Preparations for the parade have been in high gear for some time now, and large-scale rehearsals have been held near Tiananmen Square over the past three weekends.
Which Aircraft Models to Look For
None of the PLA or CCP authorities has officially revealed details of which military hardware will be seen in this parade.
Still, other sources have stated that there will be as many as 70 new weapon systems on display during the course of the event. Photos and videos posted on social media sites have also shown some of the platforms involved in the rehearsals.
Both of the PLAAF’s 5th-generation stealth fighters have been seen flying in joint formation with other aircraft during rehearsals. The aircraft types seen include the latest and upgraded variant of the Chengdu J-20A.
This latest model is powered with a PRC-developed WS-15 Emei engine, which has replaced the Russian AL-31F and Chinese-design Liming WS-10 model engines that were installed in earlier versions of the aircraft. Also seen flying is the combat-capable version of the Chengdu aircraft, the J-20S.
The other stealthy fighter that has been seen flying in practice formation is the Shenyang J-35A, which was first seen at the November 2024 Zhuhai air show. Both this aircraft and its carrier-capable version, the J-35B, have also been seen during practice runs.
J-35A Fighter Chinese Military. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
J-35A Fighter at Le Bourget Air Show. Image Credit: Author/National Security Journal.
Also seen flying were the Xi’an KJ-600, a naval airborne early warning aircraft, and the latest versions of the Shenyang J-15 carrier-based fighter. These include the J-15DH, the J-15DT electronic warfare variant, and the catapult-capable J-15T equipped with PL-17 long-range air-to-air missiles that have a range of 400 km.
An upgraded Y-20B transport aircraft and the Shenyang J-16D electronic warfare platform have also been seen in images from the rehearsals.
Aircraft that will be taking part in next week’s fly-past will carry banners with the message of “remembering history, honouring martyrs, cherishing peace and opening the future”, again according to Xinhua.
These aircraft’s performances, said the news agency, would be solemn and would underscore China’s “firm position and determination to love peace and safeguard peace”.
J-20 Fighter. Image Credit: Chinese Weibo Screenshot.
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson has thirty-six years of experience analyzing and reporting on foreign weapons systems, defense technologies, and international arms export policy. Johnson is the Director of Research at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. He is also a survivor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He worked for years in the American defense industry as a foreign technology analyst and later as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of the Navy and Air Force, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Australia. In 2022-2023, he won two awards in a row for his defense reporting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, specializing in Soviet and Russian studies. He lives in Warsaw.
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