The China’s PLA on Parade…indicate some 52 new weapons will be unveiled – WSJ.com
Perhaps the most prominent event marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China will be a massive parade showcasing the People’s Liberation Army’s newest technologies. Chinese and Western reports indicate some 52 weapons will be unveiled, including intercontinental and medium-range ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, long-range cruise missiles and the domestically produced J-10 fighter plane.
In some respects the big guns will be a distraction. The lower-profile command, control and communications systems, such as airborne early-warning and control aircraft and satellite-communications devices, more accurately reflect the comprehensive challenge of China’s expanding military capabilities. These systems might not look that special while in a parade, but they evince the increasing sophistication of China’s strategic thinking and technology.
China isn’t aiming to match the United States weapon-for-weapon. Instead, China is pursuing an “asymmetric” approach. It is a view of future warfare, expounded in PLA analyses, that focuses more on enabling the PLA to gather, transmit and exploit information while denying an opponent that same ability.
