What does it mean when the world’s most advanced weaponry does not make an appearance in a nation’s biggest military parade? At Beijing’s recent 80th anniversary victory parade against Japan, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) paraded a powerful array of tanks, missiles, drones, and fighter jets. But some of its most advanced and strategically critical systems were missing in action.
These are not gaps. These are a deliberate choice to keep some capabilities in reserve, either because they remain in the developmental stages, are too sensitive for public disclosure, or entail missions at cross-purposes with parade preparation. From fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft to advanced unmanned combat air vehicles, the systems being withheld say as much about China’s intentions as do those on display. Seven of the most advanced weapons systems China did not deploy on Tiananmen Square include:
1. The J-36: A Triple-Engine Heavyweight
The Chengdu J-36, unofficially named after its prototype designation number, is unlike any Chinese fighter previously unveiled. Approximately 75 feet in length and more than 100,000 pounds in weight, it boasts a tailless diamond delta wing and unconventional triple-engine configuration. Commentators such as Bill Sweetman have noted its 25-foot-long main weapons bay into which anti-ship missiles or swarms of loitering munitions can fit and two side bays for point-defense missiles.
Its side-by-side cockpit configuration, like that of the F-111 or Su-34, suggests a multi-mission mission set blurring the fighter-bomber distinction. The dorsal and underwing intakes provide three high-thrust engines, which would allow supercruise at machs approaching 1.8. This combination of range, payload, and speed makes the J-36 a potential counter to U.S. carrier battle groups and long-range bombers.
2. The J-50: Shenyang’s Sixth-Generation Contender
Shenyang J-50, or J-XDS, pursues a different path to sixth-generation design. Smaller than the J-36 but still a heavyweight, it has a merged canopy-fuselage profile, large nose space for next-generation AESA radar, and separated swiveling wingtip control surfaces. Underneath photos have indicated a main weapons bay and possible side bays, echoing fifth-generation stealth fighters but adapted for next-generation crewed-uncrewed collaboration.
Although its exact purpose is still unconfirmed, the J-50 appears to be tailored for air superiority with its control surfaces being agile and stealth-shaped for high-priority aerial targets. PLA’s decision to stay away from parade routes is a testament to its value and susceptibility to development.
3. Mystery Tailless Combat Aircraft
Recent photos of a brand new tailless stealth airframe have created controversy over whether it is a manned medium fighter or a future ‘loyal wingman’ drone. Its pointed nose, wingtip clippers, and absence of vertical stabilizers suggest a low-observability optimized design. Twin-wheel nose gear suggests carrier compatibility or a heavier airframe.
If manned, it would be a Chengdu-produced rival to the J-50; if unmanned, it could be part of China’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. Either case, its failure to appear at the parade suggests operational secrecy or a test phase period.
4. Type B Fighter-Like UCAV
Among China’s new unmanned vehicles, Type B stands out most in terms of size, being the size of a J-10 fighter, and flight profile, being fighter-like. It has a tailless delta wing modified configuration, diverterless supersonic intakes, and a single afterburning engine with a serrated nozzle, all of which indicate supersonic capability.
Underbelly shots reveal enormous internal weapons bays, and a chin-mounted electro-optical sensor copies those on the F-35 and J-20. Experts view the Type B as a high-performance UCAV for solo strikes as well as cooperative combat missions with manned fighters, a capability not yet replicated in U.S. programs.
5. Type A UCAV The Little Brother
Presented alongside the Type B in rehearsal imagery but not quite in full parade configuration, the Type A drone is slightly shorter, with a lambda wing and caret-style intakes. It lacks the Type B’s undernose sensor but features its stealthy, tailless form and single-engine configuration.
Its smaller fuselage and reduced sensor package suggest a focus on cost savings and perhaps higher production rates, perhaps as an under-tier add-on to more sophisticated UCAVs. Withholding it for the main parade by the PLA may be due to ongoing tests or classification complications.
6. GJ-11 Sharp Sword: The Stealth Flying Wing
The GJ-11 Sharp Sword is already established as an integral part of China’s uncrewed strike force. The stealth flying-wing UCAV is armed with munitions in twin internal bays and can perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. More recent variants have featured enhanced low-observable characteristics, potentially laying the groundwork for carrier-based flight.
While it has made appearances in past parades, its absence this year means that upgraded versions or new mission deployments are kept out of sight, possibly to conceal activities carried out in electronic warfare or decoy deployment.
7. Strategic Missile Defence Systems
Apart from aircraft, some of the strategic systems were not there either. Satellite images before the parade showed transporter erector launchers for heavy ballistic missiles at deployment bases, but these were absent in the actual parade. Their absence may suggest the building of new interceptors for missile defence or hypersonic countermeasures.
As the PLA prioritises building a multi-layered defence against both regional and intercontinental threats, having systems such as these in reserve is part of a policy of strategic ambiguity, having competitors remain uncertain about China’s true defensive capabilities.
The absent weapons in Beijing’s anniversary parade speak a story parallel to the ones on display. They show a military in the midst of a technology leap, practicing capabilities that blend stealth, speed, autonomy, and beyond-distance strike power. By keeping these systems out of public sight, the PLA preserves both tactical surprise and strategic ambiguity, an action as calculated as the parade’s choreography itself.
