● IN SERVICESINCE 2017J-20
5th-gen stealth fighterFront-line stealth fighter; the upgraded J-20A and two-seat J-20S debuted at the 2025 parade.
- VARIANTS
- J-20, J-20A, J-20S
- ENGINES
- WS-10C (domestic)
- COMBAT UNITS
- From 2018
ARSENAL · GLOBAL FIREPOWER 2026 RANK #3 · PWRINDX 0.0919
China
The newest systems in service, in testing or in development: five per domain, across air, sea, land, missiles and space.
01 · DOMAIN
Air
● IN SERVICESINCE 2017
● TESTINGFROM 2025J-35
Carrier-based stealth fighterCompleted its first electromagnetic catapult launches and arrested landings on the Fujian in 2025; the carrier air wing is still in trials (IISS).
- BASING
- Carrier Fujian
- CATAPULT LAUNCH
- Sep 2025 (announced)
- AIR FORCE VERSION
- J-35A
● IN SERVICESINCE 2019H-6N
Nuclear-capable bomberChina's first nuclear-capable, air-refuelable bomber, revealed in 2019.
- REFUELING
- In flight
- ROLE
- Nuclear-capable
- JOINT PATROL
- With Russia, Nov 2024
● TESTINGFROM 2025KJ-600
Carrier early-warning aircraftCatapult-launched early-warning aircraft that gives the Fujian its own radar picture.
- LAUNCH
- Electromagnetic catapult
- BASING
- Carrier Fujian
- ROLE
- Airborne early warning
● IN SERVICESINCE 2019GJ-11
Stealth attack droneStealth drone first shown at the 2019 parade; filmed flying with the J-20 and J-16D in 2025.
- FIRST SHOWN
- Oct 2019 parade
- NAME
- Xuanlong; also Sharp Sword
- FLIES WITH
- J-20, J-16D
02 · DOMAIN
Sea
● IN SERVICESINCE 2025Fujian
Aircraft carrierChina's first carrier with electromagnetic catapults, commissioned on 5 November 2025.
- DISPLACEMENT
- 80,000+ t full load
- LAUNCH
- Electromagnetic catapults
- AIR WING
- J-35, J-15T, J-15DT, KJ-600
● IN SERVICESINCE 2020Type 055
Large guided-missile destroyerChina's fourth-generation destroyer; the lead ship Nanchang was commissioned in January 2020.
- VLS
- 112 cells
- DISPLACEMENT
- 11,000+ t (CSIS)
- SHIPS
- 8 (by 2025)
● TESTINGFROM 2025Type 076 Sichuan
Amphibious assault ship with catapultSecond Chinese ship class with an electromagnetic catapult; on sea trials since November 2025.
- DISPLACEMENT
- 40,000+ t full load
- LAUNCH
- Electromagnetic catapult
- FIRST SEA TRIAL
- Nov 2025
● IN SERVICESINCE 2014Type 052D
Guided-missile destroyerThe most widely built PLA Navy destroyer, still in production with upgraded radar.
- FIRST SHIP
- Kunming (2014)
- LATEST
- Loudi (2025), Ganzi (2026)
- UPGRADE
- Rotating dual-face radar
● IN SERVICESINCE 2021Type 075
Amphibious assault shipLarge-deck helicopter ships; four have been commissioned since April 2021.
- SHIPS
- Hainan, Guangxi, Anhui, Hubei
- FIRST
- Hainan, Apr 2021
- AIRCRAFT
- Helicopters incl. Z-10
03 · DOMAIN
Land
● IN SERVICESINCE 2025
No freely licensed photoType 100
Main battle tankChina's first fourth-generation tank, with an uncrewed turret and active protection.
- TURRET
- Uncrewed
- PROTECTION
- Active, 360° radar
- DEBUT
- 3 Sep 2025 parade
● IN SERVICESINCE 2019PHL-191
Modular long-range rocket launcherFires guided rockets of several calibers; two variants appeared at the 2025 parade.
- RANGE
- Tens to hundreds of km (official)
- ROCKETS
- Several guided calibers
- 2025 PARADE
- Two variants
● IN SERVICESINCE 2019
No freely licensed photoPCL-181
Wheeled 155 mm howitzerLight truck-mounted howitzer that can be airlifted by the Y-9.
- GUN
- 155 mm
- WEIGHT
- ~25 t
- AIRLIFT
- Y-9
● IN SERVICESINCE 2011Type 99A
Main battle tankThe PLA's heaviest tank in service, used in Russia's Center-2026 exercise.
- ENGINE
- 1,500 hp
- TOP SPEED
- 70 km/h
- PROTECTION
- Active protection, composite armor
● IN SERVICESINCE 2019
No freely licensed photoHQ-17A
Short-range air defense systemThe Ground Force's newest short-range SAM, built to escort armored units.
- DEVELOPER
- CASIC Second Academy
- FIRST SHOWN
- Oct 2019 parade
- ROLE
- Escorts armored forces
04 · DOMAIN
Missiles
FROM 2025
No freely licensed photoDF-61
Land-based intercontinental ballistic missileNew ICBM first shown in the September 2025 parade as part of China's nuclear triad; outside analysts have not confirmed it is deployed.
- STATUS
- Fielding not independently confirmed
- FIRST SHOWN
- 3 Sep 2025
- ROLE
- Nuclear triad, land leg
● IN SERVICESINCE 2025
No freely licensed photoDF-5C
Liquid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missileLiquid-fuel strategic nuclear missile described by official media as able to strike any target worldwide.
- FUEL
- Liquid
- RANGE
- ~13,000 km (FAS est.)
- FIRST SHOWN
- 3 Sep 2025
● IN SERVICESINCE 2022
No freely licensed photoJL-3
Submarine-launched ballistic missileSea leg of the nuclear triad, deployed from about 2022 (FAS) and shown publicly for the first time in 2025.
- TYPE
- Submarine-launched ICBM
- RANGE
- ~10,000 km (US DoD est.)
- FIRST SHOWN
- 3 Sep 2025
● IN SERVICESINCE 2025JL-1
Air-launched long-range missileAir leg of the nuclear triad, the first air-based strategic missile shown in a parade.
- TYPE
- Air-launched ballistic missile
- FIRST SHOWN
- 3 Sep 2025
- ROLE
- Nuclear triad, air leg
● IN SERVICESINCE 2022
No freely licensed photoYJ-21
Hypersonic anti-ship missileAll-weather hypersonic anti-ship weapon, paraded in 2025 with the DF-17 and DF-26D.
- SPEED
- Hypersonic
- ROLE
- Anti-ship
- PARADE
- 3 Sep 2025
05 · DOMAIN
Space
● IN SERVICESINCE 2020BeiDou-3
Navigation satellite systemGlobal navigation system completed in July 2020, with global short messaging.
- CORE CONSTELLATION
- 30 (24 MEO, 3 IGSO, 3 GEO)
- COMPLETED
- 31 Jul 2020
- GLOBAL MESSAGE
- 40 characters
● TESTINGFROM 2020
No freely licensed photoReusable experimental spacecraft
Reusable orbital spacecraftFour orbital missions since 2020, according to the US Space Force; the first three lasted 2, 276 and 268 days.
- MISSIONS
- 4 (US Space Force, 2026)
- LONGEST
- 276 days (mission 2)
- LAUNCH
- Long March 2F
● IN SERVICESINCE 2023
No freely licensed photoYaogan-41
High-orbit optical remote sensing satelliteLaunched on a Long March 5 in December 2023; officially for crop yields, environment, weather and disaster warning; US analysts see a surveillance role (CSIS).
- LAUNCH
- 15 Dec 2023, Long March 5
- ORBIT
- High orbit
- SENSOR
- Optical
● IN SERVICESINCE 2021
No freely licensed photoShijian-21
Debris mitigation / servicing satelliteLaunched in October 2021, officially to test debris mitigation; the US DoD describes a robotic arm able to move other satellites.
- LAUNCH
- Oct 2021, Long March 3B
- MISSION
- Debris mitigation (official)
- ORBIT
- Geostationary
● TESTINGFROM 2007
No freely licensed photoDirect-ascent ASAT (2007 test)
Anti-satellite missileA ground-launched interceptor destroyed the Fengyun-1C weather satellite in January 2007; the US DoD says China now fields operational ground-launched ASAT missiles.
- TEST
- 11 Jan 2007
- TARGET
- Fengyun-1C
- DEBRIS
- 1,600+ tracked by Mar 2007 (NASA)
Every card links its primary source, the operator, maker or government that announced it. Where one exists, a second, independent source outside that government or maker confirms it (checked October 2026). (claimed) marks a figure only the maker or government states; (est.) marks an outside estimate. Photos are freely licensed images of that exact system from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each image; cards without one are left blank.