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| China to unveil 5 new missiles on Oct 1 |
| Press Trust of India / Beijing Sep 02, 2009, 19:51 IST |
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Amid global concern over China's massive defence modernisation, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) will unveil five new generation of missiles, including intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles and other weapon systems to mark the 60th National Day parade here on October 1.
The 2.3 million-strong PLA will showcase five new types of domestically designed missiles at the National Day parade, state-run 'Global Times' reported today, quoting a leading missile expert from the Second Artillery Force, China's strategic nuclear force, as saying.
A number of advanced weapons of air and sea forces will also be on display at the military parade, to be held for the first time since the National Day in 1999, it said.
Five types of missiles, including nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, conventional cruise missiles and medium-range and short-range conventional missiles, will be displayed for the first time at the highly anticipated military parade, it quoted the expert as saying.
"These missiles are domestically designed and manufactured and have never been officially reported before," he said, adding that they belong to a second generation of missiles that have already been distributed to the military and are ready for operation.
"The third generation is still under development and is unlikely to be displayed this time," he said.
The parades, held once in a decade, typically showcase new-generation weapons systems developed by the PLA. They are closely scrutinised by foreign military experts for clues about Chinese military development trends.
Military experts have been expecting to see the Dongfeng 41, known as the DF-41, and the CSS-X-10, which is said to be a third-generation, solid-fuel, intercontinental ballistic missile.
While China is a late starter in the missile development, compared with the US and Russia – countries equipped with fifth-generation missiles and in the process of developing sixth-generation missiles – it has made rapid progress, the expert said.
"Our second generation can match their third and fourth generations, and the third generation under development is comparable to their fifth and sixth generations," he said.
Progress made by the Second Artillery Force in the decade since 1999 will be highlighted at the October 1 event, with marching soldiers and vehicles carrying missiles, three for every type, the paper, a sister publication of the ruling Communist Party of China, said.
The Second Artillery Force is a strategic unit under the direct command and control of the Central Military Commission, China's top military organ.
A new submarine-launched ballistic missile, Julang 2, also known as JL-2 and CSS-NX-4, is also highly anticipated to make an appearance at the parade.
Li Daguang, a senior military expert at the PLA University of National Defence, emphasised that the military parade is not for saber rattling but aims to promote national pride, confidence and awareness of national defence.
"Some countries, observing China's parade with coloured glasses, show off their weapons around the world on the battlefield instead," Li said.
Chinese President Hu Jintao will address the huge celebration at Tian'anmen Square on October 1, followed by the military parade and a mass pageant involving 200,000 people, 60 floats and a fireworks display.
China's massive defence modernisation and its double digit defence spending have caused global concern.
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