For first time, China displays nuclear triad at parade

Displaying its expanding nuclear strength, China on Wednesday unveiled a new intercontinental ballistic missile, Dong Feng-61 (DF-61) and also for the first time showcased its “nuclear triad”—the ability to launch nukes from air, land and sea.

At a military parade in Beijing, China also publicly displayed for the first time its air-launched long-range missile JingLei-1 (JL-1), which signalled the completion of the triad. China had earlier unveiled land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) such as DF-41 as well as the submarine-launched Julang-3 (JL-3) missile. Together, these three components form the backbone of China’s nuclear triad. “The weapons are China’s strategic ace power to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and dignity,” the Chinese military said. India had announced its triad in November 2018 when the indigenous nuclear-armed submarine INS Arihant carried out its “deterrence patrol”—a Cold War-era term used to denote readiness to launch a nuke. The US, UK, France and Russia too have a triad.

New Chinese missiles DF-61 and JL-1, a separate set of previously unseen high-speed strike missiles, armed drones and an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle XLUUV were also part of the parade. The XLUUV is a platform that can potentially be used to damage undersea telecom cables and gas pipelines.

In strategic circles, it was long speculated that China was developing next-generation ICBMs—like DF-61—as a successor to DF-41, which was first unveiled in 2019. DF-41 has an estimated range of 12,000 to 15,000 km and can carry up to 10 multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) warheads. The details of DF-61, displayed on a truck-trailer, are not know so far.

The US Department of Defence, in its report to the US Congress and titled ‘Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China-2024’, had said the Chinese PLARF (People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force) was “advancing its long-term modernisation plans to enhance strategic-deterrence capabilities”.

Hinting at DF-61, the report said, “China is developing new ICBMs that will significantly improve its nuclear capabilities.” The US estimates that China had more than 600 operational nuclear warheads in its stockpile as of mid-2024, a count that would rise to 1,000 by 2030.

Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected the parade. Several global leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, were among those seated on the rostrum.

The parade was called by China as the 80th anniversary of “People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression”. It commemorates World War-II (1939-45) when China was partnering with the US, UK and France against Germany, Japan and Italy.