7 intimidating images from China's 70th anniversary show just how powerful its military has become

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7 intimidating images from China's 70th anniversary show just how powerful its military has become

China military parade

Mark Schiefelbein / Associated Press

Members of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force let out a yell as they march in formation during a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China in Beijing, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019.

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  • China's Communist Party celebrated its seventh decade in power on October 1.
  • It held a massive military parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, featuring 15,000 military personnel, as well as a number of new weapons technologies.
  • On display were a new long-range bomber and hypersonic missiles, an area in which China's military technology appears to lead the world.
  • Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.

The Chinese Communist Party celebrated 70 years in power on October 1 by staging a massive parade, complete with 15,000 marching military personnel and some of its most advanced weapons technology.

China is leading the pack on hypersonic technology, as Daniel Kliman, director of the the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, previously told Insider. Two new missile systems - the DF-41 and the DF-17, which are thought to travel 25 and five times the speed of sound respectively - were paraded through Tiananmen Square on Tuesday.

From stealth drones to long-range bombers, see what the CCP showed off to celebrate its seventh decade.

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The Gongji-11 unmanned combat drone made its debut at the October 1 parade.

The Gongji-11 unmanned combat drone made its debut at the October 1 parade.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Gongji-11 is a combat drone designed to evade detection by enemy radar, much like the manned B-2 Spirit bomber it closely resembles.

Elsa Kania, a research fellow focused on Chinese military innovation at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, told The Wall Street Journal that the Gongji-11 could be deployed on the PLA Navy's aircraft carriers, as China looks toward UAVs and other autonomous vehicles in combat.

The US Navy, along similar lines, showed that an unmanned combat drone could take-off and land aboard an aircraft carrier earlier this decade.

The DR-8 supersonic drone showed up to the parade, too.

The DR-8 supersonic drone showed up to the parade, too.

The DR-8, or WZ-8, is a reconnaissance drone that China can use to infiltrate enemy airspace and gather intelligence — including determining the damage done by some of China's ballistic missiles, The Wall Street Journal reports.

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The DF-17 missile is thought to be able to travel at more than five times the speed of sound.

The DF-17 missile is thought to be able to travel at more than five times the speed of sound.

As The Wall Street Journal reports, it's designed to bypass enemy missile defense systems by traveling at speeds more than 3,400 miles per hour at low altitudes.

Military aircraft streaked rainbow smoke through the sky over Tiananmen Square.

Military aircraft streaked rainbow smoke through the sky over Tiananmen Square.
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The PLA Air Force's H-6N has added an aerial refueling probe.

The PLA Air Force's H-6N has added an aerial refueling probe.

The PLA Air Force's long-range strategic bomber was also on display during the parade, according to Flight Global.

The H-6N could be used to deter US aircraft carriers venturing into the South China Sea.

The DF-41 is China's hypersonic intercontinental ballistic missile, which is reportedly able to strike targets as far as the United States.

The DF-41 is China's hypersonic intercontinental ballistic missile, which is reportedly able to strike targets as far as the United States.

The DF-41 has an estimated range of up to 9,320 miles, allowing it to reach anywhere in the United States in about 30 minutes.

"It's China's most responsive and flexible strategic nuclear system, capable of hurling multiple nuclear warheads to the entirety of the United States," Ankit Panda, an adjunct senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, told The Wall Street Journal.

According to the Associated Press, some analysts believe the nuclear-capable missile can travel up to 25 times the speed of sound.

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The parade featured 15,000 military personnel.

The parade featured 15,000 military personnel.

Source: The New York Times