TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A defense analyst identified key facets of Taiwan's defense that must be bolstered in response to China's new weapons systems displayed at a military parade on Wednesday.
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the defense ministry’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that Beijing showcased several new weapons, including J-20 stealth fighters with drone wingmen, the YJ series of hypersonic anti-ship missiles, and unmanned combat systems, per Liberty Times. To counter this, he said Taiwan must accelerate the development of asymmetric capabilities, prioritizing air defense to prevent PLA coastal or airborne landings.
Su said that Beijing deliberately emphasized new combat capabilities such as drone swarms and hypersonic missiles. He said that these can be observed on the strategic strike level, regional denial level, and tactical level.
At the strategic strike level, the DF-61 intercontinental ballistic missile has a range exceeding 15,000 kilometers and can carry multiple warheads and decoys. The JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile expands the patrol range of nuclear submarines and makes detection more difficult.
The HQ-29 exoatmospheric missile interception system can target low-orbit satellites and incoming missiles. He said this creates a political deterrence effect against the US and its allies.
At the regional denial level, Su pointed to the KJ-600 carrier-based early warning aircraft and the J-35 fighter jet, which will be deployed on the aircraft carrier Fujian. Combined with the YJ-15, YJ-19, YJ-17, and YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missiles, these assets strengthen China’s anti-access/area-denial capability.
At the tactical level, the PLA displayed quadruped robots, unmanned tanks, anti-drone lasers, and mobile air-defense guns. In addition, FH-97 loyal wingman drones were paired with a twin-seat J-20.
Su emphasized that despite the array of weapons on display, Taiwan only needs to focus on two targets: preventing transport aircraft and troop carriers from crossing the Taiwan Strait. “Nothing is more urgent than air defense,” he warned, calling it the core priority.
In addition to long-range Sky Bow III, Patriot, and Strong Bow systems, he urged Taiwan to rapidly build mobile short- and medium-range air defenses to counter pressure from Dongfeng missiles, Weishi rockets, and medium- to large-sized drones. As for sea denial, he was less worried, citing sufficient numbers of Hsiung Feng and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
Su also urged Taiwan to make full use of its industrial advantages in unmanned systems. From basic tactical-level systems to operational-level ones, rapid development should lead to swarm-attack capabilities that would significantly boost Taiwan’s defense success rate.
Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at INDSR, said the PLA’s YJ-series missiles appear to imitate Russian designs, and it is unclear whether Beijing obtained proper authorization. Shen said that if they are imitations, their performance could be only 70–80% of the original.
He suggested that many of China’s weapons may have been built primarily for show during the parade, with uncertain effectiveness in actual combat, a style reminiscent of North Korea’s displays. Shen said that, for example, while the J-35 fighter jet and the aircraft carrier Fujian were unveiled, their development and deployment remain slow, reflecting limited actual capability.
Shen said that although China highlights space and unmanned systems as part of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s military modernization vision, there is still a clear gap compared with the US. Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine war has shown that hypersonic missiles can still be intercepted by Patriot systems, casting further doubt on the practical effectiveness of China’s weapons.
