War Is Boring

by KYLE MIZOKAMI

October 1st, 2009 marked the People’s Republic of China’s 60th anniversary. Like all authoritarian regimes, China enjoys a good military parade. Yesterday it did not disappoint, staging a spectacle that highlighted China’s growing military power and advances in military technology.

The parade comes after a month of stifling security, in which Beijing was described like a town “under martial law.” Civilians were not allowed near the parade rehearsal route. The mailing of soap, toothpaste, and liquids within Beijing were forbidden out of fear they could make explosives, and pigeons and kites were ordered grounded. A pair of reporters from the Japanese Kyodo News Agency were beaten and their equipment trashed when they tried to take pictures of the rehearsals.

Parade planners promised to show off more than fifty types of Chinese-designed weapons systems and more than 8,000 troops took part in the parade, representing all aspects of the People’s Liberation Army, Army Navy, and Army Air Force. According to reports, the actual number of troops was down by as much as two-thirds over previous parades, as China sought to emphasize technology over manpower.

China military watchers were not disappointed. China’s most advanced military hardware was on display, from J-10 multi-role fighters to new assault rifles for paratroopers. At least three types of UAVs were in the parade, as well as HQ-9 surface to air missiles, a new series of amphibious armored vehicles based on a common hull, and DF-31 intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Chinese military even went so far as to helpfully paint “DF-11A” in English on the sides of DF-11A short-range ballistic missiles.

Despite the impressive array of hardware, one aspect of the parade apparently covered even more than the display of nuclear-tipped missiles were the uniforms of an all-female Chinese militia battalion. Dressed in hot pink uniforms with above-the-knee skirts and Type 79 submachine guns, the militia seems to have stolen the show from even the most elite Chinese military units. The contrast between 1958 and 2009 in this particular field of military science is really quite striking.

Watching the photographs, however, one is struck by a number of questions. How useful is blue camouflage, especially in battle dress uniforms? Why, in 2009, are the Chinese equipping new armored vehicles with what appear to be the 50 year-old Soviet AT-3 Sagger anti-tank missile? What is the purpose of the van marked with the Red Cross and a large radar dish? What’s with the enduring PLA obsession with white walled tires? While most air force demonstration teams use white smoke, why does the PLAAF insist on a “Skittles“-like color arrangement? Are Chinese field kitchen trucks marked with huge fork and spoon logos because the enemy might mistake a chopstick logo for rocket artillery?

“The Chinese military already has various weapons that have been deployed by advanced western countries, and some of our weapons are the best in the world,” Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said. Well, maybe not. But certainly the most colorful.

Links to parade coverage:

* China Defense Blog (rehearsal pics)

* China Defense Mashup‘s coverage

* Seattle Post-Intelligencer photo gallery

* Militaryphotos.net‘s parade thread

* Parade video highlights in HD (YouTube)

* Arms Control Wonk on DF-31As (with video)

(Photo: Chosun Ilbo)

Related posts:

1. Defense Update: Iran’s S-300 “Look-Alike,” Hoax or Reality?
2. Kyle’s Far East Roundup, 9/16/09
3. The Diplomat: China’s Alarming, Puzzling, Missile Test
4. China’s Future Combat Systems
5. 8ak: India’s Border Build-Up
6. China’s America-Beating, Future Weapons
7. Kyle’s Links 10/23/09