How does the West’s defence tech weigh up against China’s ‘robotic wolves’ and missiles?

China unveiled a series of new weapons at its Victory Day military parade, an annual celebration commemorating the day Japan surrendered from World War II. 

Beijing took the opportunity to show off many weapons for the first time, including what could be the world’s first ‘wingman’ drone, new nuclear-capable intercontinental missiles, anti-satellite missiles, and ‘robotic wolves’. 

We take a look at how weapons either in use or under development across the West compares to China’s Victory Day display.

European alternatives to ‘Wingman’ drone in development

One of the standouts from Wednesday’s parade was the “loyal wingman” Feihong-97 drone, a single-engine, ground-attack uncrewed drone. The South China Morning Post said its debut would make China the first country in the world to have this type drone ready for combat. 

It is capable of coordinated attacks alongside crewed jets and can carry out reconnaissance attacks and electronic jamming. 

Europe is developing loyal wingman-style drones, including Airbus’ Wingman, a fighter-type drone that will be commanded by a pilot in a differnt  aircraft like the Eurofighter. 

The concept was presented at the 2024 Berlin Air Show. It aims toaccomplish various tasks such as “reconnaissance to jamming and engaging targets on the ground or in the air with precision guided munitions or missiles,” according to Airbus.

The Wingman will eventually have artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities through a partnership with German defence company Helsing AI that will aidthe aicraft inelectronic warfare. However, the Wingman won’t be operational until the 2030s. 

Airbus’ Wingman will be one type of remote carrier in the FCAS system, which is currently being developed by France, Spain and Germany. The “system of systems” will see new fighter jets or the updated Eurofighter work with unmanned remote carriers in space, in the air, on the ground, and at sea by the 2040s. 

The United Kingdom started building a Wingman drone under Project Mosquito but the prototype was killed in 2022. The government is now looking for proposals for a wingman-type drone to complement work on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with Italy and Japan. 

A new wingman drone in the United States took its first test flight last week, with General Atomics’ YFQ-42A taking to the skies over California. The US Air Force is also working with defence tech company Anduril on the YFQ-44A, another type of wingman drone that is not currently ready for testing. 

France and the UK are the only European countries with nuclear ballistic missiles

The Chinese military also showed off several new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs): the Dong Feng-61, Dong Feng-31BJ, DongFeng 26-D, and Dong Feng-5C.

Chinese media reported that the DF-5C ballistic missile would be “capable of striking any part of the Earth,” because it allegedly has a range of over 20,000 kilometres. It can reportedly support up to 12 nuclear warheads. 

Among the new missiles is the DF-61, a new intercontinental ballistic missile which can be fired from a mobile launching platform. Details on its capabilities are scant, but its predecessor has a range of more than 12,000 kilometres (7,500 miles) and can carry multiple warheads. 

The long-range DF-61 joins the JingLei-1 air-launched long-range missile and the JuLang-3 submarine-launched missile in a “nuclear triad” that shows China can retaliate with nuclear weapons on land, sea or sky, local media reported. 

In comparison, France and the US each have two types of nuclear-capable missiles that can be launched from submarines or by air in deterrence missions. 

France’s M51 missile is launched from an underwater submarine and can travel through the Earth’s atmosphere into space at an altitude of 2,000 kilometres and reenters the atmosphere at 20,000 kilometres an hour, according to its developer ArianeGroup. 

From the air, the French have the medium-range air-to-ground missile (ASMP-A) cruise missile. 

The UK only has an intercontinental nuclear missile that can be launched from the sea. Jointly built with the US, the Trident II D5 has a flight range of 11,300 kilometres and releases at least one nuclear warhead when it reaches peak elevation, according to its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. 

The US has a land-based nuclear ballistic missile, the Minuteman III, a missile that weighs more than 36,000 kilograms that can fly at a speed of over 24,000 kilometres per hour, according to the US Air Force. The Minuteman will be phased out for the LGM-35 Sentinel by the 2030s. 

The US, France, and UK are three of nine nuclear countries with stockpiles of 5,044, 290 and 225 nuclear weapons, respectively. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons says that Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey host part of the US stockpile on their territories. 

Unlike China, the EU is not testing anti-satellite weapons

Also on display for the first time in Tiananmen Square was the latest missile for China’s space defence system. 

Chinese media reported that an air defence formation with six types of air defence and antiballistic missiles, including the HQ-29, believed to be an anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) capable of taking down foreign satellites with one blow. 

The HQ-29, alongside the short and medium-range missiles HQ11, HQ-20, HQ-22A, HQ-9C and HQ-19, create what Chinese media call a “solid barrier for air and aerospace defence”. 

The European Union’s 27 members committed at the United Nations in 2023 to not test ASAT missiles, such as  China’s HQ-29, because of potential impacts on the outer space environment. 

The EU is looking to defend itself in space through other means, such as a space-based missile early warning system or ‘bodyguard satellites’ that will be able to detect and counter space threats. 

The French and the Italians are also developing a long-range anti-aircraft system called the Aster-30 B1NT, which is closer to the US’s Patriot system or Germany’s IRIS-T. 

When the system is ready, the French military says it will eventually be able to detect and neutralise long-distance missiles, including hypersonic missiles that fly at Mach 5 speed, or 6,000 kilometres per hour.

However, the Aster-30 B1NT can only fly to an altitude of 25 kilometres, which is still below the Karman Line, where orbit starts, which is at an altitude of 100 kilometres. 

Robot dogs being used in Ukraine, tested in UK

Mounted on top of some of the vehicles in Wednesday’s parade were “robotic wolves,” which Chinese state media describe as being able to hit targets and having combat effectiveness. 

Similar-looking Quadrupedal robots, commonly known as robot dogs, are being used in Ukraine for demining  battlefields or for reconnaissance missions. 

Ukraine used BAD.2 model robot dogs developed by British company Brit Alliance Solutions for the first time on the battlefield last year, the company wrote on LinkedIn. 

The Telegraph reported that the dogs are equipped with remote-sensing technology and a thermal-infrared camera. The dogs are able to explore inside trenches, buildings and dense vegetation. 

The report said the robots can move up to 9 miles (14 kilometres) per hour for up to five hours and can be mounted with more than 7 kilograms of ammunition or medical supplies. 

The UK said in February it successfully finished testing robotic dogs that would be able to detect and defuse bomb threats on the battlefield. At the time, the robots were also successful in completing some tasks, such as opening doors and climbing stairs. 

Robotic dogs in the US, including the Vision 60 development from Ghost Robotics, can be equipped with an unmanned rifle, according to media reports.