Chinese UN peacekeepers march during the parade in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in Beijing on September 3, 2025. Photo: VCG

Editor's Note:

On the occasion of the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), a multi-episode documentary, jointly produced by the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission and other departments, has been gaining widespread attention. As of Sunday, the documentary, which focuses on the development of military branches such as the PLA Army, Navy and Air Force, has unveiled extensive real footage from live exercises.  

Military affairs experts emphasized that the PLA's operational combat capabilities and proficiency in securing victory have been continuously strengthened. The series of exercise and training visuals presented in the documentary vividly illustrate the PLA's holistic advancement and significant progress across all domains.

Footage showing PLA Army's KVD002 armed reconnaissance drones appearing in the same frame Photo: Screenshot from CCTV News

Reconnaissance drones conduct live-fire strikes on moving vessel

A newly released video aired by CCTV on Friday showed the PLA Army's KVD002 armed reconnaissance drone successfully conducting a live-fire strike against a moving naval target off China's southeastern coast. 

A Chinese military expert said that extensive fielding of medium-and large-sized drones signals that the PLA Army has attained full combat and support capabilities.

The footage was released in Victory, a promotional documentary produced by China Central Television (CCTV) to mark the 99th anniversary of the founding of the PLA.

During a joint military exercise, an unidentified unmanned surface vessel was detected in the maritime waters off China's southeast coast. Upon receiving orders, a drone unit from the PLA Army moved forward to conduct reconnaissance and strike operations.

According to the released footage, at least 13 drones appeared in the same frame simultaneously. These drones were identified as the KVD002, the first armed reconnaissance drone of the Chinese Army. It had previously made its debut at the 6th China Helicopter Exposition held in North China's Tianjin Municipality in September 2023.

The KVD002 can carry out precision strikes on hostile air defense systems, armored targets and fortifications based on air-ground integration plans, cooperate with helicopters by providing reconnaissance data, escort and target guidance, as well as conduct ­reconnaissance and strikes independently.

The wide fielding of KVD002 armed reconnaissance drones in the Army signals that it has achieved full combat and support capabilities and realized deep integration with the Army's system-centric operations, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Friday.

Large-scale formation deployment is expected to substantially lift operational effectiveness and deliver both precision strikes and assured strikes. 

Song said coordinated formation maneuvers enhance overall survivability and penetration odds, while the diverse UAVs within the formation can be assigned tailored mission profiles, thereby forging a synergistic mixed-unit combat capability.

Footage showing the Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan conducting a live-fire launch of countermeasures Photo: CCTV News

'Sichuan' holds electromagnetic catapult test


Footage showing the Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan conducting a live-fire launch of countermeasures was released to the public for the first time. At the same time, footage of the ship's electromagnetic catapult test using a dead load was also disclosed for the first time, according to the CCTV News. 

Equipped with a new propulsion system and an electromagnetic catapult system, the Sichuan, with a full-load displacement of over 40,000 tons, is designed to explore a new frontier in unmanned operations in distant seas, the media report said. 

Military affairs observers noted that the dead load test is a preliminary test conducted before the actual aircraft launch test. 

Completed during the construction of the Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the test indicates that the ship's electromagnetic catapult system is operational and reliable. The Type 076 has now completed multiple sea trials, and expectations are growing for its upcoming commissioning and the eventual release of footage showing it launching actual carrier-based aircraft, they noted. 

The construction of the Type 076 amphibious assault ship represents a major technological breakthrough on a global scale. It not only addresses the challenge of operating carrier-based aircraft from amphibious assault ships, but also brings innovation to naval operational concepts, a Chinese military affairs expert told the Global Times.

The screenshot depicts warplanes integrated with the PLA Air Force's intelligent strike-planning system. Photo: CCTV News

Air Force's intelligent system sharpens coordinated combat

New footage of the PLA Air Force's intelligent strike-planning system has shown more than 100 tactical units conducting coordinated strikes with split-second precision after it passed its final live-fire test. Chinese military experts said the technology reflects the PLA's accelerating shift from platform-centered operations toward AI-enabled, system-of-systems warfare.

As large formations become increasingly common, commanders may need to select targets from hundreds of possibilities, coordinate dozens of formations, allocate firepower and arrange successive waves of attack - calculations that conventional planning methods cannot perform quickly enough. After sustained research and development, the system underwent its final live-fire test, during which the missiles and bombs successfully struck their designated targets. It was later used in a large-scale Air Force exercise, enabling more than 100 tactical units to carry out precisely synchronized strikes. 

The intelligent strike-planning system reflects the PLA's operational need to speed up its transition toward system-based, intelligent and unmanned warfare, said Chinese military affairs expert Zhang Junshe.