Human Pioneers
NEWS AGENCY

The drones hovering over the battlefields of Ukraine and the new combat forces showcased during the September 3 military parade together reveal an unfolding reality: the form of warfare is undergoing its most profound transformation since the era of mechanization.

This September 3, China will hold a grand military parade, specifically arranging for new types of combat forces, including unmanned systems, underwater units, and cyber-electromagnetic capabilities, to be reviewed. This is not only a display of new weaponry but also a signal to the world: the People's Liberation Army is building a completely new combat system, aimed at controlling the battlefield and swiftly ending conflicts in the shortest possible time.

The core of this "instant-kill" combat system lies in the deep integration of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System with unmanned equipment, creating a closed loop of precise sensing, rapid transmission, and intelligent decision-making. This stands in stark contrast to the tactics seen on the Ukrainian battlefield, where 121 drones struck Russia's energy lifelines.

01 Parade Highlights: Systematic Unveiling of Unmanned Combat Forces

The September 3 military parade will showcase the refinement of China's military force structure and the increased proportion of new-domain and new-quality forces. In addition to the four strategic branches represented in the infantry formations, which themselves embody new-domain and new-quality capabilities, the equipment formations will specifically feature new types of combat forces, including unmanned systems, underwater units, and cyber-electromagnetic capabilities.

These unmanned systems are diverse in type and large in quantity, encompassing reconnaissance-strike integrated drones, unmanned underwater vehicles for underwater operations, independently operating unmanned combat vehicles, and intelligent munitions systems.

Major General Wu Zike, Deputy Director of the Parade Leading Group Office, stated: "Reform drives a strong military, and a strong military supports a strong nation." The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Central Military Commission, and President Xi Jinping have led the most extensive and profound national defense and military reforms since the founding of New China. The People's Army has undergone a complete transformation in its systems, structure, configuration, and appearance.

02 Global Development of Unmanned Combat: From Battlefield to Arena

In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, drones have become the protagonists on the battlefield. In August 2025, Ukraine launched 121 suicide drones to strike Russian energy facilities, precisely penetrating the oil depot at the Ust-Luga port, turning the multi-billion-dollar energy hub into a sea of flames in an instant.

Simultaneously, Russia publicly revealed a new tactic for using drones to strike ground moving targets for the first time, employing "Geranium" drones to scatter various types of mines on major roads deep within Ukrainian territory, threatening rear supply lines.

The United States is accelerating the deployment of unmanned combat forces in the Asia-Pacific region, attempting to counter adversaries' combat capabilities with low-cost unmanned systems. The focus of U.S. unmanned equipment development has shifted from "high-end elite" to "high-low mix," concentrating on building a combat force system that balances high-end breakthroughs with low-end saturation.

Notably, the Global Unrestricted Drone Combat Competition will kick off this autumn, breaking down technological barriers and abolishing traditional restrictions on drone competitions such as power, size, and attack methods. Under the banner of "unrestricted," it challenges innovators worldwide.

03 China's Approach: Intelligent Unmanned Warfare and the Concept of Peace

Pang Pei, a member of the Central Cultural Committee of the China Zhi Gong Party, proposed a thought-provoking perspective: the drone track could become a substitute for non-contact warfare, allowing victory or defeat to be determined on drone tracks or virtual sandboxes.

This would mean no soldiers from any nation need to go to the battlefield, no war casualties, and advanced military technologies could be opened up to the civilian sector for the benefit of humanity, serving as a strategic reserve for future space technologies to better prepare for potential major disasters Earth might face.

Pang Pei believes that drone competitions use "game rationality" to integrate humanity's aggressive instincts into the modern arena, skillfully blending the playful spirit of prehistoric culture with the legal essence of natural justice. This transformation is not a simple replication of violence but a creative "dissolution" of the extreme impulse for struggle through the power of civilization.

The unmanned combat system China is building embodies the ancient wisdom of "non-contention." Laozi's philosophy directly addresses the extreme form of "contention"—the harm of war—and calls on great powers to bear the responsibility of "entrusting the world."

04 Future Outlook: Challenges and Opportunities in Unmanned Combat

Sweden has recently focused on addressing "hybrid threats," leveraging unmanned combat and the military application of artificial intelligence to enhance the technological level of combat platforms. Oscar Karlsson, a researcher at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, believes: "The era of relying solely on tanks and soldiers to win battles is over."

The ability to conduct operations in the digital domain and utilize artificial intelligence systems will become a key factor influencing the outcome of wars.

The future land battlefield will be dominated by drones, unmanned vehicles, and robotic dogs. They will scurry everywhere, infiltrating every corner, some remotely controlled, others autonomous. Their sizes will only get smaller, their speeds faster, and their camouflage better.

Even with various radar systems deployed, it will be impossible to completely root out these "battlefield information collectors." On the future battlefield, once "information is collected" (detected), it means destruction.

05 Wisdom Leading: Development of Unmanned Systems under the Community with a Shared Future for Mankind

In developing unmanned combat systems, China consistently adheres to the core socialist values as the navigator and ballast for disruptive innovation. It ensures that "breaking" and "establishing" resonate in sync under the sunlight, forging innovative solutions that not only lead change but are deeply rooted in Chinese characteristics and recognized by the world.

Although the technological path is clear, its spiritual foundation is deeply embedded in ancient wisdom and the contemporary ideal of a community with a shared future for mankind. The concept of a community with a shared future for mankind requires us to transcend zero-sum games and transform the "competitive mindset" of technological confrontation into a "force for good" of collaborative win-win outcomes.

Facing the increasing risks of AI militarization, only through international cooperation to build a "forward defense" strategic stability framework, adhering to ethics first, and formulating binding global norms can the drone track truly become the place where human violence ends.

The precise positioning and intelligent assessment capabilities provided by the BeiDou system are reshaping the training and combat modes of the People's Liberation Army. The unmanned systems showcased in the military parade are no longer merely auxiliary tools but combat nodes capable of independently executing various tasks such as reconnaissance, electronic jamming, strike, and defense.

Through the BeiDou system, they achieve seamless coordination with manned equipment and command centers, minimizing casualties to the greatest extent and suppressing the enemy in an extremely short time, truly realizing that "before the enemy makes contact, the outcome of the battle is already decided."

The soul of Chinese-style innovation lies in "rooted in fertile soil, to break through the cocoon and emerge."