Half parade weapons were shown to public first time: PLA

China holds a military parade at Zhurihe training base in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on July 30, 2017, in celebration of the 90th birthday of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. [Photo: China Plus/Li Jin]

Sunday's combat-oriented parade had more than 30 formations on the ground or in the air.

The PLA says around half of the weaponry displayed during the parade was on show to the public for the first time.

30 minutes into the parade, 18 helicopters landed on the training ground.

Armed soldiers jumped out of 8 of the aircraft immediately on landing, showing rapid response techniques used in a surprise attack in the heart of enemy territory.

The scene, which had never before been a part of Chinese military parades, was performed by a new special attack force set up a couple of months ago through a merger between an infantry unit and an army aviation unit.

Wang Xiang is one of the soldiers who jumped out of the helicopters.

He says his mission indicates the transformation infantry soldiers are going through.

"In the past, we infantry soldiers solely relied on our two legs on military maneuvers. We had to advance on the ground, step by step. But now helicopters enable us to quickly get into the hinterland of enemy territory. We used to call ourselves 'Blade Company, Blade Battalion, Blade Corps' because of our combat strength. Now we are blades with wings."

Sunday's parade saw the second public flight of the newest generation of Chinese J-20 fighter jets after the plane made its debut during a Chinese air show last year.

The air force also displayed at least four other types of aircrafts which the force said had never participated in previous parades.

One of them was China's newest military transport plane, the Y-20, which is nicknamed 'Chubby girl' because of its large size and carrying capacity.

An aerial formation of seven J-11 fighters fired dozens of infrared decoy flares as they flew by the battlefield.

Qing Yingsong, an air force officer with the Central Theater Command, said the parade showed the skill and coordination of China's air force.

"The aircraft that participated in the parade took off from several different airfields across north China, like Shanxi, Shannxi, Hebei. These places have different weather conditions. It's almost impossible to guarantee every airfield has ideal weather. So it is pretty challenging for us to coordinate everything in order to make sure every plane reaches its destination smoothly and at one time."

The parade also featured 22 '99-A' vehicles, China's most powerful tank.

Rolling by at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour, the tank force churned up huge clouds of sand.

Tank operators say the maneuvering speed was 50-percent greater from that seen at previous parades, representing the tanks' more authentic battleground capabilities.

Ding Hui is a veteran tank operator who, apart from Sunday's event, has also participated in three high-profile Chinese parades held in Beijing in 1999, 2009 and 2015.

"This time we brought with us all the equipment we need in real battlefields. The technology inside the tanks, such as the aiming device, were also activated during the parade. This is what we didn't do in the past. The tank drivers were even equipped with handguns, and wearing the boots that we use in battlefields. We wanted to act as if we were in a real battle."

Other cutting-edge weapons on show on Sunday include all-terrain vehicles, radar-and-communication jamming drones and solid-fuel intercontinental missiles.