Cloaked new weapon seen in Beijing believed to be ‘sharp sword’ super drone

A strange-looking cloaked object has been seen in Beijing as China prepares to reveal a new weapon, but defence experts say they already know what it is.

Pedestrians strolling through the streets of Beijing this weekend might have caught a glimpse of a mysterious cloaked object rolling through the city on the back of a truck.

As China gears up for its October 1 military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the communist government, it has been holding rehearsals over the past few weekends in preparation.

And it was at the latest rehearsal that the mysterious cloaked object — set to be unveiled to the public in a few days time — was spotted.

Defence experts say the weapon underneath the tarpaulin is “almost certainly the Sharp Sword drone” — a cutting-edge stealth super drone that can dodge air defence systems.

The Lowy Institute’sinternational security program director Sam Roggeveen says the Sharp Sword is no ordinary drone.

“What makes Sharp Sword different, as you can see more clearly from this photo of an earlier prototype, is that it is stealthy, which means it is built not for Afghanistan-type scenarios, where the enemy is equipped with little more than rifles, but for situations where it might have to evade sophisticated air defences,” he wrote in an analysis.

A Chinese military vehicle possibly carrying a drone passes along the Jianguomenwai Avenue in Beijing on Saturday. Picture: Andy Wong/AP

He says the weapon is a game-changer, because Australia — or even the US for that matter — does not have the capability to defend against such an advanced weapon.

“Australia will need to rethink the task of defending our air space,” he wrote.

Crucially, he says the key advantage this type of weapon has over crewed combat aircraft is its persistence.

“Crewed combat aircraft are restricted by the endurance of the aircrew, but it is possible to imagine a Sharp Sword loitering over a target area for hours at a time, retreating briefly in order to refuel from an aerial tanker, and then returning to the combat area, over and over again for 24 or even 48 hours before needing to land,” he wrote.

Paris-based researchers say a supersonic drone and intercontinental ballistic missiles will be unveiled at next week’s parade.

Critics say the parade of military power amounts to “muscle flexing”.

However, in a rare press conference this week, three senior Chinese military leaders hit out at the accusations saying a stronger China would mean “more world peace”.

The October 1 procession will display the army’s “unprecedented” conventional and nuclear ballistic capabilities, said the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research in a report based on images analysed by Geo4i.

Chinese troops take part in marching drills ahead of the parade. Picture: Wand Zhao / AFP

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has tried to keep its plans under wraps — even moving tanks in the dead of night during dress rehearsals — but the France-based researchers used satellite images to spot hardware likely to be shown off next week.

On Tuesday, President Xi Jinping will preside over what Beijing has promised to be the biggest military and civilian parade in the history of the country.

The Chinese defence ministry says 15,000 troops will march next week, and 580 pieces of military hardware will be displayed — as well as more than 160 aircraft.

Despite Beijing denying the procession will be an aggressive display of power, the French report said the show of force will demonstrate the “quantitative and qualitative modernisation” of China’s ballistic arsenal.

The research used images from the Yangfang military base in the suburbs of Beijing, which has replicas of Tiananmen Square and the southern gate of the Forbidden City to prepare for military parades.

The report says 36 ICBM-type missiles appeared during the rehearsals. One of the missiles is the DF-41, which is the first Chinese solid-fuel propelled intercontinental missile to carry a heavy payload and cover the entire US territory, the foundation said.

China has denied the parade amounts to ‘muscle-flexing’. Picture: Wand Zhao/AFP

The ICBM could carry up to 10 warheads, compared to three that can be carried by the DF-31AG missile.

China could also use the parade to display 16 DF-17s, a likely short-to-medium-range missile that works as a launcher of the DF-ZF hypersonic glider, which is hidden under a tarp in the satellite images.

The glider is believed to be able to carry conventional and nuclear devices, and be able to dodge antimissile systems.

“The emergence of such a system would have a considerable impact, highlighting China’s progress in designing hypersonic non-strategic gliders, a segment in which Russians and Americans are lagging behind,” the foundation said.

Alongside the “Sharp Sword”, China will also likely unveil the WZ-8, a supersonic reconnaissance drone that could potentially be deployed by aircraft, the research said.

The parade will commemorate the 70th anniversary of Communist China. Picture: AP Photo/Andy Wong

Such a vehicle could be used to spot distant targets “on very short notice” and hit them with a conventional ballistic strike.

“These images herald a parade that, in form and substance, will mark a significant transformation of China’s strategic nuclear and conventional forces,” the report said.