Yesterday, the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Expo grandly opened in Zhuhai, Guangdong! At the airshow site, various advanced fighter jets and cutting-edge equipment showcased both their looks and capabilities, with full doses of technology and innovation! Today, we at Jiu Wan Li will take you through the six major highlights of this airshow.

Zhuhai Airshow Opening Ceremony Performance.

Highlight 1: The "Airborne Dagger" J- makes its public debut. The most eye-catching event at this air show is undoubtedly the first public appearance of China's independently developed new-generation medium-sized stealth multi-role fighter jet, the J-. As China's domestically developed fifth-generation fighter, the J- has truly entered the world's top tier in terms of technological level and combat capability. The aircraft features an integrated design of aerodynamics, structure, and stealth, with outstanding stealth technology and advanced avionics systems that give it significant advantages of "detecting the enemy first, inflicting damage first, and seizing the initiative." When facing fourth-generation fighters like the F-, it can maintain an out-of-range position from the enemy's effective perception, achieving a one-sided transparency in battlefield situation and holding a decisive advantage. The J- will form a dual-stealth fighter combination with the J- in the Chinese Air Force, capable of countering the fifth-generation fighters led by the F- and F-. This means that China has become the second country after the United States to simultaneously mass-produce two fifth-generation fighter jets.

J-20 debuts at Zhuhai Airshow.

Additionally, China's other stealth fighter jet, a regular at air shows, the J-XX, is also on display at Zhuhai this time. At this year's air show, the J-XX will perform its first demonstration of releasing flares combined with a spiral vertical ascent maneuver.

Highlight 2: China's "THAAD" Red Flag - Stunning Debut. Also making its first appearance is the surface-to-air missile weapon system Red Flag-. Red Flag- is a significant military achievement in China's missile defense field, primarily used for regional interception of ballistic missile targets, similar to the U.S. "THAAD" system. Notably, Red Flag- not only intercepts traditional ballistic missiles but also possesses the capability to counter glide maneuvering hypersonic missiles within the atmosphere, with a wide interception speed range and large interception scope. These performance characteristics indicate that Red Flag- has reached an internationally advanced level. The missile system, with Red Flag- as its mainstay, will construct an impregnable "defense barrier" in key regions.

Surface-to-Air Missile Weapon System Red Flag.

Highlight Three: Unmanned Systems Blaze a Trail in the Airshow's "New Channel." To align with the rapid development trend of unmanned systems, this year's airshow has for the first time established a "Unmanned Systems Demonstration Area," presenting a panoramic exhibition using an innovative combination of "indoor + outdoor," "static + dynamic," and "air + water." Among them, the first appearance of the reconnaissance and strike integrated Jiu Tian UAV, known as the "aircraft carrier of aviation," is particularly noteworthy. Jiu Tian is not only the world's first large-scale unmanned swarm mothership but also China's second "loyal wingman" and a large unmanned strategic bomber. Its most significant highlight is the "heterogeneous hive mission module," a system designed for carrying and launching small drone swarms or loitering munitions. Jiu Tian can leverage its long-range capabilities to conduct remote swarm attacks, releasing a multitude of kamikaze drones or loitering munitions upon approaching the target, instantly overwhelming the enemy's naval air defenses and crippling their vision, followed by launching anti-ship missiles for a decisive strike. Additionally, advanced unmanned systems such as the Rainbow UAV, Twin Tailed Scorpion UAV, Wing Loong UAV, Tiger Shark unmanned vessel, and Wolf unmanned system were all on display, showcasing China's innovations and breakthroughs in unmanned combat platforms.

Nine Days Drone.

Highlight Four: Lunar Farside Soil Brings "Cosmic Romance." This year's airshow also featured for the first time the world's first lunar farside sample, the Chang'e-6 probe, the Long March 8A carrier rocket, and the Long March 12 series carrier rockets, showcasing China's aerospace prowess. The exhibition of lunar soil samples in particular has captured global attention, allowing audiences to closely observe the precious "terrestrial specialty" lunar soil samples, the first ever brought back from the lunar farside, and to directly experience the mythical "Moon Palace," feeling the magical charm of the aerospace industry. It is reported that this lunar soil sample is the first public welfare sample from Chang'e-6, weighing approximately, and was taken from the largest, deepest, and oldest impact crater on the lunar farside, a location where the lunar crust is thinnest.

Lunar regolith samples from the far side of the moon retrieved by the Chang'e-6 mission.

Additionally, the Queqiao-2 satellite, commercial rocket engines, the Dongfanghong-4 satellite platform, and the commercial satellite operation system were all showcased...

Highlight Five: The flight performances are spectacular. Flight performances have always been the highlight of the airshow. During the airshow, a flight performance lasting about an hour will be held every day. The Chinese Air Force's "August 1st" and "Red Eagle" flight demonstration teams will perform alongside foreign flight demonstration teams. The "August 1st" flight demonstration team is the "elder brother" among China's flight demonstration teams, and this is their first appearance at the China Airshow after being re-equipped with the J-10. The "Red Eagle" flight demonstration team of the Air Force Aviation University is a very young "academic" flight demonstration team, known for their signature moves such as the "eight-aircraft loop" and "seven-aircraft bloom". It is reported that the Russian "Strizhi" flight demonstration team will make a "stunning return" after a 10-year absence, bringing with them 6 Su-30 heavy fighters and 2 Su-27, to present a series of thrilling aerobatic maneuvers such as the "Nesterov Loop," "Afterburner Turn," and "Tulip Bloom." Particularly eye-catching will be the first appearance in China of the Russian Su-57 stealth fighter and the legendary test pilot Sergey Bogdan. At the airshow site, Bogdan demonstrated a 15-second short takeoff and maneuvers such as the "Cobra" and "Leaf Fall" in the Su-57, eliciting exclamations from the audience. In addition to the flight demonstration teams, high-mobility fighters such as the J-20, J-16, J-10, and J-11 will also showcase difficult flight maneuvers, piercing through the clouds and fog, giving the audience a visual feast.

Highlight Six: Global Attention, Worldwide Participation! This airshow has attracted numerous exhibitors from various countries and regions, setting a new record for the number of participants in any previous edition. Countries such as Russia, France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Italy have even participated in the form of exhibition groups. World-renowned aviation companies like Airbus from Europe, Honeywell from the United States, Embraer from Brazil, and Safran from France have all made their presence. The number of participating enterprises has increased by over % compared to the previous session. On the 13th, the official WeChat account of "China Airshow" announced that all tickets were sold out. Many netizens commented that "airshow tickets are in high demand." Additionally, international figures such as Secretary of the Russian Security Council Shoigu and major Middle Eastern figures have also attended the airshow. The extensive participation from countries around the world indicates that the Zhuhai Airshow has become an important platform for exchange and cooperation in the global aerospace field. What the Zhuhai Airshow showcases is not just a collection of national treasures, but also China's confidence and openness in the high-tech field.