On the military parade held on September 3, 2015, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, a wide range of advanced weapons and equipment showcased extensively utilized high-performance composite materials, which play a key role in enhancing the performance of modern weaponry.
Specifically, composite materials served core functions in the following equipment:
Firstly, in cutting-edge equipment such as hypersonic missiles (e.g., the DF-17), the warhead sections employed carbon-carbon composites and high-temperature-resistant resin-based composites. These materials can withstand extreme temperatures of several thousand degrees Celsius generated during atmospheric re-entry, effectively protecting internal equipment and ensuring structural stability and terminal penetration capability of the vehicle.
Secondly, the new-generation fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (e.g., the J-20) featured in the parade extensively used carbon fiber composites. This material significantly reduces overall weight while maintaining airframe strength, thereby greatly enhancing the aircraft's maneuverability, endurance, and stealth performance.
Furthermore, new main battle tanks and armored vehicles (e.g., the Type 99A main battle tank) also benefited from composite materials. They widely applied aluminum-magnesium alloy composite armor and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE), which enhance protection levels—effectively defending against armor-piercing and high-explosive projectiles—while successfully achieving equipment lightweighting and addressing mobility bottlenecks in heavy equipment.
In addition, personal equipment also relies on composite materials. Personal protection systems (e.g., bulletproof vests and helmets) commonly use aramid fiber and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fiber. These provide soldiers with excellent protection against fragments and bullets while being far lighter than traditional steel, significantly reducing the individual soldier's load.
Finally, composite materials are equally indispensable in stealth technology. The surfaces of some stealth ships and aircraft are coated with special wave-absorbing coatings and wave-transparent composites, which effectively absorb or scatter radar waves, significantly reducing the radar cross-section of the weapons and thereby achieving a "stealth" effect.
In summary, composite materials are widely used in modern weaponry due to their characteristics of lightweighting, high strength, high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and excellent stealth properties. Their application has greatly enhanced the mobility, survivability, lethality, and penetration capabilities of weapons, serving as a crucial material foundation supporting national defense modernization and advancements in equipment technology.