China’s September 3, 2025 Victory Day parade in Beijing marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender with a high-profile display of advanced capabilities—including the twin-seat J-20S stealth fighter for manned–unmanned teaming, AI-enabled aerial and ground drones, mobile laser air-defense systems, hypersonic glide vehicle-equipped missiles, and new nuclear-capable ICBMs like the DF-5C and DF-61—framed by President Xi Jinping’s messaging on sovereignty and deterrence as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un attended, a convergence that underscores shifting power dynamics and raises strategic concerns for India’s defense planning, maritime surveillance, and counter-drone preparedness across the Indo-Pacific; analysts highlighted the PLA’s push into “intelligent warfare,” extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles, stealth attack drones such as the GJ-11, and directed-energy systems that could complicate adversary air and missile defenses, while cautioning that operational effectiveness remains unproven; the parade’s scale and industrial signaling suggest sustained modernization that may pressure India to accelerate C2 integration, unmanned systems, air defense, and long‑range precision strike, while leveraging Quad and other partnerships to mitigate capability gaps as regional deterrence equations evolve.