No.1

J-35A and other advanced equipment debut at 15th Airshow China

The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China 2024) was held in Zhuhai City, south China's Guangdong Province, from November 12 to 17, 2024. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force's J-35A multi-role stealth fighter jet and HQ-19 surface-to-air missile weapon system made their debut. Moreover, unmanned equipment became a highlight of this airshow.

No.2

China successfully launches intercontinental ballistic missile into Pacific Ocean

On September 25, 2024, the Chinese PLA Rocket Force successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) carrying a dummy warhead into the high seas of the Pacific Ocean, which fell into the expected sea area. This launch effectively tested the performance of weapons and equipment and achieved the expected purpose.

No.3

Prolonged Palestine-Israel conflict draws many parties into chaos

The new round of Palestine-Israel conflict that broke out in October 2023 has continued into 2024 and caused more than 45,000 deaths so far. The conflict has produced multiple spillover effects. Israel and Iran have carried out two rounds of retaliation against each other. Israel conducted a large-scale communication equipment explosion against the Hezbollah armed forces.

No.4

Russia lowers "nuclear threshold" in response to western countries' increasing aid to Ukraine

On August 6, 2024, Ukraine launched an attack on Russia's Kursk Oblast. In November, the US, the UK, and France authorized Ukraine to use long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia. Russia then updated the Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence, lowered the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons, and used the Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile to strike targets in Ukraine.

No.5

US, Japan upgrade security treaty to strengthen military ties

In April 2024, the US and Japan carried out the "biggest upgrade in more than 60 years" to the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the United States of America. The two sides decided to reorganize the US Forces Japan (USFJ) command and jointly develop defense equipment. Japan would set up a new "joint headquarters" to centralize the command of its land, sea, and air self-defense forces, and directly coordinate and share information with the USFJ command.

No.6

Syrian opposition forces overthrow government

On November 27, 2024, the Syrian opposition forces launched a large-scale offensive against the then government forces, successively occupying Aleppo, Hama, Homs and other important cities. On December 8, the Syrian opposition forces claimed to have "liberated Damascus and overthrown the al-Assad regime." On December 10, the Syrian transitional government officially assumed power.

No.7

NATO's expansion of its military forces intensifies bloc confrontation

On March 7, 2024, Sweden officially became a member of NATO. On October 1, NATO Secretary General said that increasing the number of NATO troops and equipment would be one of its priorities. NATO planned to add 49 combat-ready brigades, bringing the total number of combat-ready brigades to 131, and the total ground force strength would increase by 60% compared to the current level.

No.8

Several countries accelerate development of unmanned combat forces

In February, 2024, the US Air Force announced plans to establish an unmanned wingman fleet. In May, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces was established. In September, the US Navy conducted a mixed fleet experiment to test the integrated combat capabilities of unmanned platforms and manned ships in various combat domains. In December, Russia announced that it would establish an unmanned system force. Unmanned combat system is highly deployable and can be equipped with intelligent modules to improve combat effectiveness and it will have a profound impact on future warfare patterns.

No.9

US launches "Joint Warfare" concept to prepare for intelligent warfare

On January 29, 2024, the US military established the "Joint Warfare" concept in the form of a strategic guidance document to guide the development of intelligent warfare capabilities. In February, the Coalition Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) system, a key project of the concept, achieved initial operational capability. The US established an artificial intelligence task force in the same month.

No.10

Europe deepens defense industry cooperation to enhance defense independence

The EU released several strategic documents focusing on reshaping the defense industry, and EU countries' defense spending rose to 326 billion euros in 2024. In March, the EU released its first European Defense Industrial Strategy. In July, France, Germany, Italy and Poland jointly launched the European Long-Range Strike Approach. In November, the European Defense Agency announced that several European countries would jointly develop missile defense systems, electronic warfare systems and other military equipment.