BEIJING — The new-type informationized armed forces of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) made their first public appearance in a National Day military parade through Tian'anmen Square on Oct 1.

The forces drove through the square in four formations, each with 16 vehicles, showcasing China's new achievements in national defense and military reform in the information era.

The first formation consisted of vehicles equipped with antennas in different shapes. The new-generation informationized military equipment is capable of helping the PLA gain an upper hand in battlefields with complex electromagnetic conditions.

The second formation demonstrated four models of equipment that are important parts of the PLA's new-generation equipment system for tactical electronic countermeasure.

Covered with urban camouflage, the third formation showcased PLA's latest achievements in new mobile communication equipment, which plays an important role in beefing up the PLA's joint operations and trans-theater combat capabilities based on the network and information system.

The fourth formation included domestically-produced vehicles for meteorology and hydrology observation, topographical survey, forecast support, and mapping and navigation.