China has been working to modernize its military, with a record high defense budget of $145 billion. Check out some of its newest state-of-the-art weapons.

Chengdu J-20 Stealth Fighter Jet

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China has become the third country to have locally made a stealth fighter jet. The Chengdu J-20 is apparently not cheap though, as it is estimated to cost up to $110 million each. The plane could serve as an air-to-air fighter and as a stealthy strike fighter targeting enemies on the ground.

Dong Feng 21

Dubbed as a "carrier killer," the anti-ship ballistic missile DF-21D is said to be the world's first. It has an estimated top speed of Mach 10 and a maximum range of 1,250 miles. It is so powerful that one strike from it can eliminate an entire US aircraft carrier.

Although the US has thrown some doubts on the DF-21D's capabilities, the United States' response to China is the SM-6 extended range missile which was successfully tested by the US Navy last December against a DF-21D target representative.

J-31 Stealth Fighter

The J-31 stealth fighter is China's first attempt at a fifth-generation jet. Dubbed as a rival of the US F-35 Lightning II, the J-31 will be sold to nations that are not allowed to buy an F-35. Just like the J-20, the J-31 can also carry air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles externally and four munitions internally.

Shenyang J-15 Jet

The Shenyang J-15 fighter is China's first homegrown fighter jet that was designed for its first indigenous aircraft carrier. Although China claims that the J-15's capabilities are almost similar to the US F/A-18 Super Hornet, it had several disadvantages including its inability to takeoff without a ski-jump ramp and limited space for weapons.

VT-4 MBT

China's VT-4 main battle tank boasts not only proven tech but also its relatively low production cost. Its key feature includes a 125mm smoothbore cannon that can fire anti-tank warheads at just over a 3-mile range. According to its maker Norinco, the tank can keep up with the US M1A2 Abrams.

Wing Loong drone

The unmanned drone Chengdu Pterodactyl I, otherwise known as the Wing Loong, can carry up to 220 pounds worth of air-to-surface weapons, laser-guided bombs, and missiles. This was used by the Egyptian air force to carry out an attack on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria along the northern Sinai Peninsula.