China Military News & Updates

RPK

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Obama loosens missile technology controls to China

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President Obama recently shifted authority for approving sales to China of missile and space technology from the White House to the Commerce Department — a move critics say will loosen export controls and potentially benefit Chinese missile development.

The president issued a little-noticed “presidential determination” Sept. 29 that delegated authority for determining whether missile and space exports should be approved for China to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
Commerce officials say the shift will not cause controls to be loosened in regards to the export of missile and space technology.

Eugene Cottilli, a spokesman for Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, said under new policy the U.S. government will rigorously monitor all sensitive exports to China.

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The presidential notice alters a key provision of the 1999 Defense Authorization Act that required that the president notify Congress whether a transfer of missile and space technology to China would harm the U.S. space-launch industry or help China’s missile programs.

The law was passed after a late-1990s scandal involving the U.S. companies Space Systems/Loral and Hughes Electronics Corp.

Both companies improperly shared technology with China and were fined $20 million and $32 million, respectively, by the State Department after a U.S. government investigation concluded that their know-how was used to improve China’s long-range nuclear missiles.

Section 1512 of the 1999 law requires the president to certify to Congress in advance of any missile equipment or technology exports to China that the export will not harm the U.S. space-launch industry and that “missile equipment or technology, including any indirect technical benefit that could be derived from such export, will not measurably improve the missile or space launch capabilities of the People’s Republic of China.”

The new policy appears aimed at increasing U.S.-China space cooperation, which has been limited since the Loral and Hughes case. It follows the Chinese military’s test of an anti-satellite missile that produced potentially dangerous space junk after the missile destroyed a Chinese weather satellite in a January 2007 test.

control over the sensitive experts is a “step backward.”

“It’s as though Commerce’s mishandling of missile-tech transfers to China in the 1990s never happened,” said Mr. Sokolski, a former Pentagon proliferation specialist. “But it did. As a result, we are now facing much more accurate, reliable missiles from China.”

Mr. Sokolski said he expects the U.S. government under the new policy to again boost Chinese military modernization through “whatever renewed ‘benign’ missile technology” is approved.

“It was foolish for us to do this in the 1990s and is even more dangerous for us to do now,” he said.

Gary Milhollin, director of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, which monitors export control policies, said he was surprised by the decision to shift responsibility back to Commerce — a change that Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush did not make.

“It is shocking that it would be delegated to the secretary of commerce, whose job it is to promote trade, rather than to the secretary of state or the secretary of defense, who have far more knowledge and responsibility within their organizations for missile technology,” Mr. Milhollin said.

Mr. Milhollin said a similar delegation of power would have been criticized in previous administrations. “In fact, the delegation turns the present law upside down because Congress passed it after finding that the Commerce Department had improperly helped China import U.S. missile technology in the 1990s,” he said.

Edward Timperlake, a Pentagon technology-security official during the George W. Bush administration, said he agrees that the new policy likely will loosen export controls on dual-use technology that could be used to boost China’s large-scale missile program.

China’s military recently displayed new long-range and cruise missiles during a military parade in Beijing marking the 60th anniversary of communist rule.

“It looks like we’re going to have Loral-Hughes part two,” Mr. Timperlake said of the policy shift.

“The issue is that this will renew the pattern and practices of the Department of Commerce in the 1990s, when sensitive technology flowed under the rubric of space cooperation and, tragically, the Chinese ICBM force was fixed and modernized,” he said.

Mr. Timperlake said the new policy is “greenlighting engagement with China in very bad areas that will negatively impact United States’ national security.”

Petraeus: No

Debate over a new troop surge, this one in Afghanistan, is again throwing the political spotlight on Gen. David H. Petraeus.

“Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas, the Republican nominee in 1996, told Politico that he would like to see Army four-star Gen. David Petraeus – the head of the U.S. Central Command, which includes Iraq and Afghanistan — run for president as a latter-day Ike,” the news organization’s heavyweights, Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei, wrote last month.

Of course, Dwight D. Eisenhower, our 34th president, is the most famous general-politician. Most recently, Gen. Wesley K. Clark, a retired four-star Army general and former commander of NATO, ran unsuccessfully for the White House in 2004.

But Gen. Petraeus, who has undergone treatment for prostate cancer, denies that he has any political aspirations. He has no intention of changing his mind, a colleague told special correspondent Rowan Scarborough. The colleague asked not to be named because he was discussing private conversations.

The publicity recalls the first time the topic of Gen. Petraeus as a political candidate arose. As the Iraq troops surge proved successful in late 2007, pundits began floating his name.

“Gen. David Petraeus has a sterling reputation, the love of the press and the adoration of the GOP,” wrote the liberal American Prospect in January 2008. “Don’t be surprised if a Democratic presidential win in ‘08 starts an effort to recruit Petraeus as the Republican candidate in ‘12.”

The clatter became so incessant that year that Gen. Petraeus, then the top general in Iraq, convened a meeting of a few close advisers to find a way to put out the fire and end the distraction.

He had invoked “Shermanesque” type statements to no avail. When Civil War Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman was being prodded to run as a Republican in the 1884 election, he said, “I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected.”

Since then, that statement has been uttered in various forms by scores of American politicians, including President Lyndon Johnson when he declined to run for re-election in 1968.

But Sherman was failing Gen. Petraeus. He wanted a new way of saying “no.”

That is when his public relations officer, Col. Steven A. Boylan, tapped into his love of country music. He suggested the general recite a classic song, “What Part of No Don’t You Understand?”

The general was immediately intrigued. “Find me exactly what was said and who said it,” Gen. Petraeus ordered.

Col. Boylan researched, found the 1992 Lorrie Morgan hit and the lyrics and presented them to his boss.

By April 2008, Gen. Petraeus had the world audience he needed. Brian Williams asked him on “The NBC Nightly News” if he had a political future.

“Never,” the general answered. “And I’ve tried to say that on a number of occasions. Some folks have reminded me of a country-western song that says ‘What part of no, don’t you understand?’ ”

B61 update

Congressional appropriators have compromised in the fight over funding a study to extend the shelf life of a 1960s nuclear bomb that the Pentagon said is urgently needed for NATO and the new F-35 jet.

Conferees working on Energy Department appropriations earlier this month agreed to approve $32.5 million of the $65 million requested by the Obama administration for the B61 nuclear bomb life extension program study, according to the Joint Explanatory Statement of the Committee of Conference.

Under the compromise, the Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration also will be able to shift $15 million more from other programs to the bomb upgrade once the Pentagon completes its Nuclear Posture Review.

The House Appropriations subcommittee on energy and water cut all funds for the B61 upgrade because of what the subcommittee said was a lack of direction for U.S. nuclear weapons. The counterpart Senate Appropriations subcommittee version of the funding bill contained the full $56 million request.

The B61 upgrade study will help meet a deadline of 2017 for modifying the bomb so it can be carried by the F-35, according to defense officials. The F-16s that now can carry the bomb are being phased out of service over the next eight years.

The U.S. Strategic Command has said the B61 is the oldest nuclear weapon in the stockpile and needs “urgent upgrades” to include modern safety and security features.

Command briefing slides show that the B61 upgrade would boost reliability by upgrading arming, fusing and firing.

Climate spying?

The recent creation of a CIA center to study climate change does not mean the agency will be conducting espionage operations against greenhouse-gas emitters or spying on polluted skies or rivers around the world.

“This small unit — which will engage closely with its government counterparts and private-sector experts — is focused solely on the potential national security implications of climate change,” said CIA spokesman George Little.

“Of course, intelligence is provided only to our government,” he said. “This isn’t about deploying clandestine officers to take air samples in polluted cities or to monitor sea lions. It’s about developing analytical insights for policymakers.”

The CIA announced Sept. 24 that it had created the Center on Climate Change and National Security, led by analysts within the Directorate of Intelligence and the Directorate of Science and Technology.

It will examine the national security impact of climate-change phenomena, such as desertification, rising sea levels, population shifts and heightened competition for natural resources.

“Decision-makers need information and analysis on the effects climate change can have on security. The CIA is well-positioned to deliver that intelligence,” said CIA Director Leon E. Panetta.

Much of the work will focus on reviewing and declassifying satellite images and other data that could be useful for scientists.

The center also will involve “outreach” to academics and think tanks. “The goal is a powerful asset recognized throughout our government, and beyond, for its knowledge and insight,” the CIA statement said.
 

RPK

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China’s water aircraft to take off in 2013

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The first Chinese-made large amphibious aircraft is scheduled to take off in 2013, and ready for mass production in 2015, China Daily reported Tuesday.

The amphibious aircraft, about the size of an Airbus 320, will handle emergency services and military tasks that are difficult or impossible with current aircraft in China today, the newspaper quoted a senior engineer of the manufacturer as saying.
Previously, China has developed large hydroplanes and small amphibious aircraft, said Chen Zhengguo, the project’s chief engineer.

But large amphibious aircraft will be more useful in putting out forest fires, carrying out long-range air-sea rescues, and taking on anti-submarine missions, according to the news release by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

The Chinese-made amphibious aircraft can take off on both land and water.

As it flies at a height of 30 to 50 m over the treetops, the success rate of spreading water over a fire could reach 98 percent.

According to the State Forestry Administration, at least 10,000wildfires occur in the country’s forests each year.

Engineers also aimed to develop the amphibious aircraft into one that can help rescue more people on the sea.

Equipped with turboprop engines, it has a maximum take-off weight of 49 tonnes, able to carry up to 50 people at one time. Its longest range is 5,150 km, and its highest speed is 560 kph. Emergency medical equipment will be available on board.

Russia, Japan, Canada and the United States already have developed their own amphibious aircraft.
 

RPK

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China to mark 60th founding anniversary of airforce with warplane show

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China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) air force will put its most advanced warplanes on display in the suburbs of Beijing in November, to mark the 60th founding anniversary of the PLA air force, an air force officer said here Monday.

All the aircraft, including Kongjing-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) aircraft, J-11 fighters, H-6 bomber jets, and HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles, were made by China, said He Weirong, deputy commander of the PLA air force.
Most of them were included in the aircraft fly past during the National Day military parade on Oct. 1 this year in Beijing, he said.

Four J-10 fighters and six J-7 fighters from the air force’s performance team are scheduled to have a fly past on the founding anniversary and paratroopers from the air force will perform skydiving as part of the celebration programs.

This year marks the 60th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, its naval forces on April 23, and its air force on Nov. 11.

An international military forum themed “harmonious skies” will also be held in Beijing in November. More than 300 senior air force officers from China and more than 30 other countries are expected to attend the forum to mark PLA air force’s 60th founding anniversary, He said.

“The forum is aimed to build a platform for air forces of different countries to enhance mutual understanding and exchanges, to discuss how to maintain safety in the skies, and to know about China and its PLA air force better,” He said.

Celebrations will also include an exhibition of weapons and equipment of the air force at the China Aviation Museum on the outskirts of Beijing, according to the officer.

Galas, TV series and documentaries themed with the development of the air force will be put on show in state broadcaster to mark the 60th founding anniversary of the PLA air force, he said.
 

RAM

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China's PLA eyes future in space, air: air force commander


China will develop an air force with integrated capabilities for both offensive and defensive operations in space as well as in air, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force Commander Xu Qiliang said Sunday.

Calling militarization in the space and in air "a threat to the mankind," Xu said China must develop a strong force in the two arenas in order to face challenges of that threat.

"Only power could protect peace," the 59-year-old air force commander said in an interview with Xinhua, 10 days ahead of 60th anniversary of the founding of the PLA air force.

Superiority in space and in air would mean, to a certain extent, superiority over the land and the oceans, Xu said.

"As the air force of a peace-loving country, we must forge our swords and shields in order to protect peace," he said.

According to Xu, not only major air force powers in the world were currently eyeing space and air superiority, some developing countries were also changing their military strategies to gain upper ground in the two arenas.

A country without adequate power would have no say when faced with challenges posed by the militarization in the space and air, he said.

The PLA air force would improve its detection and early warning, air striking, anti-missile air defense, strategic delivery capabilities in order to effectively protect China's interests and help maintain regional and world peace, Xu said.

Xu meanwhile stressed that the PLA air force was peace-oriented.

"The Chinese people is a peace-loving people, and China is a responsible developing country which upholds a national defense policy that is defensive in nature," he said.

A powerful PLA air force would protect China's sovereignty, safety and territorial integrity, and would play a major part in maintaining regional stability and world peace, he said.

"The PLA air force will pose no threat to any other country," Xu said.

This year marks the 60th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Its naval force was founded on April 23, 1949, and its air force on Nov. 11 that year.

Previous report said the PLA air force would put its most advanced warplanes on display in the suburbs of Beijing in November, to mark its 60th founding anniversary.

All the aircraft to be exhibited, including Kongjing-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) aircraft, J-11 fighters, H-6 bomber jets, and HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles, were made by China.

Most of them were already included in the aircraft flypast during the National Day military parade on Oct. 1 this year in Beijing.

In addition to aircraft display, an international military forum themed "harmonious skies" would also be held in Beijing later this month.

More than 300 senior air force officers from China and more than 30 other countries are expected to attend the forum to mark the PLA air force's 60th anniversary

"The PLA air force will continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with its foreign counterparts on an opener, more transparent, confident and practical basis," said Xu Qiliang.


http://english.cctv.com/20091102/101024.shtml
 

RAM

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Rusal signs major deal with Chinese arms maker

Moscow: Russia's UC Rusal, the world's biggest aluminium producer, will supply Chinese defence industry firm Norinco with 1.68 million tonnes of aluminium from 2010 to 2016, the two companies said on Monday.


The value of the contract with the China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) was not made public in their statement. Rusal said sales to China were set to account for five percent of its sales in 2009 and it hoped 10 percent of its revenue by 2015.

"The metal will be shipped to Norinco from UC Rusal's Siberian smelters, which are favourably located in proximity to UC Rusal's Chinese clients," the joint statement said.

The deal is consistent with Rusal's goal of increasing its presence in China's rapidly growing economy, chief executive Artem Volonyets said in the statement.

"We consider China a long-term driver for aluminium demand due to its rapid pace of urbanisation and industrialisation," he said.

Rusal, a privately held company run by billionaire Oleg Deripaska, hopes to restructure several billion dollars worth of debt this month and conduct an initial public offering (IPO) by December, according to media reports.

The global economic crisis and a steep drop in the price of metals since last year has left Rusal with an estimated debt of USD 14 billion to foreign creditor banks

http://www.zeenews.com/news575519.html
 

RPK

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Chinese Army exercises north of Arunachal

Guwahati, Nov. 4 (ANI): The Chinese Army is conducting exercises in areas adjoining Arunachal Pradesh. This was disclosed by Major General S.S. Jog, General Officer Commanding the Red Horn Division, during a seminar on counter terrorism organised by the Army for officers and allied personnel engaged in anti-insurgency operations in Guwahati on Wednesday.

Apart from the serving officers, several retired personnel of the Indian Army and para-military forces shared their views and expertise in counter-insurgency operations.

To a poser on intrusion by Chinese troops in the neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh state, Major General S S Jog, General Office Commanding of the Red Horn Division, said: “There is some sort of exercises, which they generally do during this particular time of the year. They have done a few exercises and certain amounts of troops have come in but it’s normal routine exercise.”

There has been a flurry of reports in Indian media of Chinese incursions along the border-shrugged off by both the Indian and Chinese governments.

Consequently, New Delhi protested against a Chinese Foreign Ministry’s policy of issuing different visas to residents of disputed northern region of Jammu and Kashmir state.

Major General (retied) Gaganjit Singh said that although things have improved a lot in Assam the ultimate peace is yet to return.

“The things have changed a lot. What it was in 10 years back it’s not now today. Firstly, the public of Assam have realised that insurgency has given them no benefit. That realisation is a big achievement. Secondly, I can only say that ultimate peace has not come. It takes time for everything,” said Major General Singh. (ANI)
 

RPK

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‘Chinese Air Force will never pose a military threat to any country’

To safeguard regional stability and world peace, China’s need for a strong air force is in line, according to commander-in-chief, General Xu Qiliang.

“Regardless of its extent of development, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) will never pose a military threat to any country,” Xu said in an interview to Xinhua just days before the 60th anniversary of the Chinese Air Force on Nov 11.

The PLAAF will employ a combination of defence and attack strategies, he said.

This means it will constantly improve its capabilities in reconnaissance and early warning, airborne combat capabilities, anti-aircraft and anti-missile, and strategic airlift missions, Xu said.

The PLAAF will put its most advanced warplanes on display in the capital to mark the anniversary.

All aircraft, including the Kongjing-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, J-11 fighters, H-6 bomber jets, and the HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles, have been made in China, PLAAF deputy commander He Weirong said.

Celebrations will also include an exhibition of weapons and equipment of the air force at the China Aviation Museum on the outskirts of Beijing, according to the officer.

Four J-10 and six J-7 fighters from the air force's performance team are scheduled to fly past and paratroopers will display skydiving skills as part of the anniversary gala program.

An international military forum themed “Harmonious Skies” will be held in Beijing this month. More than 300 senior air force personnel from China and abroad are expected to attend the forum to mark PLAAF's landmark anniversary, He said.
 

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China's Air Force defensive in nature: general

China's Air Force defensive in nature: general - People's Daily Online

An interview with a Chinese commander before the 60th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has raised a remarkably different interpretation between world media and military analysts.

The comments were made by PLAAF Commander Xu Qiliang and published Sunday by the official Xinhua News Agency.

Reuters quoted the commander as saying that China's Air Force will develop capabilities for offensive and defensive operations in space and that "only power could protect peace."

AFP quoted the part calling for the militarization of space a "historical inevitability" and commented that it "marked an apparent shift in Beijing's opposition to weaponizing outer space."

General Kevin Chilton, head of the Pentagon's Strategic Command, which coordinates US military operations in space, reportedly has expressed his "amazement" at China's advances in its space programs after learning of the general's comments.

He said that the US military would want to know "why they might want to go in that direction and what grounds might exist to accommodate a different direction."

"I think what we have all come to understand is that space is a competitive domain," Chilton said. "We're going to have to address these issues and these concepts, and I think it's better we do them through ... a forum that provides an open dialogue between our nations than to do them without that dialogue."

Chinese-US military relations took a step forward last month with a visit to the United States by Xu Caihou, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, resuming the military-to-military dialogue suspended by a Taiwan arms-sale issue in late 2008.

Though not mentioned by Reuters and AFP in their reports, Xu Qiliang also stressed that the PLA air force will pose no threat to any other country.

"The Chinese people are a peace-loving people, and China is a responsible developing country that upholds a national defense policy that is defensive in nature," he said during the interview with Xinhua.

Wang Mingliang, a professor with the Air Force Command College, told the Global Times that the comments were made against the backdrop of increased competition in the air and in space.

China cannot sit idly by when air and space integration has become a trend, he added.

Also attributing the ambitious goal to the rising uncertainties in the air and in space, Wang Mingzhi, from the same college, said, "According to law, space – often known as 100,000 meters above Earth – is accessible by anyone capable of reaching it. Therefore, no one wants to lose."

This month will see the 60th anniversary of the PLAAF, which still regards the principle of peaceful development as its fundamental policy. An international military forum themed "harmonious skies" will also be held in Beijing later this month with more than 300 senior air force officers from China and more than 30 other countries expected to attend.
 

RPK

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China unveils new advanced acrobatic jets


Beijing, Nov 15 (IANS) Advanced fighters, which will also be China’s new acrobatic aircraft, were unveiled by the air force of the country’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) during an air demonstration held Sunday.
Four J-10 multi-role jet fighters painted in steel gray rolled, flipped and twisted above hundreds of spectators during the demonstration held to celebrate the 60th founding anniversary of the PLA Air Force.

These jets, with their featured pair of canards and delta wings, are the first supersonic third-generation fighters designed and manufactured using China’s indigenous technologies, Xinhua reported.

The fighter jet became the backbone for low and middle altitude combats since its active status was officially disclosed towards the end of 2006.

Sunday’s air demonstration was also the last show of J-7GB supersonic jet fighters in the PLA Air Force’s acrobatics team formed Aug 1. These planes will be replaced by the new J-10s.

Six J-7GBs, painted in blue-and-white strips, presented a series of acrobatic manoeuvers during the show to give a farewell performance of the acrobatic team’s aircraft.

The J-7GB is the air force’s second-generation jet fighter modified from the Soviet-made MiG-21.

During the National Day parade held to celebrate the 60th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, six J-7GBs convoyed China’s first Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) aircraft Kongjing-2000 to fly past the Tiananmen rostrum.

“In terms of aerobatic performance, the potentials of J-7GB have almost been used up by the Aug 1 team,” said Yan Feng, an aerobatic pilot who was flying a J-10 during the show.

It commonly takes about an year and half to manage a series of acrobatic performances for a team by flying a new type of aircraft.

“We have prepared for less than four months to be capable of performing the air demonstration in J-10,” said Yan, who has a flying record of more than 3,000 hours.

“It’s a great pleasure to pilot the air force’s new fighter in aerobatic demonstration for the J-10 has excellent agility and flexibility,” he said. “We are ready for international competition with foreign aerobatic teams.”
 

Koji

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BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- China and Brazil here on Monday reached the five-point consensus to strengthen bilateral military exchanges during talks between their senior military officers.

Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie held talks with visiting Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim Monday afternoon.

The two sides have decided to increase group visits and strengthen young and middle-aged military officer exchanges. They would also seek to expand cooperation on military and personnel training and conduct exchanges and coordination in peacekeeping actions.

China and Brazil would enhance cooperation on military industry and science and technology. And a joint commission of the defense ministries of the two countries would be established for further exchanges and cooperation.

During the talks, Liang said China-Brazil relations have entered a new phase of comprehensive development since Chinese President Hu Jintao and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula visited each other's country in 2004.

The pragmatic cooperation in various areas between the two countries has been continuously enhanced and their strategic partnership has been increasingly deepened, Liang said, adding that their military ties have developed smoothly with frequent high-level visits and increased pragmatic exchanges and cooperation.

Liang said, the two armed forces are expected to explore new areas of cooperation and further their friendly cooperation.

Nelson Jobim said Brazil hoped to continuously deepen its pragmatic military cooperation with the Chinese armed forces within the framework of their strategic partnership.

SP-1 and SP-3 Truck Based Self-Propelled Artillery System.
The Norinco SP family of Truck Based self-propelled (SP) artillery system was first revealed during the 2007 Abu Dhabi International Defence Exhibition (IDEX 2007). It is once again on display at this year’s IDEX with more detailed sales brochures and technical diagrams. China’s debut of the L-15 advanced jet trainer marks a major push into the Middle East Arms market after the success of the PLZ-45 155mm SP artillery deals with Kuwait.

The SP project commenced in 2002 with two variants: 155mm/52 caliber SP1 and the 122mm (D-30) based SP3. The truck based artillery concept is gaining popularity in recently years as they are an inexpensive option to air transport and can utilize the highway routes that are becoming more available. It will face stiff competition as the Truck Based Self-Propelled Artillery market is already dominated by more established players such as BAE’s Lightweight Mobile Artillery System, the French (CAEASR) Nexter Systems and the ATMOS 2025 Autonomous Self Propelled 155mm Gun. The advantage of the SP family is that it can fire both the Russian or the NATO based laser-guided projectile as well as the standard HE rounds.

It has been confirmed that a small quantity of SPs are already in PLA service since October 2009.



China's latest aerospace export candidate - the L-15 Falcon advanced jet trainer - will be on full display at the Dubai air show, a rare glimpse of the supersonic aircraft outside its home country.

The L-15, a product of Hongdu Aviation and a lookalike of the Yakovlev Yak-130, is making the rounds of major air shows seeking its first export order. Its appearance in Dubai follows the two-seat jet's debut at the MAKS air show in Moscow three months ago.

Since entering flight-testing in 2006, the L-15 has been linked to sales discussions in China, Russia and Venezuela. The Middle East could prove fertile ground for potential sales. Jordan, in particular, is looking for a new lead-in trainer as it receives upgraded F-16s. Recent F-16 fighter sales in Oman, and requirements for new fighters in Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar also could attract interest in China's L-15.


The L-15 that joins the flying display in Dubai is likely to be one of the first three prototypes powered by the ZMKB Progress DV-2 engine. Hongdu has selected Ukraine's Ivchenko-Progress AI-222-25F engine for production versions.

As Hongdu travels to the Middle East seeking export orders, the status of the L-15 inside China remains uncertain.

The L-15 is competing with the Guizhou Aircraft Industry JL-9 to win a contract to supply and advanced lead-in jet trainer for the Chinese air force.

Perhaps seeking to mitigate the risk of a contract loss, Hongdu has started publicly discussing new variants of the L-15, including one-seat, armed and naval versions.



source: china-defense.blogspot.com
 

qilaotou

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China's Evolving Conventional Strategic Strike Capability

There might have been discussion and speculations about the Chinese development of anti-ship BMs. But here are some in depth analysis and recent comments:

1. Report by Mark Stokes of Project 2049 Institute
http://project2049.net/documents/chinese_a...issile_asbm.pdf

2. China?s New Missile May Create a ?No-Go Zone? for U.S. Fleet - Bloomberg.com

China’s New Missile May Create a ‘No-Go Zone’ for U.S. Fleet
By Tony Capaccio

Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) -- China’s military is close to fielding the world’s first anti-ship ballistic missile, according to U.S. Navy intelligence.

The missile, with a range of almost 900 miles (1,500 kilometers), would be fired from mobile, land-based launchers and is “specifically designed to defeat U.S. carrier strike groups,” the Office of Naval Intelligence reported.

Five of the U.S. Navy’s 11 carriers are based in the Pacific and operate freely in international waters near China. Their mission includes defending Taiwan should China seek to exercise by force its claim to the island democracy, which it considers a breakaway province.

The missile could turn this region into a “no-go zone” for U.S. carriers, said Andrew Krepinevich, president of the Center for Strategic and Budget Assessments in Washington.

Scott Bray, who wrote the ONI report on China’s Navy, said China has made “remarkable progress” on the missile. “In little over a decade, China has taken the program from the conceptual phase” to “near fielding a combat-ready missile,” he said. Bray’s report, issued in July, was provided to Bloomberg News on request.

China also is developing an over-the-horizon radar network to spot U.S. ships at great distances from its mainland, and its navy since 2000 has tripled to 36 from 12 the number of vessels carrying anti-ship weapons, Bray, the ONI’s senior officer for intelligence on China, said in an e-mail.

China’s Strategy

The new missile would support China’s “anti-access” strategy to detect and if necessary attack U.S. warships “at progressively greater distances” from its mainland, Krepinevich said.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in a Sept. 16 speech, said China’s “investments in anti-ship weaponry and ballistic missiles could threaten America’s primary way to project power and help allies in the Pacific -- particularly our forward bases and carrier strike groups.”

Admiral Gary Roughead, chief of U.S. naval operations, says the new Chinese missile was one factor in his 2008 decision to cut the DDG-1000 destroyer program from eight ships to three because the vessels lack a missile-defense capability.

The Navy instead plans to build up to seven more Lockheed Martin Corp. Aegis-class DDG-51 destroyers and equip them with the newest radar and missiles.

China’s ballistic missile “portends the sophistication of the threats that we’re going to see,” Roughead said in an interview earlier this year.

China has ground-tested the missile three times since 2006 and conducted no flight tests yet, Navy officials said.

‘Limited Capability’

General Xu Caihou, China’s No. 2 military official, played down the weapon’s significance.

“It is a limited capability” to meet “the minimum requirement of” China’s national security, Xu, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, said in response to a question following an Oct. 26 speech in Washington.

Mark Stokes, an analyst who has studied the missile program, said the Navy’s assessment indicates China started to develop the weapon after the March 1996 Taiwan “crisis.” That’s when the Clinton administration sent two aircraft carriers and escort warships into the Taiwan Strait and the surrounding area after China fired missiles near the island before its presidential election, Stokes said.

Stokes just published a study of the weapon for the non- profit Project 2049 Institute in Arlington, Virginia, that studies Asia security issues.

Alter Rules

An article in the May 2009 edition of Proceedings, a magazine published by the U.S. Naval Institute, said the missile “could alter the rules in the Pacific and place U.S. Navy carrier strike groups in jeopardy.”

“The mere perception that China might have an anti-ship ballistic missile capability could be a game-changer, with profound consequences for deterrence, military operations and the balance of power in the Western Pacific,” the article said.

Paul Giarra, a defense consultant who studies China’s weapons, called the missile “a remarkably asymmetric Chinese attempt to control the sea from the shore.”

“No American military operations -- air or ground -- are feasible in a region where the U.S. Navy cannot operate,” Giarra, president of Global Strategies and Transformation, based in Herndon, Virginia, said in an e-mail.

The missiles are intended for launch to a general location where their guidance systems take over and spot carriers for attack with warheads intended to neutralize the ships’ threat by destroying aircraft on decks, launching gear and control towers, Giarra said.

The Pentagon, in its latest annual report on China’s military, for the first time included a sketch of the notional flight profile of the new Chinese missile but gave little additional detail.

Sky Wave

Bray said China has the initial elements of its new over- the-horizon radar that can provide the general location of U.S. vessels before launching the new missile.

Stokes said the so-called Sky Wave radar can spot U.S. vessels as far away as 1,860 miles (3,000 kilometers).

Unlike traditional radar that fires radio waves off objects straight ahead, over-the-horizon radar bounces signals off the ionosphere, the uppermost layer of the atmosphere, which can pick up objects at greater distances.

The radar is supplemented by reconnaissance satellites, another Navy official said, requesting anonymity. There are 33 in orbit and that number may grow to 65 by 2014, 11 of which would be capable of conducting ocean surveillance, he said.
 

Koji

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The 7th Type 054A Class FFG Launched.
The 7th Type 054A Class FFG launched at Huangpu Shipyard in Guangzhou on November 15, 2009.

Here is a list of known Type054A FFG composed by Koxinga.

F-529 舟山 2006/12/21, 2008/1/3
F-530 徐州 2006/9/30, 2008/1/27
F-568 巢湖 2007/5/23, 2008/6/30
F-570 黃山 2007/3/18, 2008
F-571 運城 2009/2/8
F-569 玉溪 2009/4/28





China Defense Blog
 

RPK

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China test-fired ICBM in October

Adding a new dangerous dimension to its growing arsenal of weapons, China has tested a long-range nuclear missile which will have the mobility to be moved around and fired upon a specially designed truck. All this retaining the ability to fire at targets located across continents. In military parlance, it is known as a mobile inter-continental ballistic missile or a mobile-ICBM.



It can fire at targets up to 11,000 km away, hence making large parts of north-western US and Canada within the Chinese missile reach. Also areas like eastern part of Europe will be within its reach. So far, only the US and Russia possess such equipment and the two countries had started working on it during the peak of cold war during the 1980s.



Indian intelligence agencies have informed the government that China tested its mobile-ICMB in the middle of October at its Wuzhai space centre in Shanghai province.The dangerous and long distance missile code named ‘Dongfeng 31-A’ was launched from specially designed mount on a truck, said sources while detailing about the secret test about which details are filtering in now.



Unlike India, China has only a government-run media and no independent media outfits, hence there have been no reports about the test in the Chinese newspapers or TV. The information about the test has come across through one of the intelligence agencies.So far the Chinese ability to fire a missile from a truck was restricted to smaller range of missiles, this mobile-ICMB is surely a dangerous weapon, said a senior official. Sources said ‘Dongfeng 31’ is the code name for the Chinese ICMB and the ‘A’ is to denote it mobile variant.



With this China can now not only move its warheads to locations it wants, it will be make it much easier for China to hit at enemy targets at distant places. A well-informed China watcher said the Chinese were facing a problem with their ICMB due to the poor quality of sealing between the solid fuel chamber and the booster casing, this seems to have been sorted out.



China, has possessed ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. The ability of firing the same from a truck is seen as achievement among strategic circles. Such a truck is called the transporter-erector-launcher, or TEL.

The TEL not only transports the missile, it erects it and also launches it from one single unit. The entire system is highly mobile.Strategically this means, in a crisis, China can disperse its ballistic missile forces across the country making it sure that some of these missiles would survive a pre-emptive strike by an enemy.
 

qilaotou

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China test-fired ICBM in October

Adding a new dangerous dimension to its growing arsenal of weapons, China has tested a long-range nuclear missile which will have the mobility to be moved around and fired upon a specially designed truck. All this retaining the ability to fire at targets located across continents. In military parlance, it is known as a mobile inter-continental ballistic missile or a mobile-ICBM.



It can fire at targets up to 11,000 km away, hence making large parts of north-western US and Canada within the Chinese missile reach. Also areas like eastern part of Europe will be within its reach. So far, only the US and Russia possess such equipment and the two countries had started working on it during the peak of cold war during the 1980s.



Indian intelligence agencies have informed the government that China tested its mobile-ICMB in the middle of October at its Wuzhai space centre in Shanghai province.The dangerous and long distance missile code named ‘Dongfeng 31-A’ was launched from specially designed mount on a truck, said sources while detailing about the secret test about which details are filtering in now.



Unlike India, China has only a government-run media and no independent media outfits, hence there have been no reports about the test in the Chinese newspapers or TV. The information about the test has come across through one of the intelligence agencies.So far the Chinese ability to fire a missile from a truck was restricted to smaller range of missiles, this mobile-ICMB is surely a dangerous weapon, said a senior official. Sources said ‘Dongfeng 31’ is the code name for the Chinese ICMB and the ‘A’ is to denote it mobile variant.



With this China can now not only move its warheads to locations it wants, it will be make it much easier for China to hit at enemy targets at distant places. A well-informed China watcher said the Chinese were facing a problem with their ICMB due to the poor quality of sealing between the solid fuel chamber and the booster casing, this seems to have been sorted out.



China, has possessed ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. The ability of firing the same from a truck is seen as achievement among strategic circles. Such a truck is called the transporter-erector-launcher, or TEL.

The TEL not only transports the missile, it erects it and also launches it from one single unit. The entire system is highly mobile.Strategically this means, in a crisis, China can disperse its ballistic missile forces across the country making it sure that some of these missiles would survive a pre-emptive strike by an enemy.
People can see how ignorant this poster was, How could Indian RAW make up Shanghai a province? DF-31 was on truck shown in 1999 national parade in China, how could some China watcher mistook it as a silo based missile?
 

A.V.

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Chinese 'Rakushka' drops into view

The existence of a new Chinese small-tracked armoured vehicle bearing a strong similarity to the new Russian BTR-MD/BTR-D3 Rakushka ('Shell') air-deployable armoured vehicle was recently revealed by Chinese Internet sources.

The vehicle, also seen at a Chinese armour display, could still be a prototype and Chinese sources have yet to reveal any of its technical details.

Assuming the vehicle is intended for use by airborne forces of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), its introduction would be consistent with the PLA's ongoing effort to mechanise its airborne forces after the Russian pattern. The Chinese ZBD-03 airborne infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) that emerged in 2004 is similar to the Russian BMD series, but it offers greater room for troops and is so far only armed with a 25 mm or 30 mm cannon compared with the combined 100 mm/30 mm gun system on the latest BMD-4.

Chinese 'Rakushka' drops into view
 

jakojako777

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China Promises New, Advanced Fighter

China Promises New, Advanced Fighter

China has the resources and technology--some of it obtained quasi-legally and illegally--to build a fifth-generation fighter, say U.S. Air Force and intelligence officials. But Beijing's aerospace industry may be missing key skills needed for it to match the performance of advanced, Western-built combat aircraft.

What neither Beijing nor the Western defense community yet knows is whether Chinese technicians can generate the systems engineering and integration capabilities required to actually build in large production numbers and arm advanced aircraft with features similar to those of the aging B-2 and F-22 or the newer but less stealthy F-35 (AW&ST Nov.16, p. 26).

"You need a combination of the right shape, structural design, surface coatings, aerodynamic performance and flight control system," says a U.S. Air Force official. "It's not magic, but there's still a lot of art in it."

It remains to be determined if the People's Liberation Army Air Force (Plaaf) will pursue a fighter design optimized for low observability or how much it will be willing to trade in terms of performance, supportability and delivery schedule.

The requirement--dubbed J-XX by the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence in 1997--may well seek a more "balanced" approach to stealth, likely focusing on front-quadrant radar-cross-section reduction and the use of reapplicable coatings, rather than pursuing an all-aspect design. A twin-engine delta-canard concept has previously been suggested to be the general design approach.

While China is unlikely to field a platform with F-22-like capabilities within 10 years--as claimed by the Plaaf's deputy chief, Gen. He Weirong--a new fighter is in development and may soon make its first flight, say Chinese aerospace industry and U.S. intelligence officials.

The U.S. intelligence official, a veteran analyst of China's airpower, summarizes his view of the nation's access to advanced technologies. "Between legal, quasi-legal [diverted] and espionage-based tech transfer, I'm sure China has obtained most of the data available on how we build our stealthy aircraft structures and the materials involved," he says. "They also have taken full advantage of our open patent system, our open engineering undergrad and grad schools, our publish-or-perish academic promotion process and the ease with which an integrated, centralized [government] can thwart artificial, social-democratic distinctions between military, police, civil and commercial data."

Aging F-22 and B-2 designs are another factor. They have given Chinese researchers more than 20 years to chase down those technologies. The B-2 has already gone through its first service-life-extension program.

"[With] what they've gotten from us, Japan, [South Korea], Russia and the European Union, they have access to all they need data-wise," the intelligence official says. "Their only limitations are investment cash and the ability to work out production process engineering and integration, which we still do better than anyone. [Those skills] really reflect corporate culture and learning curve more than anything readily documented, although ISO 9000/9001/9002 and similar software documentation standardization are making that easier to steal, too."

China's J-10 strike fighter, which has an F-16-like capability, is considered the country's best indigenous effort so far in terms of engines, avionics and aerodynamic performance. It began large-scale service in 2006. China's military aircraft are profiting from knowledge about commercial composite-structure production garnered from building components for Boeing airliners and space materials.

FULL ARTICLE
China]China Promises New, Advanced Fighter | AVIATION WEEK Promises New, Advanced Fighter | AVIATION WEEK
 

jakojako777

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U.S. F-22s versus Chinese F-35s (J-xx)

A new Chinese fighter with stealth and supercruise is in development and may soon make its first flight with predictions of operational fielding by 2017-19, says PLA Air Force deputy chief, Gen. He Weirong.

The new Chinese fighter aircraft could come from Avic Defense’s Chengdu facility, which developed China’s latest J-10 fighter, or from Shenyang. He says the PLAAF will emphasize development of reconnaissance/early warning; strike; strategic airlift, and air and missile defense. The J-10 began large-scale service in 2006.

While replicating the F-22 seems unlikely, aerospace officials with insight into the stealth fighter programs contend that building an F-35-like aircraft (with larger signature and less aerodynamic performance than the F-22) could be a threat to the U.S. if they are built in large numbers.

“Even 4th generation fighters, when pitted in large numbers against 187 F-22s, will eventually wear [the stealth fighters] down,” an aerospace industry official says. “They only carry eight air-to-air missiles. They don’t have to match Raptor capabilities if they build an advanced fighter in F-35 numbers.”

But many remain unconvinced about China’s timelines for an advanced design.

“But we’ve yet to see a real organic design [emerge] from China. So far they’ve leveraged Russian or Israeli technology. They don’t have a lot of radar engineering capability, nor experience in integrating a complete structure.”

Those are two big obstacles.

“You can paste on some [signature-lowering] capabilities but changing a very large target to a large target doesn’t buy you too much operational advantage,” the Air Force official says. “You need very small stealth signature numbers.”

The F-22 met a -40dBsm all-aspect requirement while the F-35 came in at -30dBsm with some gaps in coverage.

“You need a combination of the right shape, structural design, surface coatings, aerodynamic performance and flight control system designs,” the Air Force official says. “It’s not magic, but there’s still a lot of art in it.”

The idea that the J-10 will serve as a technological springboard is considered unlikely.

“I believe the Chinese have a difficult road if their design is tied to the J-10,” he says. “As you know, significantly reduced signature requires more then coatings. The J-10 has many features which may produce the desired aerodynamic effects but would be a negative for signature reduction. I am sure they can somewhat reduce the signature with a few design tweaks and coatings but the operational relevance would be questionable.

“They can certainly refine their composite structure competency – Boeing’s been helping them with that through the commercial airliner programs – and basic [stealth] coatings are widely known and available,” the Air Force official says. “The milestone will be when we see more refined shaping.”

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RAM

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Venezuela to Receive 6 Planes from China in 2010

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuela will take delivery in 2010 of the first six of 18 K-8 Karakorum trainer or light attack planes it bought from China, the Venezuelan Air Force's top commander said Nov. 27.

"A total of 18, K-8 18 aircraft will be delivered, in addition to radar equipment that will help ensure national security," Gen. Jorge Arevalo told Venezuela's ABC news agency.
He said China would make three deliveries of the warplanes next year, the first of which will consist of six units.

The two-seater K-8 fighters will be test flown by Venezuelan pilots in China before they are taken apart and shipped to Venezuela, officials said.

A deal for the 18 jets was signed by Venezuela and China in late 2008. The aircraft is part of Venezuela's effort to upgrade its armed forces and gradually replace its mostly U.S.-made equipment.

Arevalo stressed the Chinese planes and radars were intended to boost Venezuela's defensive capabilities, adding: "We don't attack anybody."

Venezuela and Colombia's military are on heightened alert after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez recently complained of a U.S.-Colombian military base agreement he claims threatens regional peace.

Russia, China and Belarus are Venezuela's main military suppliers.

In September, Caracas said it had obtained a $2.2 billion credit from Russia to purchase nearly 100 T72 tanks and a series of anti-aircraft rocket systems from its strategic ally.

Venezuela to Receive 6 Planes from China in 2010 - Defense News
 

bhramos

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Chinese 'Rakushka' drops into view

Chinese 'Rakushka' drops into view

The existence of a new Chinese small-tracked armoured vehicle bearing a strong similarity to the new Russian BTR-MD/BTR-D3 Rakushka ('Shell') air-deployable armoured vehicle was recently revealed by Chinese Internet sources.

The vehicle, also seen at a Chinese armour display, could still be a prototype and Chinese sources have yet to reveal any of its technical details.

Assuming the vehicle is intended for use by airborne forces of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), its introduction would be consistent with the PLA's ongoing effort to mechanise its airborne forces after the Russian pattern. The Chinese ZBD-03 airborne infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) that emerged in 2004 is similar to the Russian BMD series, but it offers greater room for troops and is so far only armed with a 25 mm or 30 mm cannon compared with the combined 100 mm/30 mm gun system on the latest BMD-4.

Chinese 'Rakushka' drops into view
 

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