Chinese Military News Blog 中国军事

China's AC313 helicopter gets certification

2012-01-25T16:58:00.000-08:00

Asia’s largest helicopter for civilian use get certification

It weights 13 tons with three powerful turboshaft engines.

China’s largest-ever helicopter for civilian use was certified on Thursday by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the country’s civil aviation authority. The move means that the 13-tonne AC313, Asia’s largest helicopter, is officially approved to enter the market, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), which developed and manufactured the helicopter. The design of the aircraft focuses on efficiency and reliability, and meets international safety standards, the AVIC said. After four years of research, the AC313 is also the world’s first civilian helicopter to receive an “A-category” airworthiness certificate at an altitude of 4,500 meters, the AVIC said.

The aircraft could be deployed for emergency rescue operations, forest fire prevention, transport, offshore operations, medical aid, sightseeing and business trips, the AVIC said.
About 25 percent of China’s territory is located 3,000 meters or more above sea level, requiring emergency rescue authorities to use helicopters in more remote areas, said Yu Feng, board chairman and general manager of AVIC Changhe Aircraft Industries Group Co., Ltd.
“Natural disasters in the plateaus of west China require immediate rescue but restrict the construction of roads and airports, which demands the appearance of large civil helicopters,” Yu told Xinhua, adding that the AC313 project was launched after 2008’s fatal earthquake in southwest China’s Sichuan province.
The AC313 completed two trial flights to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in 2010 and 2011, respectively, and set a record by soaring to an altitude of 8,500 meters, making it the first domestic aircraft to be able to fly in the highlands, the AVIC added.
The state-owned aircraft manufacturer produces civil helicopters weighing from one to 13 tonnes. Its one-tonne AC310 helicopter, the country’s first ultra-light civil helicopter, made its debut at the first China Helicopter Exposition held last September, according to the AVIC.
The AC313 has navigational tools based around a comprehensive avionics system designed for use when telecommunications are absent in plateau areas, said Xu Zhaoliang, chief designer of the AC313.
The aircraft features fuel systems, fire-extinguishing technology and tail boom composite materials never before used in China’s civil helicopter industry, Xu said.
Experts said China’s civil helicopter industry has developed quickly but is still lagging behind in many technological areas, including the development of new engines, rotor systems and transmission systems.
Helicopters from France, Russia, the United States and Italy account for a large share of China’s helicopter market. The France-based Eurocopter Group took 40 percent of China’s civil helicopter market share after it exported more than 160 helicopters to China. The Anglo-Italian helicopter company AgustaWestland claimed 90 percent of China’s police and public security market when it got an order for 30 helicopters this August.
Industry insiders said the sector will develop more rapidly as the government attaches more importance to the improvement of public services, as this will require more helicopters for public security, forest fire prevention and medical aid.

China deploys new tanks on Tibetan Plateau

2012-01-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

I believe these are Type 96 tanks, which is a third
generation tank in service in PLA.
It features a 125 mm smoothbore gun, with a 1000 hp diesel engine.
An estimated 1,500 Type 96 tanks are currently in service with the PLA.
China is slowly building up the infrastructures on Tibet to allow more rapid deployment of troops. We shall see more military maneuvers in Tibet.

Bolivian Army Buys 6 Chinese Helicopters

2012-01-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

H425 is a newer version of Z-9 helicopter

LA PAZ - Bolivia signed a deal Dec. 22 to buy six Chinese H425 helicopters for its army, at a ceremony attended by Bolivian ministers and Beijing's ambassador, local media reported.

Foreign minister Carlos Romero and planning minister Viviana Caro signed the accord with China's diplomatic representative in La Paz, Shen Zhiliang, in the presence of army chiefs.

"We believe these helicopters are crucial for the diverse needs of our military," said army chief Antonio Cueto.

The 12-seater aircraft will be delivered in 2012 and will also be used for civil defense, officials said.

Bolivia ordered six K-8 fighter aircraft from China in January to help its fight against drug traffickers as part of cooperation accord between the two countries.

China's Beidou Satellite Navigation System Operational

2011-12-27T17:36:00.000-08:00

China's indigenous satellite navigation system called Beidou is up and running for people in and around China. It started providing initial operational services, including positioning, navigation and timing Tuesday.

The 10th satellite of the network was launched back on December 2nd, putting the finishing touches on the basic structure of the system.

Tests were carried out for the past six months.

[Yang Qiangwen, China Satellite Navigation System Management Office]:
"Firstly we carried out comprehensive tests on all the satellites, including all key machines and equipment, to ensure they can provide continuous service. Secondly, we optimized the positions of all the satellites to ensure the best conditions for operation."

Six more satellites will be launched in 2012 to further expand the service area of the Beidou system to most parts of the Asia-Pacific region.

[Ran Chengqi, Management Office, China Satellite Navigation System]:
"Preliminary tests show that the basic positioning and navigation system of Beidou has reached the set standards and we have officially moved from the test system to the working system. This step marks the transition from construction to application."

The global satellite positioning and navigation system will be completed in 2020, with 30 satellites orbiting the earth.

Started in 2000, the Beidou satellite navigation system is designed to make China independent of the Global Positioning System (GPS).

China is retiring J-7 jet from front line service

2011-12-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

in 2009, China finally stopped the production of J-7G, the last variant of Mig-21 jet.

China has officially withdrawn its MiG-21 clone (the J-7) from first line service. This comes as no surprise. In the last four years China has more than doubled the number of modern combat aircraft (J-10, J-11, Su-27, Su-30, and J-8F) from 500 to over 1,200. Four years ago China relied mainly on some 2,000 locally built copies of Russian MiG-19s (J-6) and MiG-21 (J-7). There are still several hundred bombers mostly Russian knockoffs. Normally, the actual number of Chinese aircraft is a state secret. However, thanks to the ability of Chinese to move freely throughout the country and access to the Internet it's possible to locate and count all the air force units in the country. That shows a current force that is rapidly changing from one that is mostly MiG-21s and MiG-19s, to one composed of much more capable aircraft. China is buying and building a lot of the Russian Su-27s and Su-30s (the latter an upgrade of the former.) But new, home grown designs, like the J-20 are also showing up.

Another reason for withdrawing the J-7 to secondary regions (where modern jets are unlikely to be encountered) is the inability to use J-7s for a lot of training. That's important because China is revising its combat pilot training program. The existing system takes ten years of academic and flight training. The new program cuts that to 5-7 years, while increasing flight hours by over 40 percent. This is more in line with Western methods, while the existing system owes more to the one the Russians developed during the Cold War. The new system puts more emphasis on trainee pilots demonstrating combat flying skills before they can graduate. Cold War era Russian aircraft designs, like the MiG-21, were not designed for the heavy use required for Western style pilot training.

The new training program is actually an evolution of the need for new training methods to prepare pilots to handle the more modern aircraft. Training for pilots of these new fighters has been more intense than for any previous aircraft. In addition, China is also holding training exercises directed at fighting other modern fighters, like those flown by Taiwan, Japan, and the United States. China is not keeping much of this secret and that is apparently sending a message to potential foes.

China has long been the largest user of the MiG-21 in the form of their J-7 clone. China still exports J-7s but has been rapidly retiring the ones remaining in Chinese service. The J-7 was, in many ways, the most advanced version of the MiG-21, as the Chinese kept improving their J-7 design. Over 10,000 Mig-21s and J-7s have been produced in the last sixty years, making this the most widely manufactured jet fighter of the last century (during World War II there were several propeller driven fighters that were produced in greater numbers.) The MiG-21 looked fearsome but it was a bust in combat, getting shot down more often than not. Russia still had 186 Mig-21s in service when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991s. These MiG-21s were officially retired a few years later. India, the last major user of the MiG-21, is in the process of retiring them as well.

China navy to exercise in Western Pacific

2011-12-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

China has said it will conduct "routine" naval exercises in the Pacific Ocean, in the week after a major diplomatic campaign by US President Barack Obama to assert the United States as a Pacific power.

The defence ministry said the exercises, to be held later this month, did not target any particular country, but the announcement comes against a background of growing tensions over maritime disputes in the Asia-Pacific region.

Obama, who has dubbed himself America's first Pacific president, said last week the United States would deploy up to 2,500 Marines to Australia and tighten air force cooperation, a move seen as a response to China's growing regional might.

China's freedom of navigation "shall not be subject to any form of hindrance", the defence ministry said in a brief statement late Wednesday announcing the naval exercises in the western Pacific.

"This is a routine drill arranged under an annual plan, does not target any particular country or target, and complies with relevant international laws and international practice," it added.

Obama flew home Saturday after a seven-day tour of Pacific nations during which he took in a trio of summits and announced greater military involvement in the region.

"Here is what this region must know. As we end today's wars, I have directed my national security team to make our presence and missions in the Asia-Pacific a top priority," the US president announced during a visit to Australia.

Washington's new diplomatic campaign to assert itself as a Pacific power has alarmed China, which sees initiatives like stationing Marines in Australia as intruding into its sphere of influence.

China's Premier Wen Jiabao has warned against interference by "external forces" in regional territorial disputes including in the South China Sea, a strategic and resource-rich area where several nations have overlapping claims.

China claims all of the maritime area, as does Taiwan, while four Southeast Asian countries declare ownership of parts of it, with Vietnam and the Philippines accusing Chinese forces of increasing aggression there.

The competing claims have led to periodic outbreaks of tension between China and its neighbours in recent years, including with the Philippines and Vietnam in recent months, and with Japan in late 2010.

Asia-Pacific leaders held talks on the disputed territories at a summit Saturday, in a major diplomatic coup for the United States, which had pushed for the topic to be raised, despite objections from Beijing.

China's official comments on Obama's trip were muted, but state news agency Xinhua said Asian suspicions would be raised by the plan to base troops in Australia and by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's declaration that the 21st century will be "America's Pacific century".

"If the United States sticks to its Cold War mentality and continues to engage with Asian nations in a self-assertive way, it is doomed to incur repulsion in the region," the agency said.

"The hard fact is that the Pacific Ocean belongs to all countries sharing its shores, not just the United States."

China's People's Liberation Army, the largest armed force in the world, is primarily a land force, but the navy is playing an increasingly important role as Beijing grows more assertive about its territorial claims.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon warned that Beijing was increasingly focused on its naval power and had invested in high-tech weaponry that would extend its reach in the Pacific and beyond.

Recent trials of China's first aircraft carrier underlined the scale of Beijing's naval ambitions, sparking jitters in the United States and Japan.

China, which publicly announced around 50 separate naval exercises in the seas off its coast over the past two years -- usually after the event -- says its military is only focused on defending the country's territory.

China breaks record with Long March 3A launch of another BeiDou-2 satellite

2011-12-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

A record breaking 16th successful launch of the year for China took place at 21:07 UTC on Thursday, when a Long March 3A (Chang Zheng-3A) launch vehicle orbited a new navigation satellite – another for the BeiDou-2 Compass satellite navigation range – from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in Sichuan Province.

China’s Record:

This launch was the 16th successful orbital launch this year for China, breaking the previous launch record of 15 successful missions in 2010. Taking into account the launch failure on August 18th, this was the 17th space launch for China this year.

The satellite that was orbited is the fifth BeiDou-2 IGSO (Inclined GSO) satellite of the system. The satellites were developed in the basis of the DFH-3B satellite platform and have a lifespan of eight years.

This constellation of Compass satellites will consist of 35 vehicles, including 30 MEO (21,500 km orbits) and IGSO (inclined at 55 degrees) satellites and five GSO satellites.

The Compass Navigation Satellite System (CNSS) is China’s second-generation satellite navigation system approved by the Chinese government in 2004, and is capable of providing continuous, real-time passive 3D geo-spatial positioning and speed measurement.

The system was initially used to provide high-accuracy positioning services for users in China and its neighboring regions, covering an area of about 120 degrees longitude in the Northern Hemisphere. The long-term goal is to develop a global navigation satellite network similar to the GPS and GLONASS by 2020.

The system will have two kinds of services: a civilian service that will give an accuracy of 10 meters in the user position, 0.2 m/s on the user velocity and 50 nanoseconds in time accuracy; and the military and authorized user’s service, providing higher accuracies. The first phase of the project will see the coverage of the Chinese territory but in the future the Compass constellation will cover the entire globe.

The satellites transmit signals on the: 1195.14-1219.14MHz, 1256.52-1280.52MHz, 1559.05-1563.15MHz and 1587.69-1591.79MHz, carrier frequencies.

The previous BeiDou-2 ‘Compass’ launch took place on July 26 when a Chang Zheng-3A orbited the ‘Compass-I4′ (37763 2011-038A) satellite.

This was the 22nd flight of the CZ-3A Chang Zheng-3A launch vehicle. The CZ-3A is a three-stage liquid launch vehicle, which has inherited the mature technology of the CZ-3 Chang Zheng-3. An upgraded liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic third stage has been developed to enable CZ-3A performing greater geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) capability.

The CZ-3A is equipped with a more flexible and sophisticated control system which supports substantial attitude adjustments to orient the payloads before spacecraft separation and provides adjustable satellite spin-up rotation rate. It has paved the way for the development of CZ-3B Chang Zheng-3B and CZ-3C Chang Zheng-3C, and become the basic type of GTO launch vehicles.

The CZ-3A is mainly used for GTO missions; it also can be used for LEO, SSO and polar orbit missions, as well as dual-launch and multiple-launch missions. The launch capacity of the CZ-3A to GTO is 2,650 kg, the lift-off mass is 241,000 kg, the overall length is 52.5 meters, the diameter of first stage and second stage is 3.35 meters, the diameter of third stage is 3.0 meters, and the maximum fairing diameter is 3.35 meters.

The first stage and second stage of CZ-3A employ storable propellants, i.e. unsymmetrical dimethy1 hydrazine (UDMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4), and the third stage uses cryogenic propellants, i.e. liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX).

On the first stage the CZ-3A uses a DaFY6-2 engine with 2961.6 kN of thrust, while the second stage is equipped with a DaFY20-1 main engine (742 kN) and four DaFY21-1 vernier engines (11.8 kN each). The third stage is equipped with two YF-75 engines (78.5 kN each).

The fairing diameter of the CZ-3A is 3.35 meters and has a length of 8.89 meters.

CZ-3A consists of rocket structure, propulsion system, control system, telemetry system, tracking and safely system, coast phase propellant management and attitude control system, cryogenic propellant utilization system, separation system and auxiliary system, etc.

The launch success rate of CZ-3A is 100 percent since its maiden flight on February 8, 1994 when it successfully launched two experimental satellites (the Shi Jian-4 and the Kua Fu-1, a DFH-3 model). And it was awarded the “Gold Launch Vehicle” title by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation in June 2007.

This was the 153rd successful Chinese orbital launch, the 153rd launch of a Chang Zheng launch vehicle, the 8th launch from Xichang in 2011 and the 67th orbital launch from Xichang.

The Xichang Satellite Launch Centre is situated in the Sichuan Province, south-western China and is the country’s launch site for geosynchronous orbital launches.

Equipped with two launch pads (LC2 and LC3), the centre has a dedicated railway and highway lead directly to the launch site. The Command and Control Centre is located seven kilometers south-west of the launch pad, providing flight and safety control during launch rehearsal and launch.

Down range Tracking and Control stations of the launch center are located in Xichang City and Yibin City of Sichuan Province, and Guiyang City of Guizhou Province. Each of them houses tracking and measurement equipment for the powered phase of a launch vehicle flight.

Other facilities on the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre are the Launch Control Centre, propellant fueling systems, communications systems for launch command, telephone and data communications for users, and support equipment for meteorological monitoring and forecasting.

During 1993-1994 Xichang underwent extensive modernization and expansion, in part due to the requirements of the CZ-3 launcher family and in part to meet commercial customer needs.

The first launch from Xichang took place at 12:25UTC on January 29, 1984, when the CZ-3 Chang Zheng-3 (CZ3-1) was launched the Shiyan Weixing (14670 1984-008A) communications satellite into orbit.

Before the end of the year China plans two more launches. The launch of the NigComSat-1R communications satellite for Nigeria is schedule to take place on December 19. Launched by a CZ-3B/E Chang Zheng-3B/E rocket from Xichang, this satellite will replace the NigComSat-1 satellite that lost power from the southern solar array and latter failed in November 2008 due to a technical error of the satellite’s northern solar array.

The other launch schedule for December will orbit the ZiYuan-1 (2C) Earth resource satellite using a Chang Zheng-4B launch vehicle from Taiyuan.

China-Pakistan JF-17 Fighter ready for Block-2 Upgrades

2011-11-14T12:21:00.001-08:00

The JF-17 Thunder fighter, co-developed by China’s Avic and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), is to receive improvements that will start being produced with the Block-2 version from next year.

The enhancements will effect the data link and electronic warfare capabilities. An air-to-air re refueling capability will be added, as will be new guided weapons. A two-seat variant is being developed, too. The current program schedule calls for the Pakistan-based factory to deliver the JF-17 Block-2 to the PAF from mid-2012 to 2015. Then, a Block-3 version is planned from 2016. Block-1 aircraft are being delivered until the middle of next year.

PAF Air Chief Marshall Rao Qamar Suleiman said marketing efforts focus on those countries needing to replace old fighters such as the MiG-21, early Mirage, F-5 and Phantom types. The program’s target export countries can be found in Latin America, Africa and Asia. “We offer performance comparable to U.S. and European fighters when it comes to radar, dogfight missile, range and BVR [beyond visual range] capabilities, for one third of the cost,” Suleiman claimed.

So far, five countries are said to have taken a close look at the aircraft. China itself is currently evaluating the JF-17 and a decision is expected “shortly.” Avic and the PAF expect to sell “between 300 and 500 JF-17s” over the next 10 years.

The in-service fleet has logged a total of 10,000 flight hours with the PAF. In China, the JF-17 is also known as the FC-1 Xiaolong.

China's space lab module Tiangong-1 ready for docking after postural adjustment

2011-10-30T19:47:00.001-07:00

China's first space lab module Tiangong-1, or Heavenly Palace-1, has completed a 180-degree turn-around to prepare itself for the upcoming docking with spacecraft Shenzhou-8, ready to blast off early November in northwestern desert area, a space scientist said Sunday.

The target spacecraft adjusted itself to fly invertedly at 7:34 p.m. under the control of the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, said Chen Hongmin, director of the command center for Chinese space program.

Chen said the spacecraft was lowered to the 343-km-high rendezvous and docking orbit on Sunday after a series of maneuver including orbit control and on-orbit testing since its launch into space on Sept. 29.

As of 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Tiangong-1 has orbited Earth for 30 days and 22 hours, according to Chen.

Monitoring results have shown that the spacecraft has been flying smoothly and stably and met with the requirement for the docking mission, Chen said.

The docking between Tiangong-1 and Shenzhou-8 has put up high requirement on the monitoring and control system as the maneuver of the two spacecraft is synergetic, Chen said.

Meanwhile, the dramatically changing weather conditions posed another challenge for scientists to ascertain the launch time for Shenzhou-8 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, according to Chen.

Scientists at the Beijing command center are racing to collect and analyze all data and information to work out corresponding measures and to calculate the precise launch time, Chen said.

Tiangong-1 lab module is expected to perform China's first-ever rendezvous and docking with Shenzhou-8 after the spacecraft's launch.

The rendezvous and docking technologies are considered crucial for China's manned space program.

Once China has mastered the technologies of rendezvous and docking, it will be equipped with the basic technologies and capacity required for the building of a space station, said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program.

"It will make it possible for China to carry out space exploration of larger scale," Zhou told Xinhua Sunday in an exclusive interview at the Jiuquan launch center.

"The mastering of rendezvous and docking technologies will lay a key technical foundation for China's building of space station and deep-space exploration," Zhou said.

China has so far mastered basic technologies for manned spacecraft and extravehicular activities (EVA), according to Zhou.

During the Shenzhou-7 mission in September 2008, astronaut Zhai Zhigang performed China's first-ever space walk, wearing EVA space suits made in China.

The docking will not only send astronauts and cargo supply to the space station, but also increase efficiency and lower risks for farther space exploration such as lunar landing and Mars visiting, Zhou said.

After its first space docking test in November, China will continue sending spacecraft Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 before 2012 for unmanned or manned docking with Tiangong-1, according to Zhou.

Zhou said China welcomes other countries to participate in its space program and is willing to join in international aerospace cooperation.

"We shall open our space station to the world to create a platform of scientific research for Chinese scientists and their peers from all over the world," Zhou said.

Wu Ping, a spokeswoman for China's manned space program, said on Sunday that China would invite officials and experts from the European Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center to observe the launch of the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft.

During the launch of Shenzhou-7 in September 2008, Russian aerospace experts were also invited to the launch center to observe the mission.

"The new knowledge obtained through space science research should be common wealth for human beings and should benefit the whole world," Zhou said.

PLA officers to receive anti-terrorism trainings in Sri Lanka

2011-10-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

Sri Lankas Army Commander Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya invited the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of the People’s Republic of China to send in more of their trainee students for professional military courses offered by the Sri Lanka Army in order to receive wider exposure in defeat of terrorism.

He extended the invitation when he met six -member Chinese delegation headed by Major General Qian Lihua, Chief of Foreign Affairs Office, Ministry of National Defence was accompanied to the Commander of the Army by the Chinese Ambassador Yang Xiuping.

Major General Lihua during his exchange of views with the Commander of the Army assured his Army’s fullest cooperation to the Sri Lanka Army in several areas of its professional training, exercises and further promotion of military assistance to Sri Lanka on request.

The visiting Chinese Chief of Foreign Affairs Office during talks told the Commander, that the PLA, impressed with the progress hitherto made by Sri Lankan Army de-miners, expects to offer 100 more de-mining kits to the Army for further acceleration of their work as a gesture of goodwill and appreciation.

Touching on their possibilities for increased intakes of Sri Lankan trainee officers to military academies in China, the visiting military officer promised Sri Lanka of more and more such openings in the future once a request to this effect is channeled through the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

He reminded that Sri Lanka Army’s de-mining students were the only foreign contingent trained in China as at present because of the excellent relations that exist between both countries as well as the Armies. ‘We have assisted Sri Lanka in the past 25 years or more. In peacetime too, we wish to further extend our assistance in all spheres, Major General Lihua quipped.

World powers and Armies in the world have lot to learn from a tiny country like Sri Lanka and its professional Army on its road to defeat of terrorism, Lieutenant General Jayasuriya commented during the talks.

Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, speaking high of the commendable Chinese contribution to the Army right throughout as the major force behind the country’s Security Forces requested for closer PLA interaction in special military training programmes, such as the ‘Exercise Cormorant Strike’ every year by sending their representation, was positively responded by the visiting Chinese delegate during bilateral talks.

Major General Qian Lihua further pointed out that 23 out of all PLA’s 63 training establishments in China conduct military training courses exclusively for foreign students and Sri Lanka’s studentship could be further increased in the future in consultation with the Chinese defence authorities, considering the unprecedented high standards of professional conduct of the Sri Lankan Army which could serve as a beacon of hope for the countries, afflicted with menace of terrorism.

The visiting Army official noted that the PLA in the future will collaborate closely with the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) at Diyatalawa and explore possibilities for further assisting the improvement of infrastructure facilities in the institute with the advanced technology in China. Commander of the Army during the final leg of the meeting with the delegation thanked the visiting delegation for their keen interest in interacting closely with the Sri Lanka Army and its appreciation of the Sri Lankan Army’s contribution to world peace.

China sends French-made satellite into space

2011-10-11T19:07:00.001-07:00

XICHANG, Sichuan - China's Long March-III2 rocket carrier sent a French-made telecom satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center Friday afternoon, marking the first time for China to provide launch service for a European satellite operator.

It was also the 148th launch for the Long March rocket family.

According to information and data received by the Xi'an Satellite Measuring and Monitoring Center, the satellite and rocket carrier separated on schedule and the satellite is now in orbit.

The launch marked the first time for China to cooperate with a European satellite operator since the signing of a Sino-French satellite launch agreement in 2008.

The launch was carried out by the China Great Wall Industry Corporation and the China Institute of Rocket Carrier Technology, both under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, as well as the China Satellite Launch and Tracking Control General (CLTC).

The W3C telecom satellite was built by Thales Alenia Space, a French satellite manufacturer, and is owned by Eutelsat, a leading provider of satellite communication services.

The W3C has a designed lifespan of 15 years and will provide television, radio, broadband, video and Internet service.

China launches Tiangong space lab

2011-10-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

China's first space lab module Tiangong-1, or Heavenly Palace-1, blasted off at 9:16 p.m. Beijing Time (1316 GMT) Thursday in a northwest desert area as the nation envisions the coming of its space station era in about ten years.

The unmanned module, carried by the Long March-2FT1 rocket, will test space docking with a spacecraft later this year, paving the way for China to operate a permanent space station around 2020 and making it the world's third country to do so.

More than ten minutes after the blastoff, Commander-in-chief of China's manned space program Chang Wanquan announced the launch's success at the control center in Beijing.

The success of the launch, however, is just a beginning, and the real challenge is space docking, said Yang Hong, chief designer of Tiangong module series.

DOCKING TESTS

Unlike previous Chinese space vehicles, the Tiangong-1 has a docking facility which allows it to be connected to multiple space modules in order to assemble an experimental station in low Earth orbit.

The Tiangong-1 will orbit the Earth for about one month, awaiting the arrival of the Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft. Once the two vehicles successfully rendezvous, they will conduct the first space docking at a height of 340 kilometers above the earth's surface.

The Tiangong-1 flies at a speed of 7.8 kilometers per second in orbit, which leaves ground-based staff an error of less than 0.12 meter to control the two vehicles to dock in low gravity. China has never tried such test and could not simulate it on the ground.

After two docking tests with the Shenzhou-8, the Tiangong-1 will await Shenzhou-9, to be followed by Shenzhou-10, which will possibly carry a female astronaut, in the next two years, according to the plan for China's manned space program.

If the astronaut in the Shenzhou-10 mission succeeds with the manual space docking, China will become the third nation after the United States and Russia to master the technology.

President Hu Jintao watched the launch from the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center on Thursday, two days before China's National Day, witnessing the latest endeavor of China's manned space program since 1992.

Hu told the engineers, commanders and other workers at the control center to do every job in a "more aborative and meticulous" manner to ensure the success of the country's first space docking mission.

Other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, including Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang and Zhou Yongkang, were also present.

Premier Wen Jiabao went to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center to watch the launch process with He Guoqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Chinese people were inspired by the successful launch.

"The Tiangong-1 has gone into the dark sky! We Chinese are on the way to inhabiting the vast universe," wrote Qichaoxiguanghai on Sina Weibo, China's most popular microblog service provider.

"I heard the news of the Tiangong-1's launch from the radio on a ship to Yangzhou," wrote microblogger Xingfufeiafei. "I am proud to share the pride that shakes the world. The pride of our nation is once again deep in my heart."

China builds a patrol ship for Pakistani Navy

2011-09-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

It looks quite stealthy.

ISLAMABAD - The first of a pair of new Azmat-class fast attack craft built by China Shipbuilding Industry Corp. (CSOC) for the Pakistan Navy was launched by Pakistani naval chief Adm. Noman Bashir, at the Xhinggang shipyard in Tianjin, China, on Sept. 20.

The 500-600 ton, 60-meter craft carries eight C-802A/CSS-N-8 Saccade anti-ship missiles.

A tender for two fast-attack craft was released in February 2010. In December 2010, a contract for an undisclosed amount was awarded to CSOC. Construction commenced in March 2011, and according to the Associated Press of Pakistan, PNS Azmat is expected to enter service by April 2012.

Images purported to be of the vessel show it to have a stealthy, angled, slab-sided superstructure. No other confirmed details are available, however.

A second vessel in the class is due to be constructed in Karachi.

Usman Shabbir of the Pakistan Military Consortium think tank said the new fast-attack craft comes at a time when the Pakistan Navy is trying to modernize its capabilities while facing financial hardship.

Specifically, the Navy will use Azmat to "secure areas closer to shore, freeing up larger warships for other normal peacetime patrol duties or international commitments such as CTF-150 and CTF-151," which are the combined task forces patrolling waters near the Horn of Africa.

Shabbir did note the vessel's light air defense armament, though, saying it did not offer much protection.

Nevertheless, he welcomed its launch and said the new vessel is a further sign of Pakistan's increasing reliance on China for its defense needs.

"The Sino-Pak naval construction relationship is allowing this to happen", he said.

"This part of the overall Sino-Pak relationship will expand and deepen over time with more warships of various types, and the submarines that are currently undergoing construction in China for Pakistan," he said.

Indeed, during the launch ceremony, Bashir stated the present geo-political situation demanded further strengthening of Pakistan-China relations in order to safeguard regional peace, stability and prosperity. The launch of Azmat is a sign of the deepening Sino-Pak relationship, he said, stating, "This relationship over the years has matured in all fields, particularly in defense."

China deploys new CSS-5 MRBM missile in Tibet

2011-09-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

CSS-5 MRBM missile is solid fueled, with a range believed to be about 1,700 kilometres (1,100 mi). The new GPS-based guidance system has reduced the missile’s CEP to 30~40m, enabling it for precision-strike missions.

China has deployed more advanced and survivable solid-fuel nuclear capable CSS-5 MRBM missiles against India as a 'deterrent posture', Pentagon has said warning that a high degree of mistrust continues to strain their bilateral ties.

The PLA has replaced liquid-fueled, nuclear-capable CSS-2 IRBMs with more advanced and survivable solid-fueled CSS-5 MRBM systems to strengthen its deterrent posture relative to India, the Pentagon has said in its annual report on Chinese military build up to the Congress.

The report also says that Beijing is pumping in huge investments on border infrastructure developments laying more roads and rail network along the Sino-Indian border.

"Although this construction is primarily aimed at facilitating economic development in western China, improved roads could also support PLA border defense operations," it said.

Pentagon said that New Delhi remains concerned by China's close military ties with Pakistan and its growing footprints in the Indian Ocean, Central Asia and Africa.

The report noted that Pakistan continued to be China's primary customer for conventional weapons and sales to Islamabad included newly rolled out JF-17 fighters with production facilities, F-22P frigates with helicopters, early warning and control aircraft, tanks, K-8 trainers, F-7 fighters, air-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and missile technologies.

On Sino-Indian ties, Pentagon said, that though bilateral dialogue between the two nations increased, border tensions remained an irritant.

"China deepened its ties with India through increased trade and high-level dialogues in 2010, though border tensions remained an irritant in the bilateral relationship. Bilateral trade in 2010 reached nearly USD 60 billion," Pentagon said.

The two neighbours have held several rounds of dialogue over disputed territorial claims. Sino-Indian defense ties were institutionalised in 2007 with the establishment of an Annual Defense Dialogue, the report said.

"Though India cancelled high-level military exchanges following China's denial of visa to a senior Indian general in 2010, both sides agreed to resume exchanges in April 2011," the Pentagon said.

The US Defence Department in its assessment said that Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's trip to New Delhi in 2010 attempted to smooth over differences following a year of uneasy relations, but he did not address serious irritants.

"A high degree of mistrust continues to strain the bilateral relationship," it said.

China creates Two New Military Aerial Teams

2011-08-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

China's air force will introduce two new aerobatic teams this week in a sign of the military's growing public profile and sophistication.

Both aerial demonstration units will make their debut at an air show in the northeastern city of Changchun. Earlier this year, the air force began flight-testing its first stealth fighter jet.

The teams are known as the Sky Wing and the Red Falcons. Both will include experienced flight instructors and top-ranked pilots, and perform using two new Chinese-made training jets.

The military says the teams will promote international exchanges with foreign air forces.

The teams will perform Thursday with the 50-year old August First Air Demonstration Team of the People's Liberation Army Air Force.

The 16-member Sky Wing demonstration team will be attached to the Chinese Air Force Aviation University, the alma mater of Yang Liwei, the first Chinese astronaut.

The 18-member Red Falcon demonstration team will be based at the Third Flying College of the Chinese Air Force, which trained Zhai Zhigang, China's first space walker.

Pakistan launched its first communication satellite in China

2011-08-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

Pakistan successfully launched into space its state-of-the-art PakSat-1R communication satellite here from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, late Thursday night.A select group of senior Pakistani officials witnessed the Long March-3B rocket successfully carrying the communication satellite from the launch pad here with rounds of applause and jubilations visible on their faces.
Prominent among those present included Director General SPD Lt. General (Retd.) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Masood Khan, Secretary Defence Lt. General (Retd) Syed Ather Ali and Chairman Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Major General Ahmed Bilal, besides senior officials from the Chinese government.
PakSat-1R, a geostationary and advanced communication satellite, has been jointly built by scientists and engineers from SUPARCO under the technical guidance and financial assistance from their Chinese counterpart, China National Space Administration.
The satellite carries communication payload to facilitate the introduction of a range of new services, including broadband Internet, digital television broadcasting, remote and rural telephony, emergency communications, tele-education and tele-medicine. The satellite is expected to have a lifespan of 15 years, and will be operated from SUPARCO Satellite Ground Stations located in Lahore and Karachi.
Speaking after the successful launch of the satellite, DG SPD who is leading the delegation, congratulated the entire team of Pakistani and Chinese engineers which contributed towards making this project successful. He expressed his gratitude to the government of China for providing support to Pakistan in space technology. He expressed the confidence that cooperation between the two countries in the field of space technology will continue to grow in the future, enabling Pakistan to reap rich benefits.
Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said “the successful launch is yet another shining illustration of the time-tested friendship between Pakistan and China and has ushered in a new era of cooperation in space technology between the two countries”.
“This also marks the next step in taking forward Pakistan’s space Programme “2040”, Salman Bashir said.
The launch of PakSat-1R has added a new chapter to the mutual cooperation between the all-weather allies in the field of space technology.
Ambassador Masood Khan regarded PakSat-1R’s launch as important for the country for many reasons. “It is a symbol of Pakistan-China cooperation in the area of space technology. It is the first of the kind to be launched by China and Pakistan. Therefore it establishes a new platform, and marks a new beginning”, he said.
Ambassador Khan said it is our natural aspiration that a Pakistani astronaut aboard a Chinese spacecraft flies to the space, adding that “this is possible because Pakistan and China enjoy relations of trust and confidence”.
Chairman SUPARCO Ahmed Bilal termed the launch as a “historic event” as it is for the first time that a commercial, fully capable communication satellite has been launched in which scientists and engineers of SUPARCO have worked very closely with the Chinese in all stages of its design and development. They have also gained firsthand experience of designing and manufacturing of Satellite, he said.
The Paksat-1R satellite is designed and manufactured by China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
The satellite has 30 transponders onboard, including 12 C band and 18 Ku band transponders. To meet the coverage requirements, Paksat-1R has advance communication antennas, covering South Asian Sub-continent, the Middle East, east Africa and part of Western European areas and cities.
The Paksat-1R Programme is China Great Wall Industry Corporation’s (CGWIC) third satellite in-orbit delivery contract with its international customers.
President CGWIC, Yin Liming and Assistant President of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) Zhao Xiao Chen, Assistant President of CASC also spoke on the occasion.
They said the launch took place as Pakistan is celebrating its 65th Independence Day on August 14 and both Pakistan and China are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
He said the agreement to this effect was signed in October 2008, when President Asif Ali Zardari visited China, who also witnessed its signing ceremony along with President Hu Jintao.

China's first aircraft carrier will have more than one commander

2011-08-07T19:19:00.001-07:00

NINE top Chinese naval captains are to take command of the country's first aircraft carrier in turns.

The vessel, which is near completion, will be used to train pilots and crews for future aircraft carriers.

The nine, of senior colonel or higher rank, are graduates of the country's first warship academy class in 1987 for aircraft carrier commanders, the International Herald Leader, a Beijing-based newspaper, reported yesterday.

The Varyag, a vessel bought from Ukraine in 1998 which is being fitted out at a shipyard in Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province, will mainly be a training platform rather than a combat warship, the newspaper said. It will be the No. 83 training vessel of the Dalian Navy Academy, according to the report.

Smoke could be seen from the chimney of the conventionally powered warship, while its radar and missile systems were also being adjusted, indicating the carrier's maiden voyage would be soon, the newspaper said.

Aircraft carriers and cruisers must be named after the country's provincial level names, destroyers and frigates must be named after large or medium size cities, while smaller vessels can be named after mountains or famous people, according to a Chinese Navy rule.

However, the carrier may also be named after famous Chinese people according to another stipulation for training vessels.

A naming ceremony would be held after the carrier's maiden voyage, the report said.

It is widely suggested that the carrier be named after Shi Lang, an admiral in the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) who led a fleet to Taiwan Island in 1681, or Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China.

The carrier will mainly anchor at naval bases in Shandong Province, Zhoushan Archipelago in Zhejiang Province or Yalong Bay in Hainan Island which are big enough for an aircraft carrier fleet, a military expert told the newspaper.

Cao Weidong, a researcher with the PLA Navy's Academic Research Institute, said the Varyag was a medium-sized carrier that would be equipped with engines, radar and other equipment made in China.

The carrier will land about 30 Chinese J-15 fighters and have about 2,000 of a crew.

The J-15 fighter is similar to Russia's cutting-edge Sukhoi Su-33 and as competent as the US F-18E/F, also known as the Super Hornet, fighter aircraft, the report said.

China is building another two aircraft carriers at a shipyard in Shanghai, the Voice of Russia quoted Pavel Kamennov, an expert at the Far East Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as saying.

Kamennov said China would build its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and form an aircraft carrier group by 2020.

"China has been studying closely the experience of other countries in the aircraft carrier area, so it will undoubtedly acquire adequate experience," he told the radio station.

The Varyag was originally built by the former Soviet Union, which failed to complete the ship's construction before its collapse in 1991. Ukraine disarmed it and removed its engines before selling it to China.

When the refitting work is complete, China will then become the last of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and the 10th country in the world that owns an aircraft carrier.

http://english.eastday.com/e/110806/u1a6038531.html

China is Developing EMP Pulse Weapons

2011-07-24T18:01:00.001-07:00

The Chinese military is developing electromagnetic pulse weapons for use against U.S. aircraft carriers in any future dispute over Taiwan, a report said Friday.

The data was revealed in an intelligence assessment made public Thursday, the Washington Times reported, noting that the EMP development was part of a suite "assassin's mace" weapons a technologically inferior Chinese military planned to deploy against superior U.S. forces.

The paper said portions of the National Ground Intelligence Center study on the lethal effects of EMP said such a weapon mimics the effects of the gamma ray pulse emitted by a nuclear blast and can sap all electronics, including computers, automobiles and electric power grids, over wide areas.

The declassified report was obtained by the private National Security Archive, the Times reported. The group said the study provide details about the development of the Chinese weapons and the plans Beijing had for their use.

"For use against Taiwan, China could detonate at a much lower altitude (30 to 40 kilometers) … to confine the EMP effects to Taiwan and its immediate vicinity and minimize damage to electronics on the mainland," said the report, initially produced in 2005 and once labeled "Secret," the Times noted.

The report also said that in addition to EMP-type weapons, "any low-yield strategic nuclear warhead (or tactical nuclear warheads) could be used with similar effects."

It also said it wasn't clear whether China had yet to build such weapons. Pentagon assessments of Chinese military power since have made only passing references to such weapons, the Times reported.

China has long claimed Taiwan as its own province, though the island democracy has governed itself since Nationalists fled the mainland in 1949 following a civil war in which the Communists were victorious.

http://www.newsroomamerica.com/story/152535/chinese_military_developing_pulse_weapons:_report.html

China aims for moon, Mars, Venus

2011-07-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

This year, a rocket will carry a boxcar-sized module into orbit, the first building block for a Chinese space station. Around 2013, China plans to launch a lunar probe that will set a rover loose on the moon. It wants to put a man on the moon, sometime after 2020.

While the United States is still working out its next move after the space shuttle program, China is forging ahead. Some experts worry the U.S. could slip behind China in human spaceflight - the realm of space science with the most prestige.

"Space leadership is highly symbolic of national capabilities and international influence, and a decline in space leadership will be seen as symbolic of a relative decline in U.S. power and influence," said Scott Pace, an associate NASA administrator in the George W. Bush administration. He was a supporter of Bush's plan - shelved by President Barack Obama - to return Americans to the moon.

China is still far behind the U.S. in space technology and experience, but what it doesn't lack is a plan or financial resources. While U.S. programs can fall victim to budgetary worries or a change of government, rapidly growing China appears to have no such constraints.

"One of the biggest advantages of their system is that they have five-year plans so they can develop well ahead," said Peter Bond, consultant editor for Jane's Space Systems and Industry. "They are taking a step-by-step approach, taking their time and gradually improving their capabilities. They are putting all the pieces together for a very capable, advanced space industry."

In 2003, China became the third country to send an astronaut into space on its own, four decades after the United States and Russia. In 2006, it sent its first probe to the moon. In 2008, China carried out its first spacewalk.

China's space station is slated to open around 2020, the same year the International Space Station is scheduled to close. If the U.S. and its partners don't come up with a replacement, China could have the only permanent human presence in the sky.

Its space laboratory module, due to be launched later this year, will test docking techniques for the space station. China's version will be smaller than the International Space Station, which is the size of a football field and jointly operated by the U.S., Russia, Canada, Japan and 11 European countries.

"China has lagged 20 to 40 years behind the U.S. in developing space programs and China has no intention of challenging U.S. dominance in space," said He Qisong, a professor at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. "But it is a sign of the national spirit for China to develop a space program and therefore it is of great significance for China."

Some elements of China's program, notably the firing of a ground-based missile into one of its dead satellites four years ago, have alarmed American officials and others who say such moves could set off a race to militarize space. That the program is run by the military has made the U.S. reluctant to cooperate with China in space, even though the latter insists its program is purely for peaceful ends.

"Space technology can be applied for both civilian and military use, but China doesn't stress the military purpose," said Li Longchen, retired editor-in-chief of Chinese magazine "Space Probe." "It has been always hard for humankind to march into space and China must learn the lessons from the U.S."

China is not the only country aiming high in space. Russia has talked about building a base on the moon and a possible mission to Mars but hasn't set a time frame. India has achieved an unmanned orbit of the moon and plans its first manned space flight in 2016.

The U.S. has no plans to return to the moon. "We've been there before," Obama said last year. "There's a lot more of space to explore." He prefers sending astronauts to land on an asteroid by 2025 and ultimately to Mars. But those plans are far from set.

Instead, NASA is closing out its 30-year space shuttle era this month, leaving the U.S. dependent on hitching rides to the space station aboard Russian Soyuz capsules at a cost of $56 million per passenger, rising to $63 million from 2014. The U.S. also hopes private companies will develop spacecraft to ferry cargo and crew to the space station.

China, having orbited the moon and starting collecting data on it, is moving toward sending a man there - and beyond. It hopes to launch the rover-releasing moon probe in about two years. Chinese experts believe a moon landing will happen in 2025 at the earliest.

"The lunar probe is the starting point for deep space exploration," said Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's moon-exploring program, in a 2010 interview posted on the national space agency's website. "We first need to do a good job of exploring the moon and work out the rocket, transportation and detection technology that can then be used for a future exploration of Mars or Venus."

In testimony in May to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which reports to the U.S. Congress, former NASA official Pace said what China learns in its space program can be applied elsewhere: improving the accuracy of ballistic missiles and quality controls for industry.

China also offers space technology to developing countries to secure access to raw materials, said Pace, now director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University.

There may also be economic reasons to explore the moon: It contains minerals and helium-3, a potential rich source of energy through nuclear fusion.

"But that's way ahead," said Bond, the Jane's editor. "A lot of it would be prestige, the fact that every time we went out and looked at the moon in the night sky we would say the Chinese flag is on there."

http://www.macon.com/2011/07/11/1627452/china-aims-high-in-space.html

Bangladesh purchases 44 MBT-2000 tanks from China

2011-07-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

For the first time in the history of Bangladesh, the government is set to buy 44 brand new modern MBT-2000 tanks and 3 armoured recovery vehicles (ARV) for the army, as a part of its planned modernisation.

The government will also buy two additional helicopters for the army to ensure necessary logistical support for the UN peacekeeping activities.

The tanks and ARVs will be bought from China, and the helicopters from France through government-to-government deals, which were recently signed. According to the deals, the cost of the tanks will be around Tk 1,201 crore, and the helicopters Tk 174 crore. Besides, a process is on to buy 18 brand new cannons.

"The tanks will be bought through a government to government deal ensuring maximum transparency," Master General of Ordnance (MGO) of Bangladesh Army Maj Gen Abdul Matin told The Daily Star yesterday.

"The purchase is being done as a part of modernisation of the Bangladesh Army," he said adding that the tanks will be delivered in phases over a span of 27 months. In the first phase 24 tanks will come within 20 months, and the rest will come in the second phase over the next 7 months.

The payment for the purchase will be made in phases over the next eight years, said the major general adding that the Chinese government will provide training to technicians of Bangladesh Army in China and in Bangladesh for a good period of time so that the tanks and ARVs could be maintained properly. The training will be free of charge, he said.

Maj Gen (retd) Amin Ahmed Chowdhury told The Daily Star that through this purchase, the military of the country will definitely get a boost.

The government in 2003 took initiatives to buy tanks for the army, but that initiative did not see the light of day due to budgetary limitations.

The government was supposed to buy seven tanks last year and seven more this year. As only a Chinese company took part in the tender, the government cancelled it, and re-invited tender in which four companies from China, Russia, Ukraine, and Pakistan participated. Chinese company Norinco was selected as the lowest bidder.

Later the army requested the government to buy 44 tanks instead of 14.

Ukrainian firm to provide engines for China's L-15 trainer

2011-06-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

Motor Sich ink contract with Chinese for engine supply

It is reported that Motor Sich has signed a contract with Chinese HAIC to supply AI-222-25F turbofan engines for its L-15 jet trainer. The deal was closed in spring and the first dozen of engines will be shipped in 2011.

According to Mr Oleksiy Gorovyy Millennium Capital analyst “The news is POSITIVE for Motor Sich. Although, the volumes and shipment schedule are uncertain, the agreement itself is critically important to sustain the revenue momentum at the company which now officially becomes the exclusive engine supplier for the program. The program will also help Motor Sich to reduce its dependence on the Russian customers to some extent.”

He said “A single engine for L-15 is worth USD 2 million an each plane will need at least two of those, leaving MSICH with over USD 4 million in immediate sales per each aircraft produced and some potential for aftermarket revenues. Our forecast is now for 300 planes produced over the entire lifespan of the program, yet we look forward to hearing more details to be comfortable with shipments and schedule.”

http://www.steelguru.com/russian_news/Motor_Sich_ink_contract_with_Chinese_for_engine_supply/209628.html

PLA plans naval drill in western Pacific

2011-06-12T17:28:00.001-07:00

A naval fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will conduct a training drill within international waters in the western Pacific Ocean from the middle to the end of this month, the Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday.

The ministry, in a news release issued by its Information Affairs Office, said that the training complies with relevant international laws and is not aimed at any particular country or specific target.

The ministry's reaction came after an earlier announcement made by Japan's Ministry of Defense on Wednesday, which said that eight Chinese navy ships, including guided missile destroyers, were on the high seas near Okinawa prefecture.

Japan's major media reported the news and said that the Chinese naval fleet was heading to the Pacific Ocean.

According to Kyodo News, Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force (MSDF) is on alert and is continuing to monitor the fleet's movements.

China's Defense Ministry stressed that the upcoming drill is a "regular exercise" held "in accordance with the annual plan (of the PLA)".

"The Ministry of National Defense is quick to react and transparent in its military activities," said Yang Bojiang, a professor of Japanese studies at the University of International Relations in Beijing.

He said that the Japanese should not be concerned about the Chinese naval training exercises because all activities of China's navy are strictly confined to international waters.

It is not the first time that Japan has shown concern over China's naval training exercises.

An editorial article published on Asahi Shimbun's website last April even called Beijing's attitude "unacceptable" when a Chinese helicopter came close to a MSDF destroyer during training.

China has defended the move and said the country's military training in open seas near Japan was in line with the international conventions.

"Indeed, Japan is too nervous about China's normal naval training," Yang said.

"Japan's 2010 National Defense Program Guidelines asks to beef up defense in its southwestern area, but the Japanese government is facing serious financial problems, and the March 11 earthquake and tsunami have added to its fiscal woes. So I think some people in Japan, who have an interest in increased defense spending, want to play up China's military activities."

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/7405843.html

Whole Sale Defence Deals: Pakistan And China

2011-05-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

Pakistan has looked towards its traditional ally after being bashed by the United States for its defense needs in 1965 and Pak-China defense & economic relationship never looked back. Current visit of the Pakistani Minister was a great success by all means as Pakistan was able to not only pursue China to stand by it in these difficult times but also agreed on number of pending defense deals.

Gawadar Port:

China has agreed to take over the operations of Gawadar Port in Pakistan at the request of the federal government after the

agreement with the Singapore Port Authority expires. Pakistani Defense Minister, Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar has announced in front of local media that Pakistan asked for Chinese in number of fields and China was immediately ready to help Pakistan in any way possible.

Type 054A Jiangkai-II Stealth Frigate:Pakistani Defense Minister, Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar has said that China has also agreed to provide loan for the purchase of the Chinese 4400 ton frigate. This agreement will clear the financial problems of the Pakistan Navy and it will be able to purchase new generation stealth Type 054A Jiangkai II Multi-Role frigate which is equipped with the HQ-16 Medium-Range Air Defence Missiles.

Chinese HQ-16 Surface to Air missile have range of over 50 kilometers launched from 32 vertical launch system (VLS) and is far more superior then the FM-90N surface-to-air missile (SAM) used on the F-22P Zulfiquar class frigate. Frigate will also use 8 C-802A or C-803 antiship missiles which have range in excess of 180km. Type 054A Jiangkai II frigate is designed with stealth features, including sloped hull design, radar.

Submarines:

Pakistan and China has also agreed to provide training to the personal of the Pakistan Navy on the Chinese submarines. Pakistani and China has already agreed earlier this year to jointly development and co-production of diesel electric submarines fitted with the Air Independent Propulsion to meet Pakistan Navy’s long standing requirement of six new generation of submarines.

Unconfirmed news from Indian sources also suggest that Pakistan and China has also discussed the possibility of leasing a Chinese nuclear powered attack submarine SSN to Pakistan Navy for limited time period.

Pakistan Navy has shown interest in leasing of SSN after the Indian leasing of SSN from Russia and construction of nuclear powered submarine armed with submarine launched ballistic missiles with Russian help.

New Naval Base:

Pakistani defence minister has also said that Pakistan has requested China to construct a naval base for Pakistan at the site of Gawader. This would be the third main naval base for the Pakistan navy.

JF-17 Thunders:

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has also asked Chinese counterpart to pursue PLAAF (Peoples Liberation Army Air Force) to induct JF-17 Thunder fighter jets in their air fleet. He said that this will bring lot of publicity for JF-17 Thunder which will be good for exports and further decrease the cost.

Pakistan and China has also agreed on the co-production of second batch of the JF-17 thunder aircraft for the Pakistan air force with advance avionics.

FC-20 Fighter Jets:

Pakistani Defense Minister, Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar has confirmed that Chinese friends have agreed to the Pakistani request to provide FC-20 fighter jet to the Pakistan Air Force.

FC-20 is an export version of the Chinese J-10B is a multirole fighter jet which was developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC) for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). J-10B was first time promoted to the Pakistan in 2006 during the visit of then President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf who was allowed to sit in the cockpit of J-10B. This made him the first foreign head of state to see the aircraft even before its existence was officially recognized.

On 12 April 2006 the Pakistani federal cabinet allowed Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to start negotiations for the initial purchase of 36 J-10Bs under designations of FC-20. Since then Pakistan Air Force has requested our Chinese friends to develop an improved version to meet the Pakistani requirements of high end front line fighter jet.

In 2009, Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mehmood Ahmed, then Chief of the Air Staff of the PAF confirmed the Pakistani interest in purchase of atlease two squadrons of FC-20 in initial phase.

He also said Islamabad had asked Beijing to convey a message to Washington that “our sovereignty be respected”.

The Chinese government “assured us of help in removing hurdles in the way of Pakistan’s progress”, the Defence Minister said.

China's first aircraft carrier nears completion

2011-05-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

After nearly nine years of refurbishing work, China’s first aircraft carrier — a platform that could add to Taiwan’s defense concerns — could soon embark on its maiden voyage, Chinese media reported last week.

Work on the Varyag, a refurbished carrier purchased from Ukraine in 1998 for about US$20 million, was near completion and the hull was being painted in the standard Chinese naval color, a Web site associated with the state-run People’s Daily newspaper reported last Wednesday.

Seen as one of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s (胡錦濤) last accomplishments before he steps down next year, the aircraft carrier could take to sea as early as July 1, reports said.

Expected to be renamed “Shi Lang,” after the Qing Dynasty admiral who conquered what is now known as Taiwan in 1681, the carrier has been undergoing modernization work at the port of Dalian since 2002. Although the hull was built in 1988 by the former Soviet Union, the vessel acquired by China did not include the electronic circuits, radars, antennas, engines or other devices.

A report by UK-based Jane’s Defence Weekly on Friday said the carrier would come equipped with phased array radars and surface-to-air missiles, making it a more independent platform than its US equivalent, which is dependent on Aegis-type guided missile cruisers for protection.

Commenting on the reports, Lan Ning-li (蘭寧利), a retired vice admiral in the Republic of China Navy, told the Central News Agency last week that after being assigned to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in the South China Sea fleet, the carrier would be in a position to move in areas surrounding southern and eastern Taiwan, a scenario that would pose “a certain threat” to the country.

Even if Taiwanese vessels could block entry from the north and south sides of the Taiwan Strait, the “Shi Lang” would still allow China to expand its naval activities eastward into the Pacific, he said.

“That will make Taiwan vulnerable to enemy attacks at sea from both front and rear,” Lan said.

Despite reports that refurbishing work had entered its final phase, many of the sophisticated electronics on the carrier likely had yet to be installed, Lan said.

A picture provided by the People’s Daily showed the large bridge, minus the phased array radar, nearing completion.

The 302m long and 70.5m wide carrier, which comes with a loaded displacement of 67,000 tonnes and a speed of between 29 knots and 31 knots, can host as many as 50 aircraft of various types — possibly including Russian-made SU-33 and carrier-modified, Chinese-made J-10, as well as anti-submarine -helicopters and early-warning helicopters.

As Chinese pilots have no experience taking off from and landing aircraft on carriers, it could be a while before the impact on regional security of the deployment of the “Shi Lang” is truly felt.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/04/12/2003500545

China launches satellite for indigenous global navigation Beidou

2011-04-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

BEIJING: China early on Sunday morning launched its eighth orbiter which will form part of its indigenous satellite-navigation and positioning network.

A Long March-3A carrier rocket carrying the "Beidou" or Compass, navigation satellite took off at 4.47 a.m. Sunday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Xinhua reported.

It will join seven other satellites already in the orbit to form a network which will eventually consist of over 30 satellites.

The launching of the satellite marks the establishment of a basic system for the navigation and positioning network, said an unidentified spokesperson for the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre.

China will launch more satellites within the coming two years to finish a regional network to provide navigation services with high precision and credibility for industries and sectors such as mapping, fishery, transportation, meteorology and telecommunication, in the Asia-Pacific regions, the spokesperson said.

The network is scheduled to be able to provide global services by 2020.

China Takes The High Ground in Tibet with new air bases

2011-03-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

India believes that China now has five airfields in Tibet (Gongar, Pangta, Linchi, Hoping and Gar Gunsa) that are bases for military aircraft. India is also seeing more Chinese warplanes being based full time in Tibet. This was somewhat unexpected, and it's all about thin air.

It was less than a year ago that, for the first time, Chinese J-11 jet fighters were seen training over Tibet. J-11s are the most modern Chinese made fighters. More than 200 have been built since they were introduced in the late 1990s, they are appearing in more unexpected places (like the Chinese naval air force). For a long time, the Chinese Air Force had no combat aircraft stationed in Tibet, except for some older (MiG-21 clones) J-7s that were flown in regularly, for temporary duty at major commercial airports. Some of these J-7s now appear to be there permanently.

The main reason for not stationing fighter squadrons in Tibet probably has to do with the high altitude of the area, and the expense of moving the large quantities of fuel and other supplies needed to maintain air units. There is only one rail line into Tibet (recently built) and few heavy duty truck roads. In all of Tibet, there are only 58,000 kilometers of roads.

China also has a serious problem in Tibet with altitude sickness among its troops. This illness occurs when people who grew up near sea level (most of the world's population) move to altitudes greater than 2,100 meters (7,000 feet). Below that, the air contains 21 percent oxygen. Above that, the weaker air pressure lowers the amount of oxygen the body can absorb. That produces "altitude sickness", manifested by shortness of breath, disorientation, nosebleeds, nausea, dehydration, difficulty sleeping and eating, headaches and, if you stay up there long enough, chronic disability.

The average altitude of Tibet is 4,100 meters (14,000 feet). Most people can adapt, sort of, to the altitude sickness. Some can't. But the Tibetans have evolved to deal with it. The majority of Chinese soldiers coming to the Tibetan highlands (which is most of Tibet) require a few days, or weeks, to acclimate. But they are still susceptible to altitude sickness if they exert themselves, especially for extended periods. This makes Chinese military personnel in Tibet much less effective, especially in an emergency or combat.

Researchers recently discovered that most Tibetans evolved in the last 3-6,000 years to deal with this problem. It appears that most of the people moving to, and staying in, highland Tibet, were those with the rare genes that made them resistant to altitude sickness. These people became the dominant population in Tibet, mainly because they were healthier at high altitudes. Nearly all Tibetans have this gene (which controls how their red blood cells operate, to maintain sufficient oxygen levels). Very few lowland Chinese have these genes.

The Chinese military is spending a lot of time, effort and money trying to solve this problem. Chinese troops operating at the highest altitudes (4,500 meters, on the Indian border) now have access to exercise rooms (one of 1,000 square meters and another of 3,000 square meters) that are supplied with an oxygen enriched atmosphere. Troops exercising in these rooms increase the oxygen in the blood, and are much less likely to get hit with a case of altitude sickness. Thus the troops can stay in shape without getting sick. For border patrols at high altitudes, troops usually carry oxygen bottles and breathing masks.

So far, the Chinese have only been able to limit the attrition from altitude sickness, not eliminate it. Given the alertness required of aircraft maintenance personnel, and pilots preparing for flights, plus the logistical problems, the air force has declared Tibet fit to visit, but not to base aircraft units in. Still, the Chinese air force may one day have to fight in the air space over Tibet, so some training up there is in order.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20110314.aspx

Pakistan plans to acquire 6 submarines from China

2011-03-09T18:00:00.001-08:00

Most likely AIP equipped Yuan Class SSK.

After inducting advance fighter jets from China, Pakistan plans to buy six state-of-the-art submarines from the neighbouring country in a bid to boost its under-sea warfare capabilities.

Islamabad is planning to buy six submarines outright with options of joint development of conventional submarines with China, The Express Tribune reported.

The newspaper did not mention the class of submarines being sought by Pakistan saying merely that Islamabad wanted advanced under-sea vessels with air independent propulsion (AIP) system, which would give them capabilities to stay submerged longer and operate noiselessly.

The Defence Ministry has asked the federal Cabinet to approve the purchase of Chinese submarines to counter “emerging threats” faced by Pakistan, the paper said.

Pakistan has a total of five active diesel electric submarines plus three midget submarines. While the three submarines are of German SSK class, Islamabad had recently inducted two French Agosta class ones.

With attempts to acquire AIP technology, Islamabad would be in race with New Delhi, which plans to arm its French Scorpene submarines with the technology but only by 2013.

Pakistan’s Defence Ministry informed the Cabinet that the country’s Navy is facing a “critical force imbalance” in terms of the number of submarines and ships in its fleet.

The “capability gap is widening exponentially with the passage of time”, the report said.

The Navy plans to acquire the six AIP conventional submarines that can operate in a “multi-threat environment under tropical conditions” and are capable of launching torpedoes and missiles, the Business Recorder daily quoted official documents as saying.

A protocol for joint development and co-production of submarines by the Pakistan Navy and China Shipbuilding and Offshore Corporation will be signed shortly after approval by the federal Cabinet, the paper said.

In view of “urgent naval requirements”, the issue of acquiring Chinese submarines was part of the talking points for President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to China in 2009, media reports said.

The matter was also discussed during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Pakistan in December 2010, the reports said.

The Cabinet has been told that Naval Headquarters had pursued the purchase of submarines with Chinese authorities, who have assured Pakistan of their “firm support” for the submarine project.

Under the proposed protocol, four submarines will be constructed at a Chinese shipyard and the remaining two in Pakistan.

Co-development and production will include joint development, training of Pakistani personnel, upgrades of Pakistan Navy’s shipyard and other related aspects.

Pakistan is in the process of inducting 36 J-10 fighter aircraft from China in a deal worth more than $1.4 billion, with options open for induction of more similar aircraft.

Islamabad and Beijing are also collaborating to build an advanced fighter — JF-17 or ‘Thunder’.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article1522886.ece

China sends missile frigate Xuzhou to Libya

2011-03-01T20:04:00.000-08:00

A first for the Chinese navy.

We’re used to seeing the U.S. Navy pull American citizens out of warzones. Now, China’s navy is doing the same thing — sending a ship to snag its people out of Libya, as the country teeters on the brink of civil war.

China has redeployed the 4,000 ton missile frigate Xuzhou from its anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden to assist in the evacuation of its nationals from Libya. It’s the “the first ever dispatch” of a Chinese navy vessel to run a “non-combatant evacuation,” China SignPost’s Gabe Collins and Andrew Erickson note.

The move underlines the growth in Chinese naval power, Collins and Erickson write. And with a number of Chinese workers employed in potentially unstable countries around the world, the evacuation likely serves as a dress rehearsal for future crises.

China has already evacuated some 12,000 of its 30,000 nationals in Libya, flying some to nearby Egypt and placing others on chartered passenger lines. Pressure for a swift exit has grown as the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) reported attacks against its oil facilities in Libya, though the company’s 391 employees are reportedly unharmed.

China joins a number of countries who’ve sent military ships or aircraft to evacuate their citizens from the growing violence in Libya. Britain’s Royal Navy has sent a destroyer to Libya to remove British oil workers currently stranded in the country. South Korea has also diverted a warship from its nearby anti-piracy mission to assist in the evacuation of its citizens.

In Tripoli today, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi made an appearance in the city’s Green Square, giving a defiant speech amidst a supportive crowd.

“I am in the middle of the people,” he said. “We will fight … we will defeat them if they want … we will defeat any foreign aggression.”

His comments follow a rambling, incoherent speech made by phone on Libyan state TV yesterday in which Gadhafi blamed the uprising on al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden lacing young peoples’ Nescafe with drugs.

Despite the welcome Gadahfi received for his speech and the government-issued talking points given to prayer leaders demanding quiet, protesters left Friday prayers today and marched on the capital and were met with random gunfire from the Libyan security forces awaiting them.

Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city, has already fallen to anti-government forces. A number of former army officers who have defected from the Gadhafi regime pledged to send forces to help oust the government from power. The Wall Street Journal quoted a Libyan army colonel and defector in Benghazi: “We will not stop until we liberate the whole country.”

http://www.seanews.com.tr/article/TURSHIP/NAVY/54446/China-Warship-Libya/

China's naval fleet off to 8th anti-piracy mission

2011-02-22T09:39:00.001-08:00

China is keeping a continued presence in Middle East.

Family members wave goodbye to the sailors and Chinese naval officers who have been sent out to the Gulf of Aden for the anti-piracy mission in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, Feb 21, 2011. Missile destroyers "Wenzhou" and "Ma'anshan", backbone warships of the eighth Chinese naval fleet, heading for the Gulf of Aden, will meet with the supply ship of "Qiandaohu" to conduct anti-piracy mission.

Sailors sent out to the Gulf of Aden for the eighth anti-piracy mission wave goodbye aboard a missile frigate in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, Feb 21, 2011.

China's navy officers sent out to the Gulf of Aden for the eighth anti-piracy mission wave goodbye aboard a missile destroyer in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, Feb 21, 2011.

Missile destroyers "Wenzhou" and "Ma'anshan" are ready to set sail to the Gulf of Aden at an East China's port in Zhejiang province, Feb 21, 2011.

China tests unmanned orbital spacecraft

2011-02-05T13:40:00.001-08:00

China has successfully tested its first orbital unmanned spacecraft capable of staying in the outer space for at least 270 days and dealing with various defense tasks, including the destruction of communication satellites.

This Chinese robotic space plane will most certainly challenge US air force’s X-37B unmanned spacecraft that performed its first mission last year. This elusive spacecraft is capable of striking any target on Earth at any time and cannot be tracked down using the existing ABM means.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/01/17/39969873.html

China performs a secret satellite rendezvous

2011-01-23T11:57:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, two Chinese satellites met up in orbit. Depending on who you believe, it’s either a sign of China’s increasingly-sophisticated space program — or a sign of its increasingly-sophisticated space warfare program.

A well-regarded Russian space watcher was the first to note that the two satellites, newly-launched SJ-12 and two-year-old SJ-06F, had performed maneuvers indicating a cutting edge procedure called non-cooperative robotic rendezvous. A loose network of amateur space spectators and astronomers soon congregated online, and confirmed that the sats had, indeed, converged.

This kind of rendezvous can have extremely useful, and benign, applications: removing space debris, refueling satellites or repairing craft in orbit. But the military apps are massive, and include up-close inspection of foreign satellites, espionage — and the infliction of some serious damage to adversarial space infrastructure. In other words, orbital warfare that, given just how reliant we are on satellite technology, would have widespread consequences on the ground.

“These kinds of rendezvous have been done plenty of times with ground control, but robotically controlled satellites, rendezvousing at higher altitudes, is really quite new,” says Brian Weeden, who offers an in-depth rundown of the incident at The Space Review. “The perception of how this technology is being developed, and what it is being used for, is extremely important.”

The United States is the only other country known to have performed a similar feat. In 2005, NASA researchers launched DART (Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology) in an effort to rendezvous with a Navy satellite. Navigational errors led to the two satellites bumping, but the initiative did offer proof-of-concept that American scientists were making major headway towards satellites that can autonomously meet up in space. Since then, the Darpa-funded Orbital Express program has demonstrated the capacity for satellites to rendezvous for refueling and module swapping.

So, in a sense, it was really only a matter of time before China followed suit. In recent years, they’ve fast-tracked a handful of space exploration and development projects, culminating in a satellite-killing weapons program and 90-pound mini-sat that some speculated was designed with nefarious intent.

“The Chinese would be absolutely incompetent to not be trying to reduce U.S advantage in space,” James Oberg, a former NASA space engineer specializing in orbital rendezvous, tells Danger Room. “No potential adversary in their right mind would give us permanent advantage in space operations.”

Weeden notes that neither the United States or Chinese governments have been especially forthcoming about their progress on satellite rendezvous capacities, not to mention respective satellite arsenals and specific locations. The dilemma is even more salient because, as this incident illustrates, knowledgeable amateurs with the right equipment can do their own detective work — and then meet online to share the results.

“There’s a continued assumption among governments that if they don’t publish satellite details and locations, nobody is going to figure it out,” Weeden says. “That’s wrong.”

In this instance, China’s government has yet to acknowledge the incident, and their apparent choice of location for the actual rendezvous adds to the troubling puzzle. According to Oberg, the satellite meet-up occurred in an orbit almost exclusively devoted to earth observation — spy and weather satellites, for example — where “a potential adversary would be most interested in rendezvousing.”

“On the other hand, it’s also where a satellite might need refueling,” he adds. “It’s like you could be changing a screwdriver for a hammer, or you could be turning a peaceful ‘bot into a killer one.”

But China’s been eager to boast about their prior space exploration projects, and have already publicized plans for a major satellite rendezvous trial next year, so silence in this instance seems telling.

“There’s still a vague possibility that this was a matter of computational bias and coincidence,” Oberg says. “But the silence here is suggestive of a military program.”

For now, web-based space watchers will keep working. They’re hoping to figure out whether or not the Chinese satellites touched, which would indicate either an error like that of the DART attempt or some kind of military trial run. Regardless, the rendezvous is a stark reminder that the safety of American deep-space systems is by no means guaranteed.

“For all we know, these could just be mind games. They don’t have to attack U.S space capacities — they just have to make us think they could,” Oberg says. “We’re not playing chess in space, we’re playing Go. This makes chess look like a kindergartner’s pastime.”

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/08/chinas-secret-satellite-rendezvous-suggestive-of-a-military-program/

Chinese Stealth plane J-20 surprise US analysts

2011-01-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

The U.S. flew its first stealth prototypes — the YF-22 and rival YF-23 — in 1990. Have the Chinese caught up? There are blurry pictures of the Chinese J-20 jet-fighter floating around. Some think the pictures are fake, others think that the pictures are real and have been pulled. Some analysts think that the pictures could be the products of a Chinese government misinformation campaign.

Chinese Internet forums are circulating the pictures. The airplane depicted in the snapshots has many of the appropriate characteristics for a fifth-generation stealth-fighter prototype. It has a chiseled front-section, triangular wings, and a moving tailplanes. The Chinese J-20 seems to combine the front fuselage of the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 with the back half of Russia’s T-50 stealth prototype.

The J-20’s appearance have shaken the aviation industry that didnt expect a Chinese Stealth fighter for a decade. The J-20 seems to signal a big step forward for the Chinese air force. The PLA-Airforce seems to have come of age. It is no longer dependent on obsolete Russian or Israeli designs.

Is this the end of the US dominance of the air? Jittery analysts are still confused about the F-22 and the F-35.

The analysts sounded alarm bells when the Russia’s new T-50 fighter first flew.

The Pentagon has delayed F-35 production and China has apparently accelerated its own stealth development.

the J-20 hasn’t even flown yet. It took 15 years for the F-22 to enter front-line service; considering China’s quality-control problems with high technology, it could take a decade or more for the J-20 to appear in numbers that make any difference in the Pacific balance of power. Gates might have been slightly off in his assessment of the Chinese air force, but probably not by much.

http://www.dailymailtimes.com/?p=693

Venezuela buying 10-12 Chinese Y-8 medium-range transport aircraft

2010-12-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

Agencies: Venezuela will purchase from China between 10 and 12 medium-range Shaanxi Y-8 transport aircraft, after taking delivery in recent weeks of 18 K-8 training aircraft previously acquired in the Asian country, a senior military official said.

"These Y-8s will provide support for the operations of our C-130 Hercules transport planes...that have a range covering South America and to the north of Spain," Maj. Gen. Jorge Oropeza said Friday.

He said that negotiations for the purchase of the Y-8s are in the hands of the Defense Ministry and it is hoped that these aircraft will be delivered to Venezuela sometime next year.

The Y-8 is a medium-size, mid-range transport aircraft with a capacity for carrying 88 passengers and 20 tons of cargo during 7.3 hours of autonomous, uninterrupted flight, Oropeza told the state-run ABN news agency.

Oropeza said that the 18 K-8s "will be on view tomorrow at the main ceremony of the 90th anniversary of the (Venezuelan military aviation)," along with the JL11 radars that were also purchased from the Asian giant earlier in 2010.

The defense minister, Gen. Carlos Mata, also told ABN that since President Hugo Chavez came to power in February 1999, Venezuelan military aviation "has made technological progress in terms of the defense of air space, being equipped with new aircraft and the modernization of this branch of the military."

"Notable among the achievements of this military branch is its technological development and the acquisition of new aircraft and equipment," he said.

About the cost of recent military purchases, the socialist head of state said at midyear that he had approved the spending of $82 million "to make a partial payment" for the 18 K-8 aircraft.

"This is an aircraft for basic training able to employ armament including light bombs, rockets and machine guns, while fulfilling all the requirements for training pilots," air force commander Gen. Luis Berroteran said in October 2008.

The Venezuelan government recently purchased from Russia 24 Sukoi fighters, 50 MI helicopters and 100,000 AK-103 rifles, for some $3 billion, according to Russian sources.

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=99150

First L7 trainer aircraft to debut in Airshow China 2010

2010-11-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/7180655.html

The first domestically-made L7 model trainer aircraft is expected to debut in the upcoming the Eighth China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which is also known as Airshow China 2010.

The L7 is a newly-designed sport and training aircraft model made by the Hong Du Aviation Industry Group, a huge backbone enterprise subordinated to the China Aviation Industry Corporation. It is used for pilot selection and primary training in air forces as well as for civil aviation clubs.

The aircraft cabin has a digital integrated screen, an emergency ejection system and a comfortable cockpit in line with international practice. All of the technical indicators of the L7 model were further improved over the previously-made L6 model.

The L7 aircraft project was approved by the National Defense Commission in 2007 and a prototype was displayed at Airshow China 2008. The detailed design of the L7 aircraft was completed in March of this year to start full trial.

It is reported that the first L7 aircraft will be unveiled during the air show, which will last from Nov. 16 to Nov. 21, after the assembly and painting is completed.

Obama proposes to sell China C-130s

2010-10-11T16:14:00.001-07:00

By Hao Zhou

US President Barack Obama has proposed to Congress terminating the suspension of C-130 cargo aircraft export licenses to China, according to a letter published Friday on the White House's website.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/10/08/letter-president-regarding-export-waiver-china

This proposal, which is regarded by some Chinese analysts as blandishments to China after the US stiffly pressed China to revaluate its yuan, is still subject to review and approval by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The White House didn't release the quantity or price of the C-130s in the proposal.

If it gets the green light, the C-130 transport aircraft, nicknamed "Hercules," would become the first heavy military equipment that the US has exported to China since 1989.

Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 family found uses in a variety of roles, including cargo transportation, troops and medical evacuation, airborne assault, search and rescue, maritime patrol and even aerial firefighting.

However, Song Xiaojun, a Beijing-based military expert, downplayed the significance of Obama's proposal.

"I don't think Beijing is very much in need of such an aircraft model, though the China-made military transport planes, compared with C-130, are still left behind in terms of engines and electronic aviation equipment," Song told the Global Times, adding that the C-130s that the US intends to export to China is only for civilian use.

He said the motives behind Obama's proposal might be aimed at "blandishing China after recent tensions caused by the US, such as pressing for the yuan's appreciation, arms sales to Taiwan and military exercises in waters close to China."

In the mid-1980s, when China-US relations enjoyed a short honeymoon period, the US sold China a bunch of S-70 helicopters, a model of the UH- 60 Blackhawk designed for civilian use.

After bilateral ties soured, Washington suspended the exports of parts for the S-70s, so China could hardly fly those S- 70s anymore, another military expert told the Global Times on condition of anonymity.

"What Beijing wants to buy from Washington is always blocked, and what the US wants to sell to China is always something that China doesn't need," he added.

http://world.globaltimes.cn/americas/2010-10/580595.html

China to launch next lunar space mission

2010-09-12T12:10:00.001-07:00

BEIJING — China is on track to launch its second lunar satellite by year's end, as the country pursues its plans for a manned mission to the moon by 2020, state media said Friday.

Preparations for the launch of the Chang'e-2 probe, which will go into orbit within 15 kilometres (nine miles) of the moon, are going smoothly, People's Daily said, citing Wu Weiren, a senior engineer overseeing the programme.

The Chang'e-2 mission "is currently undergoing pre-launch testing and preparations -- the plan is to carry out a trial flight mission by the end of the year," the paper quoted Wu as saying.

Space programme officials had said previously that the mission would be launched in October, but no precise date has been given.

The lunar probe will test soft-landing and other technologies in preparation for the launch of the Chang'e-3, which is slated for launch in 2013 and aims to be China's first unmanned landing on the moon, the report said.

The Chang'e programme, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, is seen as an effort to put China's space exploration programme on a par with those of the United States and Russia.

China launched Chang'e-1, which orbited the moon and took high-resolution pictures of the lunar surface, in October 2007 as part of China's ambitious three-stage moon mission.

China's lunar programme hopes to bring a moon rock sample back to earth in 2017, with a manned mission foreseen in around 2020, according to state media.

Chinese scientists ultimately plan to build an observatory on the surface of the moon, previous reports said.

China became the world's third nation to put a man in space independently -- after the United States and Russia -- when Yang Liwei piloted the one-man Shenzhou-5 space mission in 2003.

In September 2008, the Shenzhou-7, piloted by three astronauts, carried out China's first space walk.

The Americans have achieved the only manned lunar missions, making six trips from 1969 to 1972.

Beijing has other significant Asian competitors to reckon with as it vies to become the second nation to put a man on the moon.

India landed a lunar probe in 2008, and a top official said in January it was targeting a manned space mission in 2016. Japan, meanwhile, launched its first lunar satellite in June last year.

http://www.tibetanreview.net/news.php?cat=2&&id=7195

China launches high resolution mapping satellite

2010-08-24T17:43:00.001-07:00

BEIJING: China today successfully launched its first high resolution, stereoscopic mapping satellite for accurate surveys of its land resources.

The satellite 'Mapping Satellite-I', which was launched on a Long March 2-D carrier rocket from the northwestern Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre at 3:10 pm (local time), has successfully entered into the preset orbit, the centre said.

The civilian use of the satellite will start in the second half of 2011.

The launch came just in two months of successfully transporting a navigation satellite, its fourth orbiter, into space.

Mapping Satellite-I, developed by a company under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), would be mainly used to conduct scientific experiments, carry out survey on land resources and mapping, said a statement posted on Ministry of National Defence website.

The remote sensing information and test results from the satellite would promote the country's scientific research and economic development, it said.

The launch was the 128th for China's Long March series of rockets since April 24, 1970, when a Long March-1 rocket successfully sent the country's first satellite Dongfanghong-1 into the space.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-launches-high-resolution-mapping-satellite/articleshow/6426658.cms

Azerbaijan interested in purchase of JF-17 Thunder fighters

2010-08-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

Pakistani fighter Catic JF-17 Thunder has been demonstrated at an airshow in Farnborough.

It has attracted the interest of a number of countries including Azerbaijan.

JF-17 Thunder fighter was initially developed by Chinese engineers for the needs of the Pakistani army. First fighters JF-17 Thunder (Chinese FC-1 Saolun) were supplied to the Pakistani armed forces in 2007.

Now the project is entering a new level and the Chinese-Pakistani producers are searching ways to the international market.

Among potential customers who demonstrated interest to the innovation are Azerbaijan, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Venezuela and a number of other countries.

Earlier, the press spread information about an agreement with Azerbaijan regarding the purchase of at least 24 JF-17 fighters estimated at about $17m each, which envisions the volumes of supply at about $500,000,000.

The JF-17 fighter is 14 m in length, the wing span is 8.5 m and it is equipped with RD-93 engine.

The capacity of the plane is 3720 kg, the battle radius at the fighter version is 1200 km, maximal flight range is 3000 km. It can be equipped with different types of air-air and air-land rockets, as well as air bombs.

http://news.az/articles/20583

Pakistan offers JF-17 jet to Indonesian Military

2010-07-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

Pakistan Defense Minister Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar offers his Indonesian counterpart the latest jet fighter called the JF-17 during his visit to Jakarta on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro responded to the offer, saying that further discussion would be conducted in October.

Minister Mukhtar was here to sign the Defense Cooperation Agreement between the two countries at the Defense Ministry.

“We will see it first before we decide if we have an interest in purchasing the aircraft,” Purnomo said.

He said the JF-17 jet fighter was the product of a joint production between Pakistan and China. The manufacturers claimed the jet to be cheaper and stronger than the US F-16.

Purnomo said he learned there had been 500 JF-17 jet fighters produced; 350 are allocated for Pakistan and the remaining 150 are for China.

“I have been informed that Pakistan’s jet fighter’s level is above the US F-16 jet fighter, as well as Russia’s Sukhoi. But we need to see it first hand,” he said.

Minister Mukhtar said the jet fighter project was a result of years of engineering improvements that was made by the Pakistan defense industry back home.

“We have developed our defense industry properly, we have prepared for those who plan to disrupt our peace,” he said.

Pakistan Ambassador to Indonesia Sanaullah, who also attended the press conference, promoted the product, saying the aircraft had met the requirements to be used by the Indonesian military.

The Defense Ministry is currently developing its own jet fighter project with South Korea. Dubbed the KFX project, the project is aimed at providing both countries with five jet fighter prototypes before 2020.

Mass production of the KFX jet fighter is expected to take place after the project reaches its break-even point of 200 aircraft units.

Bhatara Ibnu Reza, Imparsial’s research coordinator, warned that the Indonesian military should prioritize the improvement of its own defense industry.

He said if offers like that from Pakistan contributed to the reinforcement of the country’s defense industry, then Imparsial suggested Indonesia take advantage of it.

“I strongly suggest that we pay serious attention to rebuilding our defense industry so it becomes a strong backbone for the future,” he told The Jakarta Post.

In addition to offering the jet fighter, the Pakistan defense minister also tightened cooperation in the field of education and sharing intelligence on counterterrorism.

Both countries have also planned to conduct a joint naval exercise in December this year.

“We face similar internal security problems here. Therefore cooperation will enable us to tackle these problems,” he said.

The Pakistani defense minister visit is the latest, after China’s Central Military Commissioner, Guo Boxiong, visited the country in May.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/22/pakistan-offers-jet-fighter-indonesian-military.html

Beijing Military Region's 2010 Military Competition

2010-07-13T16:42:00.001-07:00

The Beijing Military Region is currently hosting the PLA's largest ever military competition.

There are a total of 2110 participants in this month long contest competing in 27 categories and 78 individual events.

China sends sixth naval escort flotilla to Gulf of Aden

2010-07-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

China today dispatched its sixth Naval flotilla to Gulf of Aden whose top priority would be to rescue 19 Chinese sailors aboard an India-bound ship hijacked by Somali pirates.

The flotilla left as officials here said the 19 sailors aboard the hijacked ship were safe.

Li Jingzhong, spokesman of the Shanghai Dingheng Shipping Co which owns the ship said the company was able to contact the captain of the hijacked ship on Monday.

"The captain told us the crew was all safe. But we have not heard from them again since. It seems the pirates may have unplugged the telephone on board, and we haven't been able to reach them," Li told the official China Daily.

"Our company will try our best to ensure the safe release of the Chinese sailors onboard," Li said.

Burma to buy 50 K-8 jets from China

2010-06-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

The Burmese air force continues to expand with the recent procurement of 50 K-8 jet trainer aircraft from China, according to sources within the air force in Meikhtila.

“Parts of the K-8 aircraft were transported by cargo ship from China and are being assembled at the Aircraft Production and Maintenance Base in Meikhtila,” said one of the sources.

The purchase of the 50 aircraft comes after Burma’s air force chief Lt-Gen Myat Hein traveled to China in November to negotiate an upgrade to the fleet of Chinese-made military aircraft already owned by Burma.

“There are two reasons to purchase K-8 trainers,” said the source. “Either for training exercises or for counter-insurgency.”

The K-8 jet trainer, sometimes called the K-8 Karakorum or the Hongdu JL-8, is a joint venture between China and Pakistan, and is fitted with air-to-air missiles and rockets.

In 1998-9, the Burmese air force bought 12 K-8 jet trainers from China, which are now stationed at Taungoo Air Base in Pegu Division.

In addition to purchasing Chinese-made fighters and trainer aircraft, Naypyidaw signed a contract in late 2009 to buy 20 MiG-29 jet fighters from Russia at a cost of nearly US $570 million.

“The parts of the MiG-29 jet fighters will arrive in July and September by cargo ship and by plane,” said an officer close to Col. Tun Aung, a key figure in the Burmese air force. He said that the 20 Russian aircraft will be assembled in Meikhtila.

Meanwhile, Burma's main air base for maintenance, the Aircraft Production and Maintenance Air Base (APMAB) in Panchangone in Mingaladon Township has been relocated to Nyaunggone, close to the regime's Flying Training Base in Shante in Meikhtila Township, according to a source from the air base.

“The APMAB got the order from Naypyidaw in January to relocate to the new location,” he said, but said he did not know why the relocation took place.

Military sources from Rangoon said that Burmese ruling military council upgraded the air force’s facilities and expanded airfields, as well as two air force bases in Bassein and Homemalin in 2006, to fulfill operational capabilities.

Burma has brought 280 aircraft from China, Russia, Yugoslavia and Poland, including trainers and fighters, since the military took power in 1988.

The Burmese air force was founded in 1947 before Burmese independence. Its main objective has since been counter campaigns against the Communist Party of Burma and several ethnic armies.

Burma has 10 air force headquarters: Bassein Air Base in Irrawaddy Division; Mingaladon Air Base in Rangoon Division; Myitkyina Air Base in Kachin State; Myike Air Base in Tenasserim Division; Namsang Air Base in Shan State; Taungoo Air Base in Pegu Division; Meikhtila (Shante) Flying Training Base; Meikthila Grounding Training Base in Mandalay Division; Magwe Air Base in Magwe Division; and Homemalin Air Base in Sagaing Division.

http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun_code=plus&news_id=6539

China Steals The Abandoned Su-33

2010-06-12T11:37:00.001-07:00

For over five years, China has been developing a carrier version of the Russian Su-27, calling it the J-15. There is already a Russian version of this, called the Su-33. Russia refused to sell Su-33s to China, when it was noted that China was making illegal copies of the Su-27 (as the J-11), and did not want to place a big order for Su-33s, but only wanted two, for "evaluation." China eventually got a Su-33 from Ukraine, which inherited some when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. The first prototypes of the J-15 have been under construction for two years, and the aircraft is believed to have taken its first flight in the last few months. The Russians are not happy with this development. Russian aviation experts have openly derided the J-15, casting doubt on the ability of Chinese engineers to replicate key features of the Su-33. That remains to be seen, as the Chinese have screwed up copying Russian military tech in the past. But the Chinese have a lot of experience stealing foreign tech, so the J-15 may well turn out to be at least as good as the Su-33. Meanwhile. Russia itself has stopped using the Su-33.

Late last year, the Russian Navy ordered 24 MiG-29Ks (for about $42 million each) to replace the Su-33s currently operating from the aircraft carrier Kuznetsov. It was two years ago that the carrier version of the Russian MiG-29, the MiG-29K, made its first flight, about fifteen years later than originally planned. India is buying 30-40 of these for use on at least two aircraft carriers. The Indians are already receiving the first sixteen. The reason for dropping the Su-33 is the order from India. It's cheaper to build 64 (or more, for planned Russian carriers) MiG-29Ks, than just 16 more Su-33s to replace the ones already on the Kuznetsov (and wearing out). The MiG-29Ks are lighter and cheaper than the Su-33s.

In the early 1990s, work began on creating a variant of the MiG-29 for carrier use. These were to be used on the Kuznetsov class carriers, originally conceived of as 90,000 ton, nuclear powered ships, similar to American carriers (complete with steam catapults). Instead, because of the cost, and the complexity of modern (American style) carriers, the Russians were forced to scale back their goals, and ended up with the 65,000 ton (full load) ships that lacked steam catapults, and used a ski jump type flight deck instead. Nuclear power was dropped, but the Kuznetsov class was still a formidable design. The thousand foot (322 meter) long carrier ended up carryings a dozen Su-33s, 14 Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopters, two electronic warfare helicopters and two search and rescue helicopters. The ship was designed to carry up to 36 Su-33s and sixteen helicopters.

The 33 ton Su-33 is larger than the 21 ton MiG-29K, and both types of aircraft were to operate from the three 65,000 ton Kuznetsovs. But when the Cold War ended, only the Kuznetsov was near completion. The second ship in the class, the Varyag, was sold to China. The smaller Gorshkov is being rebuilt and sold to India (who believed the smaller MiG-29K was more suitable for this carrier.).

The MiG-29K modifications included arrestor gear and stronger landing gear for carrier landings, folding wings and rust proofing to reduce corrosion from all that salt water. Anti-radar paint is also used, to reduce the radar signature. Fuel capacity was increased 50 percent and more modern electronics installed. A more powerful engine is used, which enabled the aircraft to carry over five tons of weapons (air-to-air and anti-ship missiles, smart bombs).

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htnavai/articles/20100607.aspx

China launches 4th Beidou navigational satellite

2010-06-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

China successfully launched the 4th Beidou navigational satellite into the pre-designated orbit with the “Long March 3C” carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, symbolizing that China has made another important step forward in building the Beidou satellite navigational system.

According to introduction, the building of China’s Beidou satellite navigational system is being steadily pushed forward in accordance with the “three-step” development strategy.

The first step is basically realized. China launched 3 Beidou experimental navigation satellites from 2000 to 2003, established a sound Beidou experimental navigation system and thus became the third country possessing an independent satellite navigation system following the U.S. and Russia.

In the second step, the Beidou satellite navigational system will possess the capacity to provide position, navigation, time and short message communication service in the Asia-Pacific region by 2012. So far, China has successfully launched 3 Beidou navigational satellites and got into the stage of building a network for frequent satellite launches.

In the third step, the Beidou satellite navigational system consisting of 5 geostationary satellites and 30 non-geostationary satellites which covers the whole globe will be established around 2020.

http://www.defpro.com/news/details/15720/

Pakistan to get Chinese AEW&C aircraft ZDK-03 later this year

2010-05-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

ZDK-03 is based from Yun-8 transport plane.

Pakistan has received its second Erieye radar-equipped Saab 2000, and will also accept its first Shaanxi ZDK-03 airborne early warning and control system aircraft before year-end.

Islamabad has four ZDK-03s on order, with deliveries due to start later this year, say air force sources. The type is a new variant of the Shaanxi Y8 AEW&C aircraft designed specifically for Pakistan.

The Chinese aircraft is powered by four turboprop engines and has a greater range than offered by the Saab Microwave Systems Erieye, the sources say.

The air force recently received its second Saab 2000 surveillance aircraft, and anticipates that it will receive its remaining two in the second and third quarters of this year.

Islamabad signed a mid-2006 contract for Erieye radar-equipped Saab 2000s

Pakistan's move to source AEW&C aircraft from both China and the West is indicative of its strategy to refrain from being overly reliant on any one ally. The USA imposed military sanctions against Pakistan from 1990 to 2005 in response to its testing nuclear weapons.

The air force's current fleet includes Lockheed Martin F-16s, Dassault Mirage III and 5 fighters, Chengdu F-7s and JF-17s; a new type developed jointly by China and Pakistan.

In terms of military transports, Pakistan flies Lockheed C-130s, but also operates Ilyushin Il-78 tankers.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/05/07/341584/pakistan-to-get-chinese-aewc-aircraft-this-year.html

China seeks Soviet technology from other states in Former Soviet Union

2010-05-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Soviet Secrets Still For Sale

China, which has bought several billion dollars worth of Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems, has approached Belarus about getting a better deal on spare parts and maintenance services. How can this be? Because the Soviet Union distributed its defense plants throughout its territory, many of these factories ended up in foreign countries, when the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991. Belarus inherited some S-300 manufacturing capabilities, which it continues to operate. This gives China another opportunity to take advantage of the murky patent situation that resulted from the demise of the Soviet Union. While the new countries (that were once part of the Soviet Union) owned the weapons plants, the question of who owned the intellectual property (the patents on the weapons produced) is still not nailed down.

Thus, while Russia has been a major victim of China's program of stealing military technology, other countries have been more willing to share Russian military technology. This provided China with many more opportunities to get Soviet military technology without having to deal with Russia (which is quite unhappy with China's plundering ways.)

Even Belarus, the former part of the Soviet Union that is most closely allied with Russia, has been eager to peddle Soviet military technology to China. Former Soviet factories in Belarus manufactured heavy trucks for transporting and launching large ballistic missiles. Thus Belarus is selling components and technology to assist China in building a transporter for its four ton DF11 ballistic missile. The Chinese WS2400 8x8 heavy duty truck used to carry the DF11 is very similar to Russian models. So the new interest in S-300 components and services sales is welcome in Belarus.

Ukraine, which has frosty relations with Russia, has been exporting engines for China's K8 jet trainer, as well as engines for Chinese helicopters. Ukraine is also willing to sell technology, and send personnel to teach the Chinese how to build it. The Central Asian nations that were formerly part of the Soviet Union have also sold Soviet military technology to China.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htlead/articles/20100409.aspx

China Opens Missile Plant In Iran

2010-04-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

China inaugurated a missile plan in Iran last month, even as the United States and its allies were pressing Beijing to support a new round of tough economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program, Jane's Defense Weekly reports.

It's a military relationship that goes back two decades and, in light of Russia's reluctance to provide the Iranians with advanced air-defense missile system to counter possible U.S. or Israeli airstrikes, is set to expand.

Robert Hewson, editor of Jane's Air-Launched Weapons, reported that the factory for assembling and producing Iran's Nasr-1 -- Victory 1 -- anti-ship missile was opened March 7.

The Nasr is identical to China's C-704 anti-ship missile, Hewson says. Iran's burgeoning defense industry, much of it controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, has been producing Chinese-designed anti-ship missiles such as the C-801 since the early 1990s.

The C-704, developed by China Aerospace Group, targets ships of 1,000-4,000 tons displacement and is the equivalent of the U.S. AGM-119 anti-ship missile. With a range of 106 miles and a 240-pound warhead, the C-704 has a kill probability of 95.7 percent.

The Iranians, possibly with Chinese assistance, have even developed improved versions such as the Noor, an upgraded version of China's C-802, with a longer range than the original and over-the-horizon capabilities.

Indeed, Hewson observed that "Iran has gone further than China in fielding the C-802, taking what was previously a land- and ship-launched weapon and producing an air-launched version that can be carried by Mi-17 helicopters and fast-jet types."

Over the years Iran has developed a range of anti-ship missile systems from the Chinese weapons that gives the Islamic Republic's regular navy and the IRGC's naval arm the capability to exert a considerable degree of control over waters in the Gulf and the Arabian Sea.

This is the area from which U.S. naval forces would strike if hostilities erupt.

On Saturday, the IRGC concluded its annual three-day Great Prophet exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, the choke point gateway to the Gulf and a key energy artery, in a show of defiance against the United States.

The Nasr is a medium-range weapon that can be launched from warships or shore batteries and its development and planned mass production has been trumpeted by Tehran at a time when Iran's military forces are making preparations to counter possible attacks.

"In a methodical and deceptively modest manner China has helped Iran take charge of all its surrounding waters and this work between the two nations continues," Hewson reported.

"Follow-on versions of the Nasr are being developed to include an air-launched variant.

"There are other cooperative tactical missile programs under way and China's design bureaus have displayed several 'export only' weapons (such as the C-705 lightweight cruise missile) that would seem set to follow the established route into Iran," Hewson added.

"With such a solid relationship established between the two countries it is not difficult to see why China has been reluctant to commit to the Western push for sanctions against Iran."

China, ever hungry for energy sources to fuel its expanding economy, imports around 12 percent of its oil from Iran and seeks to secure Iranian natural gas through overland pipelines -- another reason it has shown little enthusiasm for new U.N. sanctions on Iran.

Hewson said no Chinese envoys were seen at the opening of the Nasr factory conducted by Iran's hard-line defense minister, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, but the event marked "another milestone in the continuing military/industrial bond between the two countries."

Hewson observed that unlike Russia, China "has been very successful in offering Iran technology and capabilities that are actually wanted, as opposed to those that might be 'nice to have.'

"A path has been found through the factions within Iranian officialdom (and its armed forces) to deliver products that build trust in Beijing. In return, China gains influence with Tehran that can be parlayed into access to Iran's natural resources."

While these Chinese-origin systems have provided Iran with invaluable missile technology, this has had little or no impact on the development of its ballistic missile capabilities.

"Iran's strategic weapons can only (ultimately) involve it in a losing battle with the United States,' Hewson concluded, "but its tactical weapons have already altered the regional balance of power in a much more practical way."

http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=134573

China deploys S-300 SAM system in Tibet

2010-04-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

The PLA Air Force (PLAAF)’s Surface-to-Air Missile Corps has been operating the S-300 (NATO reporting name: SA-10 Grumble) family of surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by Russian Almaz Central Design Bureau since the mid-1990s. The S-300 missile system was regarded as one of the world’s most effective all-altitude regional air defence system, comparable in performance to the U.S. MIM-104 Patriot system. The PRC remains the largest export customer of the S-300, mainly due to its incapability to produce a similar system domestically or acquire it from another country.

By the end of 2008, the PLAAF operates a total of 160 S-300 launchers grouped into 10 SAM battalions (40 batteries). These launchers include 32 S-300PMUs, 64 S-300PMU1s, and 64 S-300PMU2s. Each launcher is equipped with four ready-to-launch missiles and 4~8 spare missiles. If taking additional spare and practice missiles purchased from Russia into account, the total number of missiles received by the PLAAF has amounted well above 1,000.

Recent photos indicate China has deployed S-300 SAM batteries in Tibet, to defend against India's growing air power.

China to provide Bangladesh with two frigates and two large patrol crafts

2010-04-12T17:25:00.001-07:00

PM reveals plans to modernise Navy

Govt to buy submarine, missile, frigate

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday revealed the government's mega plan for building Bangladesh Navy as a deterrent and three-dimensional force by incorporating submarines, helicopters, missiles, new frigates and other necessary modern equipment and vessels, reports UNB.

Addressing the officers and sailors at Naval Headquarters, the Prime Minister said soon, two more frigates will be included to Bangladesh Navy fleet.

Sheikh Hasina said during her recent China visit, she had requested the Chinese government to provide Bangladesh Naval Force with two newly-constructed frigates including helicopters, and the Chinese government gave consent in this regard.

Besides, naval ship Bangabandhu, decommissioned during the last BNP-Jamaat government on political ground, will be made fully operational again, she said.

The Prime Minister further disclosed that agreement signing has already been completed to buy two helicopters and missiles, while the process for collecting two offshore petrol vessels from the United Kingdom is at the last stage.

Moreover, work is also proceeding to collect a Hydrographic Survey Vessel from the UK, and process is ongoing in China to equip two Large Patrol Crafts with missiles, Hasina added.

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=97461&date=2010-04-12

PLA naval warships on maiden visit to Dubai

2010-04-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

PLA naval warships on maiden visit to Dubai

ABU DHABI // Two Chinese warships docked in Port Zayed yesterday, the first time a naval contingent from the country has berthed in the Middle East.

The FFG-525 Ma’anshan, a 135-metre frigate, and the supply vessel Qiandaohu arrived from a six-month mission in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea where they were part of the international force protecting commercial ships and oil tankers from Somali pirates.

“We came for peace and friendship, for mutual understanding and for expanding mutual exchange,” said Senior Captain Quu Yanpeng, the deputy chief of staff of China’s East Sea Fleet.

“Our friendly co-operation is not only in the interest of our people but also conducive to the global peace and stability. The friendly exchange between our navies is an important component of our bilateral relations.”

He was speaking during a brief ceremony at the port that was attended by Sheikh Saeed bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, the deputy chief of Naval Operations.

The visit is viewed as a reflection of China’s growing ability to protect its interest beyond its borders. Beijing has dispatched five groups of ships since early last year to protect its vessels in the Gulf of Aden, a move that was largely anticipated alongside China’s sustained economic growth and energy demands.

The visiting ships, which will leave for home on Sunday, have escorted more than 600 Chinese and foreign vessels, according to Xinhua, China’s state news agency.

“The ships have succeeded in repelling attacks against many ships. They’ve contributed to protecting Chinese and non-Chinese ships,” said the Chinese ambassador, Gao Yusheng. “The Gulf is an area that has enjoyed close ties with China. Maintaining security in the Gulf is vital to the area and the world, including China.”

Mr Gao said his country’s navy had chosen the UAE as the first country in the region to visit “because of the strength of political ties between our two countries, and the development that has been witnessed by the Emirates in recent years”.

During a visit to Beijing last summer by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the countries signed several agreements, including two on military ties and one relating to the oil industry.

“Now we’re negotiating,” said Mr Gao said. “This year, we will sign an agreement to import oil” from the UAE, he added.

According to the United States’ Energy Information Administration, China will import nearly six million barrels of oil per day from the Middle East by 2030. In 2008, the figure was 1.8m barrels, making the region the largest supplier of crude oil to China. Most is supplied by Saudi Arabia, with the rest from Kuwait and Oman.

China is also expanding in other sectors, mainly construction. In the past two years, Chinese companies have won 18 major projects in the UAE, worth Dh4.8 billion (US$1.3bn).

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100325/NATIONAL/703249847/1678

Pakistan tests firing C-802 cruise missile on a target ship

2010-03-28T17:17:00.001-07:00

Pakistan Navy test fires missiles in Arabian Sea manoeuvres

In this handout picture released by the Pakistan Navy, a target ship is hit by a missile during a naval firepower test conducted by the Pakistan Navy in the north Arabian Sea on Friday.

Islamabad: The Pakistan Navy on Friday fired a variety of missiles and torpedoes from warships, submarines and aircraft in an intensive firepower drill in the north Arabian Sea. It said the exercise was a message to “nefarious” forces, an apparent reference to India.

“While [giving a reassurance about the] Pakistan Navy's commitment to defending the motherland, this strike capability would also send a message of deterrence to anyone harbouring nefarious designs against Pakistan,” a Navy statement said after the manoeuvres.

The manoeuvres were aimed at assessing the lethality, precision and efficacy of weapon systems, the statement said.

Newly-inducted weapons systems, including anti-surface missiles on Chinese-made F-22 P frigates and air-to-surface missiles of the P3C maritime surveillance aircraft were among those tested.

An important feature of the drill was the firing of subsurface-to-surface missiles by Agosta 90B submarines.

“The target set was successfully engaged,” the statement said.

Naval Chief Admiral Noman Bashir, who witnessed the event, expressed satisfaction at the operational readiness of the Pakistan Navy fleet, and commended officers and men for their commitment and professionalism.

Area cleared

The weapon firing zone, spread over hundreds of miles, was cleared of all merchant ships and fishing craft during a special operation to ensure the safe conduct of the drill. The missiles fired included the French-acquired SM 39 surface-to-surface missiles, and the AM 39 air launched version of the same missile.

The naval exercise comes after Pakistan reportedly recently acquired 120 Chinese C802 long-range anti-ship cruise missiles to counter the Indian Navy's BrahMos missiles. — PTI

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/13/stories/2010031356422600.htm

Venezuela receives K-8 trainer planes from China

2010-03-16T19:23:00.001-07:00

Venezuela has received its first shipment of six Chinese-made K-8 trainer planes. The K-8s will be used to train Venezuelan pilots, as well as intercepting drug traffickers who use Venezuela as a stop-off point to take Colombian cocaine to the US.

President Hugo Chavez attended the plane-delivery ceremony, which was held at an air base in the city of Barquisimeto. He thanked China for delivering the advanced planes, saying the country will receive 12 more such planes later this year.

Chavez said Venezuela will use them to train pilots and defend the country from external or internal threats. Venezuela has been under a US arms embargo since 2006. It relies mainly on Russia for the import of weapons and other military hardware.

http://english.cctv.com/program/worldwidewatch/20100314/100937.shtml

China's defense spending to increase 7.5% in 2010

2010-03-08T17:59:00.001-08:00

BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China plans to increase its national defense spending by 7.5 percent to 519.082 billion yuan (about 76.3 billion U.S. dollars) in 2010, according to a draft budget report.

The figure, about 36 billion yuan more than that of last year, consists of 518.577 billion yuan of central government spending and 505 million yuan of transfer payments to local governments.

These funds will be used mainly to modernize the army, according to the draft submitted to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, which started its annual session Friday morning.

Ding Jiye, deputy head of the General Logistics Department of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), offered a more specific breakdown of the defense spending.

"These funds would be used for the PLA's mechanization and informationization, to support the reform of army and improve its capability to deal with varied threats and complete diversified tasks," Ding told Xinhua Friday.

Part of the money would also be spent to improve the servicemen's living standards, as well as basic military facilities, Ding said.

Although China's defense expenditure had been on rise over the past years, "its growth was still limited and the defense spending still fell short," he said.

The PLA would make more efficient use of the defense expenditure to further improve its capabilities, Ding said.

Friday's draft budget report added that China's national defense spending in 2009 came to 482.985 billion yuan, 102.1 percent of the budgeted figure and a year-on-year increase of 72.844 billion yuan or 17.8 percent.

These funds were also used to improve the living conditions and benefits of army officers and enlisted personnel, intensify the development of informationization, increase the army's equipment and supporting facilities by an appropriate amount, and improve its ability to respond to emergencies and disasters.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-03/05/c_13198036.htm

China mulls defence industry subsidies

2010-03-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

China would give subsidies and preferred treatment to companies that manufacture products for national defence under a draft law now under review, state-run Xinhua news agency said Wednesday.

The report comes amid a major expansion and modernisation of the nation's massive armed forces in recent years that has raised concern overseas over China's military intentions.

Xinhua said the subsidies were part of a national defence mobilisation bill under consideration this week by a committee of the National People's Congress, the nation's rubber-stamp legislature, ahead of its full meeting next month.

Firms that invest in product research, development, or the manufacture of major defence-related items will "enjoy subsidies or other preferential policies", it said.

The annual meeting of the full congress opens on March 5.

The smaller Standing Committee, which actually approves legislation, is meeting this week to consider various proposals.

After relying for decades on purchases of Soviet weapons or on homegrown arms based on Soviet designs, China has in recent years developed advanced weapons systems of its own, military analysts say.

Beijing has announced a series of double-digit military budget increases over the past several years and is expected to announced its 2010 budget next week.

The United States and some of China's regional neighbours have expressed concern about the build-up, which Beijing stresses is defensive in nature.

China last month suspended military and security contacts with the United States out of anger over a 6.4-billion-dollar US sale of Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters, mine-hunting ships and other weaponry to Taiwan.

China claims the self-ruled island as its own.

Pakistan Air Force Inducts First Squadron of JF-17 Thunder Jet

2010-02-21T18:07:00.001-08:00

ISLAMABAD - The first squadron of fighter jet JF-17 Thunder, a joint Pakistan-China production, was on Thursday inducted in Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fleet.

A special ceremony was held for this purpose at PAF airbase near Kamra Aeronautical Complex, about 50km from here. Chief of Air Staff Rao Qamar Suleman formally received the squadron.

In his address, the Air Chief congratulated the nation and said it is a historic day for PAF and entire nation.

JF-17 Thunder aircraft is an advanced multi-role light combat aircraft jointly developed by Chengdu and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex under a strategic collaboration project. The aircraft is designed to be cost-effective and can meet the tactical and strategic needs of the Pakistan Air Force, and various other air forces.

The production facilities have been set up for the aircraft in Pakistan. The first batch of 50 JF-17 Thunder aircraft has been equipped with the Chinese/Pakistani avionics and missiles, while the later aircrafts are to be equipped with more advanced radars and missiles.

France offered Pakistan its RC-400 radar and MBDA MICA missile for the aircraft.

The serial production of JF-17 Thunder has already started and the production capacity would be gradually taken to 25 aircraft per year by 2011.

About 60 per cent of the aircraft’s frame and 80 per cent of its avionics have  been manufactured in Pakistan.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/February/international_February910.xml&section=international

India-Pakistan: China Takes Sides

2010-02-08T16:52:00.001-08:00

Pakistani officials continue to press the U.S. for missile armed UAVs, so Pakistan can go after targets it selects, and ease the American UAVs out of Pakistan. The U.S. doesn't trust the Pakistanis, who can be bribed, and often have divided (pro-Taliban) loyalties. Pakistani politicians don't care, or at least have learned to live with these two problems, and want control of UAVs so they won't continue getting criticized for allowing American UAVs to deal with hunting down and killing terrorist leaders. This is considered humiliating by many, if not most, Pakistanis. But if the Pakistani government were in charge, the bad guys could bribe, or intimidate officials, to get off the target list. You can't do that with the Americans. What the Taliban can do is try and find who is supplying the location information of targets. The Americans actually use a wide array of sources, but the only ones the Taliban can get at are suspected spies. More are killed each month, and most are apparently innocent. This sort of thing angers a lot of people, as do a lot of Taliban policies. So the Taliban are taking note of growing public anger against them, and have, for example, allowed music to be sold again. For the last year, the Taliban had waged open, or guerilla, war against merchants who sold music CDs. The Taliban increasingly must use force to control populations, and this eventually backfires because most of the population is armed. If enough angry tribesmen get together, the Taliban are driven out of another town or valley. This has been happening a lot in the last year.

In Quetta, the largest city in Pakistani Baluchistan, two policemen were wounded when they questioned a suicide bomber equipped with a defective bomb. The bomber was wounded and captured. Baluchistan has its own tribal uprising, which has little to do with the Taliban (although the Baluch tribes allow the Taliban to hide out in Baluchistan).

China and Pakistan are becoming closer allies, and this worries India. For example, China is increasingly taking Pakistan's side in the Kashmir dispute. While Pakistan and India occupy most of Kashmir, China also grabbed 22 percent of Kashmir, and wants a settlement that will confirm their ownership. But India disputes the Chinese claim, and many other such claims along its 4,000 kilometers border with China.

India continues to mass police and troops for a major campaign against Maoist rebels. In the last year, Maoist violence have been responsible for over a thousand deaths (most of them civilians). The Maoists are a combination of political rebels and bandits. Their activities are as often just criminal (stealing and extortion) as political (trying to influence elections or intimidate politicians.) The Maoists have been at it for two decades, and have worn out the support they long had with leftist political parties. The Maoists want a communist dictatorship, with Maoists in charge, and their former leftist allies are not keen on this.

February 3, 2010: In northwest Pakistan, a suicide car bomber rammed the specific vehicle in a convoy of five, that contained three U.S. Army Special Forces troops, killing the Americans. For years, there have been about a hundred of these American troops in Pakistan, used to train NCOs of the Frontier Corps, who then improve the training of these paramilitary troops, recruited from the tribes, who are the primary security force along the border. The accuracy of this attack (the killers knew where the Special Forces troops were headed and which car in a convoy) indicates corruption in the Pakistani security or intelligence forces. The corruption has always been there, and it would have cost a lot of cash to buy this kind of information. It may indicate the Taliban are desperate to strike back at any cost. The three dead Americans are the first to die in Pakistan in a decade of operating there. The three were travelling to a girls school that had recently been rebuilt (after having been damaged by the Taliban) with American aid.

February 2, 2010: In Pakistan (North Waziristan) American USVs fired over a dozen missiles at four villages, killing about 17 suspected Taliban and al Qaeda members.

February 1, 2010: In the Bajaur area of the Pakistani tribal territories, about 4,000 people fled their homes as troops sought, and attacked, nearby bunkers and other hiding places used by the Taliban. At least 22 of the Islamic terrorists were killed. This operation is one of several in which the army is chasing down groups of Taliban who were part of larger forces that were defeated when the army broke Taliban control in the tribal territories.

January 31, 2010: The U.S. announced that the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, was dead, having died of wounds received in an American UAV missile attack two weeks ago. This conclusion is based on reports coming out of the tribal territories of Hakimullah Mehsud's burial, after two weeks of futile attempts to tend his wounds. Hakimullah Mehsud, replaced, after some internal fighting, the Pakistani Taliban leader who was killed by a missile strike last Summer.

January 30, 2010: In the Pakistani tribal territories, a Taliban suicide bomber killed 17 people and wounded nearly 50. The Taliban have also used several roadside bombs recently, attacking civilians in most cases. In response, the military has increased its air strikes and ground operations against the scattered Taliban groups still operating in the tribal territories.

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/india/articles/20100205.aspx

China mulls military bases in Pakistan

2010-02-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

China has signaled to set up foreign military bases including one in Pakistan, a Chinese government website said.

“Setting up overseas military bases is not an idea we have to shun; on the contrary, it is our right…it is baseless to say that we will not set up any military bases in future because we have never sent troops abroad,” said the report.

The report also said, “As for the military aspect, we should be able to conduct the retaliatory attack within the country or at the neighbouring area of our potential enemies. We should also be able to put pressure on the potential enemies' overseas interests. With further development, China will be in great demand of the military protection".

It is clearly aimed at piling up pressure on India and to counter US influence in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"As for the military aspect, we should be able to conduct the retaliatory attack within the country or at the neighboring area of our potential enemies. We should also be able to put pressure on the potential enemies' overseas interests. With further development, China will be in great demand of the military protection," said the report.

A military base in Pakistan will help China keep a check on Uighurs who are fighting for an independent nation in Xinjiang, which borders the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/China-mulls-military-bases-in-Pakistan/H1-Article1-502952.aspx

China launches third Beidou navigation satellite

2010-01-17T15:09:00.000-08:00

XICHANG: China took one step forward in its ambition to build an independent global navigation network capable of rivaling foreign congeneric systems with the successful launch of a new orbiter into space early Sunday morning.

China launches orbiter for navigation system
The Long-March-3III carrier rocket lifts off from the launch pad at Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Jan 17, 2010.

Boosted by a Long-March-3III carrier rocket into a geostationary orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, it was the third orbiter China has launched for the network, also known as Beidou, or COMPASS system.

It will join another two already in orbits to form a network which will eventually have a total of 35 satellites, capable of providing global navigation service to users around the world around 2020.

The new orbiter and the carrier rocket were researched and developed by Chinese Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and Chinese Academy of Carrier Rocket Technology respectively.

The network will have five satellites in geostationary orbit and another 30 in non-geostationary orbits, according to a plan for the COMPASS system.

According to the plan, the system will firstly provide navigation, time signal and short message services in the Asia and Pacific region around 2012.

The COMPASS system will provide both open and authorized services, according to China's satellite navigation project center.

The open service will be free of charge for the system's users within service area with a resolution of 10 meters for positioning, an accuracy of 10 nanosecond for time signal and an accuracy of 0.2 meter per second for speed measurement.

The authorized service will provide more accurate services for authorized users.

China started to build up its own satellite navigation system to break its dependence on the US Global Positioning System (GPS) in 2000 when it sent two orbiters as a double-satellite experimental positioning system, known as the Beidou system.

The Beidou system, China's first-generation satellite navigation and positioning network, made the country the third in the world after the US and Russia to have an independent satellite navigation system.

China successfully tests missile interception system

2010-01-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

China's HQ-9 medium and long-range air-defense system

China announced its first test of a ground-based mid-range missile interception system Monday within Chinese territory, a move that military experts claim is a breakthrough in the air defense capabilities of the nation's military.

Details were sparse, but the official Xinhua News Agency said the test achieved the "expected objective" without elaborating further.

The missile is "defensive in nature" and did not "target any country," Xinhua said.

Yang Chengjun, a senior military strategist of missile studies, told the Global Times that the test ushered China into a new phase in terms of missile interception technologies.

"China needs an improved capability and more means of military defense as the country faces increasing security threats," Yang said, adding that it is China's legitimate right to carry out such tests.

"Compared with a previous test of anti-satellite technologies, the missile interception system is more advanced as the targets are moving objects and the satellite was flying within a preplanned orbit," Yang said.

China said it successfully tested its anti-satellite system in 2007.

The United States and Russia are the only two countries that have missile interception technologies.

Yang said China should display its determination and strength in national defense and the capability to safeguard its core interests on appropriate occasions.

Jin Canrong, a deputy director of the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, said the development of missile interception technologies is a step further on the country's course to military modernization.

"China has been pursuing a defense strategy. The missile interception system will not alter such a discipline, but strengthens the national defense strategy," Jin said.

The report of the Chinese missile test followed the Obama administration's approval last week to sell PAC-3, an upgraded Patriot air-defense missile system, to Taiwan. The PAC-3 can shoot down Chinese short-range missiles.

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90786/6865759.html

China Seeks A Naval Base West Of India

2010-01-04T18:13:00.001-08:00

Chinese admirals are pushing their government to help them establish a support base near the Persian Gulf. The immediate need is for an easier way to supply the Chinese warships working with the anti-piracy patrol off Somalia. This could be done by negotiating basing rights, where some Chinese naval personnel would set up shop at a port in the area, and make arrangements for resupplying and repairing any Chinese warships operating in the area, as well as allowing the Chinese warships to tie up in the local port for extended periods of time. Such arrangements are basically a commercial undertaking, but must be negotiated government-to-government because military forces are involved. Many nations have such arrangements in the region, particularly the Persian Gulf. Chinese sailors coming ashore would basically be treated like tourists, and subject to local law. This can get sticky if sailors misbehave, as sailors sometimes do, and get arrested. Many sailors on Chinese warships have access to classified information, and no navy likes having their sailors under the control of a foreign government. It's feared that the police investigation will include agents from a local, or foreign, intelligence, agency.

Thus there is a tendency for the basing rights to evolve into a naval base, complete with a "status of forces" agreement which allows the Chinese navy to discipline misbehaving sailors, in cooperation with local authorities (so the sailors don't get away with anything, especially in the eyes of the locals.) Allowing a foreign navy to establish themselves on your territory is a touchy subject, and must be handled carefully. The Chinese would be expected to be generous and useful guests. But, at the same time, the full time presence of the Chinese navy would mean a military relationship with the local host, and a willingness to help the host out in the event of any diplomatic trouble or military threat. This works both ways, as a major rationale for a Chinese naval base in the region is to protect the growing traffic in sea traffic of raw materials headed for China, and manufactured goods coming in from China. Everyone has an interest in insuring that this sea traffic moves unhindered by pirates, or any other manmade threat. Well, almost everyone.

India is not enthusiastic about a Chinese naval base in the region. India sees China as a military, diplomatic and economic competitor. India sees itself as the master of the Indian Ocean, and China as an unwelcome interloper. Thus any Chinese effort to establish a naval base in the Western Indian Ocean would be opposed by India, and many existing Indian allies in the area.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htlog/articles/20100104.aspx

China to launch a second lunar probe next year

2009-12-29T19:05:00.001-08:00

Another spacecraft launch likely in 2010 to prepare for space lab

China plans to launch Chang'e-2, the country's second lunar probe, at the end of 2010, space authorities announced yesterday.

The design and production of Chang'e-2 is complete, and the lunar orbiter is undergoing ground tests, the State Administration of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense said yesterday in a news release.
Second moon probe next year

Chang'e-2 is expected to test the soft-landing technological capability for the Chang'e-3 and provide high-resolution images of the landing area, the administration said.

"Progress on six key technologies of Chang'e-2 has been made, including the lunar capture, orbit control and research on high-resolution stereo camera," the administration's spokesman said.

Ye Peijian, chief designer of the nation's first lunar probe, had told China Daily earlier that the launch was expected in October.

The administration said that Chang'e-3, the country's lunar lander and rover, is also well on the way toward liftoff. The project is now in the prototype stage.

Chang'e-2 and Chang'e-3 are part of the second phase of the country's lunar exploration program, which consists of three stages - "orbiting", "landing" and "returning".

Ye said earlier that Chang'e-3 is likely to be launched before 2013. The country's first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, was launched in October 2007 and ended its 16-month mission on March 1 this year.

Meanwhile, China's manned space project is also likely to see a breakthrough next year, a top scientist said.

Qi Faren, chief designer of the Shenzhou spacecraft, told Guangzhou Daily on Sunday that Tiangong-1, or Heavenly Palace-1, a spacecraft that will test docking technology and prepare for the future construction of space laboratories, will be launched by the end of next year at the earliest.

According to the official website of China's manned space program, www.cmse.gov.cn, the launch date of Tiangong-1 is set between late 2010 and early 2011.

Within two years of the launch of Tiangong-I, China will launch Shenzhou-VIII, Shenzhou-IX and Shenzhou-X spaceships, to dock with Tiangong-1, the website said.

Two space laboratories, Tiangong-II and Tiangong-III, will follow, and China aims to build its own space station by the year 2020, the website said.

China became the third nation - after the US and Russia - to send people into space when Yang Liwei went into orbit aboard the spaceship Shenzhou-V on Oct 15, 2003. Three other astronauts were sent to space in Shenzhou-VII and carried out the country's first space walk in September 2008.

Shen Liping, deputy chief designer of China's manned space program, was quoted by Guangzhou Daily as saying on Sunday that China's first woman astronaut will be able to fly to outer space sooner than the targeted 10 years.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-12/29/content_9239369.htm

Indonesian warships to be equipped with Chinese-made missiles

2009-12-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Navy`s warships will be equipped with missiles made in China, Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Agus Suhartono said here on Monday.

"We will continue to procure C-802 missiles from China after we tested the weapon with good results,` he said adding that the Indonesian Navy was also negotiating with China to obtain C-705 missiles that were more slender in shape.

"Both types of missile will be added to the armament of of the navy`s fast patrol boats and Van Speijk warships," Agus said.

He said the navy would increase the combat capabilities of its Van Speijk and fast patrol boats by integrating their armament systems with weaponry from China.

"We are still unable to make missiles domestically. But fortunately, state shipbuilding firm PT PAL already has the technology to integrate weapon systems imported from abroad with those already in place on our warships," he said.

The navy chief admitted with limited budget for his department, his officials would continue making a priority scale on the procurement of weaponry system.

"Our main priority now is security in sea border areas and the outer islands of Indonesia," he said adding that the navy would also replace some 27 of its warships with newer types and better combat capabilities.

Agus Suhartono had previously said Indonesia`s western waters were prone to various maritime crimes such as smuggling, human trafficking and poaching.

"The sea crimes are not the only problems we have in the western waters. In these areas we also have border problems with India, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia," the navy chief said.

He said that in order to maintain security in the area, the navy conducted routine patrols in the Indonesian western waters. It had maintained a joint patrols with its counterparts from India, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

As a result, the maritime crime rate in the western waters had dropped , particularly in the Malacca Strait.

http://www.antara.co.id/en/news/1261395950/ri-warships-to-be-equipped-with-chinese-made-missiles

Peru to buy MBT-2000 tanks from China

2009-12-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

Peru close to a deal with China to buy military tanks, says Defense Minister

Five MBT-2000 tanks made in China started yesterday's Military Parade, led by the Army General (EP) Richard Pitot Guzman.

The MBT-2000 is one of the models that Peruvian Army is testing with the aim of replacing the old T-55 bought from the former USSR during the 60s and 70s; but it was reported that another three models are currently under evaluation.

However, the MBT-2000s that participated in the parade were decorated with all the General Pitot's military insignias, and this fact has created a great controversy in Peru.

While the Army states that the technical evaluations are not over yet and that the presence of these tanks was only “part of an exhibition,” Defense Minister Rafael Rey says that the Government “is close to a deal" to buy an undetermined number of tanks from China.

But the controversy is just starting. According to La Republica, these tanks have already been tested in July, by a technical commission that traveled to China, and determined, in a report signed by General Jorge Vega Yáñez, that the tanks did not meet all the specialized requirements; especially in regards to defeating the Chilean Leopard 2A4, as well as shooting 125mm missiles.

Norinco, the manufacturer, was allegedly in conditions to meet all the Peruvian requirements, but in two years' time.

Rafael Rey said that Peru is purchasing these tanks because “our current operative tanks are in pretty bad conditions.”

http://www.livinginperu.com/news/10862

US and China to cooperate on ARJ21 commuter jet

2009-12-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Chinese Jet Gets Boost From Obama

One of the few concrete signs of cooperation to emerge from this week's U.S.-China summit could boost Beijing's drive to become a global aircraft maker.

President Barack Obama pledged Tuesday to push for closer technical collaboration and eventual U.S. safety approval for China's ARJ21 commuter jet. That amounts to both a symbolic and practical step to counter Beijing's growing frustration with U.S. aviation policy and U.S. restrictions on the purchase of certain technologies.

The high-profile U.S. initiative is especially significant because China's own safety regulators are still a year or more away from approving the 70-to-100-passenger aircraft being developed by Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd., or Comac.

But signaling Washington's desire to provide technical support and regulatory certainty down the road also raises questions about both the overseas role and the independence of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which has taken more of an arm's-length approach toward certifying the safety of China's future airliners.

Over the years, the FAA has forged close ties with Chinese carriers and aviation regulators through a multitude of joint safety efforts, data sharing and training programs. Hundreds of Beijing officials, airline managers, pilots and controllers have visited their U.S. counterparts. Partly as a result, the country's commercial-aviation accident rate—China has gone nearly five years without a major fatal crash—is by some measures better than that of the U.S.

But when it comes to regulatory approval, the FAA has tried to maintain greater distance. Before Mr. Obama's announcement, for example, FAA representatives in China pulled back from helping Comac teams developing the ARJ21 because of concern that such assistance might be considered a conflict of interest when other parts of the agency gear up to determine whether the plane meets U.S. safety standards. Nearly half the plane's parts come from the U.S. An FAA spokeswoman declined to comment on President Obama's announcement or what it means for future FAA steps.

So far, Western interest in buying the ARJ21 has been limited. At the Zhuhai air show in southern China last year, Comac announced that its first overseas order had come from General Electric Co. GE, which is supplying the engines, agreed to buy five of the regional jets with an option for 20 more, in a deal that could amount to $750 million. But GE also said that it planned to lease all the planes inside China. FAA certification is critical if Beijing hopes to attract other foreign buyers, and some U.S. officials predict it could take as long as two years. Currently undergoing flight tests, the plane has taken about twice as long to develop as its backers initially projected.

In some ways, however, the current discussions may be more of a prelude to broader commercial and regulatory cooperation on a larger Comac-designed jet, the more than 160-seat C919. Slated for certification no earlier than 2016, that model would compete directly with the two leading global airliner suppliers, Boeing Co and Airbus, a unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. Though still in early design, Chinese officials have said the C919 should have operating costs 10% below those of comparable Western jetliners

Safety and business considerations aren't the only reason for U.S.-Chinese friction over aerospace collaboration. Honeywell International Inc. has struck a tentative deal to provide avionics and terrain-avoidance warning systems to Chinese customers. But one glitch, according to Honeywell officials, is that Chinese authorities insist that the updated digital maps Honeywell sells outside China can't include data about sensitive facilities and man-made obstacles throughout the country.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704204304574544043310821078.html

Turkey displays Chinese built Ballistic Missiles

2009-11-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

Turkey has displayed the first of 200 Chinese B611 ballistic missiles, that it is building under license. The B611 is a two ton missiles with a half ton warhead and a range of 280 kilometers. The missile is carried, and launched, in an 8x8 cross country truck. Some trucks are designed to carry two missiles. The B611 uses a solid fuel motor, and its basic guidance system will land the warhead within 150 meters of the aiming point. Using GPS for guidance will improve that to less than 30 meters.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htart/articles/20091110.aspx

China Promises New, Advanced Fighter

2009-11-24T18:43:00.000-08:00

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.

The original J-10 work drew heavily on the Israeli Lavi program--Tel Aviv has generally proved a valuable source of technology for Beijing--and has benefited from Russian support.

Beijing also has used the J-11B development of the Russian Su-27 Flanker as the platform to introduce indigenous avionics, fire-control radar, weapons and powerplant. Further iterations of the systems produced for the J-11B may be earmarked for the J-XX.

The J-11B is designed to carry the PL-12 medium-range active radar-guided missile, rather than the export model of the Russian R-77 (AA-12 Adder). The PL-12 development reflects the overall improvement in China's national guided-weapons technology base, even if the program had significant Russian input.

"Right now, the only arms race China is really facing is with India, and [Beijing is] winning," the intelligence official says.

While that contest has no direct impact on the U.S., at least some Pentagon planners believe it will accelerate China's large-force, war-making capability, while the U.S. is focusing its spending and technology development on limited-war and insurgency-type conflicts.

"In my view, we're wasting billions on slow- and low-flying MC-12s [surveillance aircraft], MQ-1/-9 [remotely piloted aircraft], C-27J [light transports] and less-than-world-class, lowest-common-denominator, design-to-price [F-35] JSF," the intelligence official says.

A veteran combat pilot with insight into the F-22 program says building an advanced fighter, even if it did not match the F-22's or F-35's performance, could be a serious threat to the U.S. stealth fleet if the new aircraft are built in large enough numbers to overcome an allied force through sheer attrition.

"Those fourth-generation fighters, when pitted against 187 F22s in large numbers, will eventually wear [the stealth fighters] down," says an aerospace industry official. "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."

It would not be considered an impossible technological leap for China to build an F-35-like fighter with some stealth capabilities in 10 years. "They could throw a lot of resources at it," a senior U.S. Air Force official says. "But we've yet to see a real organic design 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. That's the big question.

"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 had an all-aspect requirement of -40 dBsm., while the F-35 came in at -30 dBsm. with some gaps in coverage.

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, and basic [stealth] coatings are widely known and available," the Air Force official says. "The milestone will be when we see more refined shaping."

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/CHFIGHT112409.xml&headline=China%20Promises%20New,%20Advanced%20Fighter

China to build a F-22 class fighter jet

2009-11-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

The Chinese Air Force has announced that it has a F-22 type aircraft ready to make its first flight within a year. The Chinese believe this aircraft will enter service within ten years. U.S. intelligence believes the Chinese are nowhere near this kind of capability. But given the quantity and quality of data Chinese hackers have been stealing in the past five years, it's possible that they have much of the American technology that makes the F-22 and F-35 possible. Some believe that the Chinese also have a F-35 type design in the works as well.

American intel analysts believe that Chinese aviation technology (both design and manufacturing) is not yet capable of producing F-22/F-35 class aircraft. Given the experience with the first two Chinese designed and manufactured jet fighters (J-10 and JF-17), there is much doubt that China is capable of making the leap to F-22 class fighters. The big bottleneck is jet engine technology.

For two decades now, China has been developing the manufacturing technology for aircraft engines, the key component of any high performance aircraft. So far, China has been unable to create the manufacturing technology and personnel skills that are needed to make the engines for their most advanced jet fighters. For example, China is a major customer for Russian RD93 engines (originally designed for the MiG-29), and has bought over a thousand of them. The RD93 engines currently cost about $2.5 million each.

China has been developing a similar (apparently identical) engine to the RD93, the WS-13. Actually, this effort is being aided by Russia, which is selling China technology needed for the manufacture of key engine components. Russia isn't happy about this, because they don't want competition in the low cost jet engine market. Then again, China has a history of stealing technology it cannot buy, so the Russians are making the best of a bad situation. China says the WS-13 is nearly ready for service. Maybe, maybe not. Recently, China ordered another hundred RD93s. Building high performance military jet engines is difficult, and China has had problems mastering this kind of stuff. Not that they will not eventually acquire the skills, but until they do, they need the Russian made RD93s. Officially, more RD93 are being bought because China cannot produce enough of their WS-13s.

Chinese engineers also thought they had managed to master the manufacturing techniques needed to make a Chinese copy of the Russian AL31F engine. This Chinese copy, the WS10A, was meant for the Chinese J-10 fighter, which entered service two years ago. But the Chinese Air Force was not satisfied with the reliability or performance of the WS10A, and have ordered another hundred AL31Fs from Russia, in order to continue building J-10s. Meanwhile, Russian efforts to build an improved AL31 for their own F-22 competitor, have run into serious problems. Will the Chinese suddenly do better than their tutors?

The J-10 is the first modern jet fighter designed and built in China. The aircraft is an attempt to create a modern fighter-bomber that could compete with foreign designs. The experiment was not completely successful. Work on the J-10 began over twenty years ago, in an attempt to develop an aircraft that could compete with the Russian MiG-29s and Su-27s, and the American F-16. But the first prototype did not fly until 1998. There were problems, and it wasn't until 2000 that the basic design flaws were fixed. By 2002, nine prototypes had been built, and flight testing was going forward to find, and fix, hundreds of smaller problems. It was a great learning experience for Chinese engineers, but it was becoming apparent that the J-10 was not going to be competitive with the Su-27s/30s China was buying from Russia. The J-10 looks something like the American F-16, and weighs about the same (19 tons). Like the F-16, and unlike the Su-27, the J-10 has only one engine.

The 13 ton JF-17, which uses the RD93, is meant to be a low cost alternative to the American F-16. It was developed in cooperation with Pakistan. The JF-17 is considered the equal to earlier versions of the F-16, but only 80 percent as effective as more recent F-16 models. The JF-17 design is based on a cancelled Russian project, the MiG-33. Most of the JF-17 electronics (in the Pakistani version) are Western, with Italian firms being major suppliers. The JF-17 can carry 3.6 tons of weapons and use radar guided and heat seeking missiles. It has max speed of nearly 2,000 kilometers an hour, an operating range of 1,300 kilometers and a max altitude of 55,000 feet. China has not yet decided on whether it will use the FC-1/JF-17 itself. This is apparently because China believes its own J-10 (another local design) and J-11 (a license built Russian Su-27) are adequate for their needs. The J-10, like the JF-17, did not work out as well as was hoped.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20091117.aspx

Pakistan and China in $1.4 billion fighter jet deal

2009-11-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

This is a huge deal. But $1.4 billion is not cheap, can Pakistan come up with enough funding for this purchase ?

LAHORE: China has agreed to sell Pakistan at least 36 advanced fighter jets in a landmark deal worth as much as $1.4bn, Pakistani and western officials said on Tuesday.

China will supply two squadrons of J-10 fighter planes in a preliminary agreement, which could lead to further sales in future, a Pakistani official said.

The official added that Pakistan might buy “larger numbers” of the planes in the future, but denied reports that Pakistan had agreed to buy 150 jets.

Experts describe the agreement as a “landmark” in Pak-China relations.

“The agreement should not simply be seen in the narrow context of Pakistan’s relations with China,” said Abdul Qayyum, a retired Pakistani general. “There is a wider dimension. By sharing its advanced technology with Pakistan, China is ... also saying to the world that its defence capability is growing rapidly.”

China has supplied Pakistan with fighter jets for more than three decades. Experts said the sales would be evidence of China looking to expand its military power. “Countries like Iran and possibly some of the Middle Eastern countries would be keen to deal with China,” said one western official in Islamabad.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\11\11\story_11-11-2009_pg1_5

China's August 1st Aerobatics Team 八一飞行队

2009-11-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

China's August 1st Aerobatics Team 八一飞行队 is the aerobatic demonstration team of the People's Liberation Army Air Force. The August 1st Aerobatics Team is considered as one the best aerobatic teams in the world. It is named after the date of the founding of the PLAAF. The unit was founded in 1962 and has performed 320 events in 100 countries. It is part of the PLAAF Beijing Military Region.

In the past, Ba Yi aerobatic team has flown J-5, J-6 and JJ-5 air planes.

In the 90's, Chengdu J-7EB was flown by the Ba Yi aerobatic team, but was replaced by the newer J-7GB (2001). There are about 8 aircraft in the fleet, but only 6 are set for any airshow.

In May 2009, the team upgraded their jets to the much more advanced Chengdu J-10s multirole fighter.

The aerobatics team is based out of Yangcun Air Force Base (Meichong) near Tianjin, home to the 24th Fighter Division.

China and Russia to reach a deal on Kalashnikov rifle copyright

2009-10-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

Klimovsk: After mercilessly ripping off the design of every Russian defence product that they have laid their hands on, and even producing and exporting then without so much as a thank you, the Chinese may finally accord copyright protection to one product–the ubiquitous Kalashnikov rifle. The protection may come too late in the day for it to be if any use to the Russians and the Kalashnikov brand name though.

Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Thursday it was working to reach an agreement with China on copyright protection of Kalashnikov assault rifles.

"We have received China's national patent for Kalashnikov products. The documents have been handed to the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation to prepare and conclude an intergovernmental agreement in the field," Anatoly Isaikin, the head of Rosoboronexport told journalists.

Isaikin said he expected the process of reaching a deal with China to be lengthy, but hoped

it would be concluded soon.

In this respect he noted the huge number of unlicensed Kalashnikov rifles produced all over the world. "There are about 100 million Kalashnikov assault rifles worldwide, of which half are counterfeit, i.e. produced without licenses, patents and intergovernmental agreements," he said.

Isaikin said over 15 countries, including Bulgaria, Romania, Egypt and China, produce the rifles either on expired licenses or without them. "Even America produces the assault rifles, even though the country has never received a license for their manufacture," he said.

According to Isaikin, there were at least 30 organizations illegally producing and selling the weapons.

Russia has every reason to push for copyright protection of this classic weapon for just this September an arbitration court in the country accepted a bankruptcy suit against the factory which produces the famed assault rifles.

A court in the Urals republic of Udmurtia said on its website that the suit had been filed by a previously unknown company named Gremikha. It did not specify the connection between the plaintiff and Izhmash, the owner of the Kalashnikov plant.

The court said a hearing on the suit would be held on 7 October.

Though bankruptcy would help Izhmash deal with its debt burden, observers warned that a new wave of unemployment would sweep the region.

The Izhmash-owned Molot factory, which produces the legendary assault rifles, has already frozen operations due to a lack of orders from the state, Russian media reported.

The best-known Kalashnikov rifle is the 1947 model known as the AK-47, which is the most widely produced used assault rifle in the world, and is used by both regular armies and militant groups.

The creator of the AK-47, Mikhail Kalashnikov, is 89 years old and lives in Izhevsk.

http://www.domain-b.com/defence/def_prod/20091023_china_forced_oneView.html

China's Unmanned Aircraft (UAV) Development

2009-10-18T20:35:00.001-07:00

Andrei Chang, a Chinese military analyst with the Kanwa Information Centre in Toronto emphasised, it still is puzzling for what reason “the plethora of UAV models on display at Zhuhai do not go into production.” China is having difficulty mastering the technical complexity of operating UAVs in real time, he recently told Defence News. Chang suggests that many of the companies and institutions do not have an actual prototype and are simply looking for a foreign investor for their concept.

In an interview in early 2007 published by sina.com.cn, Tu Jida, chief designer of the Aviation Industries of China (AVIC), said that UCAVs are still at an early development stage in China and current efforts may lead to a successful aircraft system in approximately ten years. He further emphasised that for any such effort, China will be on its own and will have to “rely on its own strength and self-reliance.” The interview also left the impression that China is still working on the development of more secure and resistant control and communication links for the operation of UAVs to prevent enemies from interfering with the control of UAVs and the transmission of reconnaissance information.

Although the extension of China’s military satellite network allows the use of HALE UAVs over long ranges and in operations abroad, China is fully aware of dangers and the importance of satellite communications in modern UAVs. “Without military satellites, the commanders sitting in the United States could not operate their Predator UAVs, which are thousands of miles away on the other side of the globe,” Prof. Chen Hong of the Chinese Air Force's Command College correctly observed. Further statements published by Xinhua (see http://www.defpro.com/news/details/10187/) acknowledge that China’s push in all fields of defence technology proves that the country is prepared to show strength in the air as well as in space and will make sure its networks will be working when their antagonists’ resources are down.

Major systems and concepts

Apart from the “Harpy” UAV sold to China by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in 1994, China has indigenously developed and manufactured a number of unmanned systems during the past 30 to 40 years, often based on western – primarily US-built – UAV and UCAV concepts. A row of transformations of formerly manned aircraft, such as the Ba-5 (based on the J-5, a MiG-17 copy) and the Jian-7 (based on the MiG-21), for use as target drones, as well as the development of smaller target drones such as the Ba-2, Ba-9 (many more types have been produced), provided China with enough experience to develop remotely controlled and later pre-programmed and autonomously flying systems.

China also has a number of man-portable and -launchable mini-UAVs (such as the ASN-15), which are generally propeller-driven models for short-range tactical reconnaissance of ground troops. The following list of systems focuses on larger reconnaissance and combat concepts and – not least due to the lack of reliable information – does not claim to be complete (for instance, you may miss the formerly important ASN-104/105 and ChangKong-1 or a newer concept called “Combat Eagle”, which strongly recalls the X-45 and nEUROn UCAVs). However, it offers a condensed overview on past, present and future Chinese UAV and UCAV concepts, as well as on the often-foreign technological sources.

Reconnaissance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

• WuZhen-5 (also ChangHong-1)
The WZ-5, in particular, which has been developed on the basis of the U.S. AQM-34N Firebee, will have provided China with the required technical background to take the next step in UAV technology development. After a number of these jet-powered reconnaissance UAVs had been shot down by the PLA in the 1960s, and at least one could be recovered for reverse-engineering, the Beijing Institute of Aeronautics (BIA; now Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics, BUAA) began the development of a reconnaissance UAV based on the AQM-34N. The concept, consisting of the airframe, the optical camera sensor-suite, the turbojet engine and the ground station, resulted in two prototypes completed by 1972 and two in 1976. After achieving design certification in 1978, nine such systems were fielded by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) as of 1981.

After having been successfully used for reconnaissance missions in the 1980s, the BUAA is believed to have developed an improved version, designated WZ-5A, which provided greater accuracy due to a GPS and inertial navigation system. The WZ-5 was air-launched at altitudes between 4,000 and 5,000 metres and would then climb to its operational altitude of 17,500 metres, where it may fly at up to 800km/h. It was originally launched by a modified Tu-4 Bull bomber, and later by the Y-8E (An-12 Cub copy) turboprop transport aircraft. Due to its lack of a real-time data link, its endurance of merely 3 hours and its limitation to day-time optical reconnaissance, the system can no longer keep up anymore with modern solutions. Without a real-time link and control, it must stay on its pre-programmed flight path, disregarding changing tactical situations or enemy air-defences.

• Xianglong (“Sour Dragon”, Chengdu)
As one of the more recent concepts, the “Xianglong” of the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) was first unveiled at the 2006 Zhuhai air show. Its dimensions, jet engine and intake arrangement and wing shape very much recall the US RQ-4 Global Hawk and suggest that this UAV will also be used for high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) reconnaissance missions. In fact, it is reported to fly at altitudes of up to 18,000 metres (approx. 59,000 ft), which is slightly less than the ceiling of the Global Hawk. According to unnamed sources, the aircraft already completed high-speed taxiing tests in late 2008 and was scheduled to have its maiden flight in early 2009.

The intake and engine, located on top of the fuselage at the rear between the V-shaped tail wings, are much smaller than those of the Global Hawk. However, according to Chinese media reports, it is believed to fly slightly faster than the RQ-4, reaching speeds of about 750km/h and ranges up to 7.000 kilometres. With a reported take-off weight of 7,500kg and a mission payload of 650kg, it is lighter than the RQ-4 and can carry less weight (RQ-4B max. weight: 14.640kg; payload: 1.360kg). Due to its comparably limited range, it is supposed to exclusively operate in the Asia and Pacific region.

• WuZhen-2000 (also WZ-9, Guizhou Aviation Industry Group)
Just as the Xianglong, the WZ-2000’s design seems to have been taken from the U.S. Global Hawk, with V-shaped tail wings and a single WS-11 turbofan on top of the rear fuselage. However, the WZ-2000 is smaller (length 7.5m, wingspan 9.8m) and has slightly aft swept wings, as well as obvious radar cross-section reduction features, including a flat bottom surface. Being an older – but nevertheless stealthy – reconnaissance UAV concept (1999) than the Xianglong, the WZ-2000 is reported to having accomplished its maiden flight in December 2003 and an onboard remote sensing system test in August 2004.

Although the aircraft has smaller dimensions, it is intended to fly at a service ceiling of 18,000 metres with a reported maximum speed of 800km/h for a total endurance of only 3 hours. The 80 kg mission payload reportedly contains a thermal imaging camera and a synthetic aperture radar. Reconnaissance data is transmitted via a satellite communications antenna in the nose bulge.

• ASN-206 / ASN-207 (Xi'an ASN Technology Group Company)
The ASN-206 is one of the earlier advanced tactical UAV programmes and one of the few that has been successfully introduced into service with the PLA. It is a lightweight, short-range, tactical multi-purpose UAV developed by Xi'an ASN Technology Group Company in 1994 and produced in series starting in 1996. According to unconfirmed sources, the Israeli company Tadiran Spectralink Ltd. has been involved in the development process. It carries various mission payloads and can, therefore, be used in a multitude of operations including day/night aerial reconnaissance, electronic warfare and countermeasures (EW/ECM), battlefield surveillance, border patrols and nuclear radiation sampling.

Powered by a HS-700 piston engine, the ASN-206 is a twin-tail braced UAV which is launched with the help of an accessory rocket from a 6x6 truck and is operated by a digital flight control and management system. The aircraft marks an important step in China’s UAV development as it provides real-time reconnaissance information, while older UAV models had to be recovered in order to access the collected data.

The ASN-207, of which four systems headed the UAV formation at the National Day Parade in early October, is an improved version of the ASN-206. It significantly surpasses the AN-206’s capabilities, reportedly providing double the endurance time and mission payload with a maximum range of 600km. It can easily be distinguished due to its mushroom-shape antenna mounted at the front of the aircraft, which receives flight control commands from the ground station.

Attack Drones / Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV)

• Harpy (IAI)
The Harpy, built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), was another technology source for China’s own development efforts. The procurement of an unknown number of these attack UAVs in 1994 created quite a stir in U.S.-Israeli diplomatic relations, leading to a crisis of confidence between the two countries. This only happened in 2004 when the Chinese Harpy’s were sent back to Israel for an upgrade and after it was discovered that the PLA used Harpies during a military exercise. The Bush administration subsequently urged Israel to halt all arms-transfers to China.

The Harpy (which since has been further developed: see http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/415/) is not a typical UAV but, rather, a weapons system called “loitering munition”. The propeller-driven aircraft is launched from a ground vehicle or surface warship and can loiter for some time above the mission area to locate and identify a suitable high-value target. Its sensor collects valuable information until the Harpy attacks and destroys its target by crashing into it and detonating its 32 kg (70 lb) high-explosive warhead. It was specifically developed to detect, track and destroy radar emitters, such as enemy radar and SAM emplacements, in all weather conditions during day or night.

• Yi-long (Chengdu)
Another design by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation appears to be a copy of the U.S. MQ-1 Predator, yet without inverted but, rather, upright V-shaped tail wings. The aircraft is driven by a small tail propeller. It carries a small pivotable sensor suit almost beneath the centre of the slender fuselage. The model displayed at the 2008 Zhuhai air show did not feature pylons to carry weapons, however, design concepts of this aircraft were presented with one pylon on each wing, arranged in the same fashion as on the Predator, to carry light missiles.

• CH-3 (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.)
The CH-3 is a medium-range long-endurance (MALE) UCAV model presented at the 2008 Zhuhai show which, due to its complexity, still appears to be far from becoming a reality. The aircraft has a canard airframe design with the tailplane ahead of the main wing. Still propeller-driven, the aircraft carries a large sensor suite underneath the fuselage at the level of the main wings’ root. According to the model, the aircraft is designed to carry two air-to-ground missiles, such as the AR-1 air-surface missile.

• Anjian (“Dark Sword”, Shenyang)
The “Dark Sword” is an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) concept which was displayed as a model at the 2006 Zhuhai air show. It is obviously designed for high manoeuvrability at supersonic speeds, having a flat, triangular shape with an additional large wing area and swing canards, hinting at China’s J-10 multi-role combat aircraft (which itself strongly resembles jets such as the Eurofighter, Rafale and Gripen). Its large intake underneath the fuselage implies high speed, agility and angle-of-attack, further suggesting that the aircraft will be powered by a turbofan.

At the Zhuhai air show, a staff member called the aircraft the “future of Chinese unmanned combat aviation”, emphasising its projected ability to evade enemy radar and to engage in air-to-air combat.

http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/424/

China Shows U.S. Delegation Next Spacecraft, TianGong

2009-10-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

The U.S. and China are beginning to open lines of communications that could lead to greater cooperation in human spaceflight. This significant move comes as the Obama administration ponders a way forward in space that may include more willingness to work with China in areas that previously were off limits.

The two space-faring nations have a lot to offer each other. The U.S. program is in a budget-induced crisis, without the cash it needs to continue on its current path to build a pair of rockets to take astronauts back to the Moon and beyond. China’s space endeavors appear to have plenty of money, but they lack the technology and experience needed to catch up quickly on their own.

The new administration in Washington seems willing to play a more collegial role in the world, and the leadership cadre in China seems willing to play along. Hindering that is a legacy of mistrust that may have eased just a little last week, at least in the area of human spaceflight cooperation.

As a former deputy NASA administrator and the head of China’s Manned Space Engineering Office held back-channel talks, human spaceflight officials here offered an unprecedented opportunity to examine the Tiangong-1 docking target and the next in its series of Shenzhou human spacecraft, as well as previously off-limits space facilities.

And five of the six Chinese astronauts who have flown in space quizzed two former space shuttle commanders about aspects of their common profession, ranging from rendezvous and docking techniques to the best way to manage astronaut schedules.

“Because of a lack of contact in previous times, we haven’t decided how to cooperate,” replied Wang Wenbao, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, when asked if China would be willing to join the International Space Station partnership (ISS). “If we can open a channel so we can all sit together, then we can decide what we can do and what America can do.”

“The important thing to know is that we had a meeting,” says Fred Gregory, a three-time shuttle astronaut and deputy NASA administrator from 2002-05.

Gregory and Tom Henricks, a veteran of four shuttle missions who is president of Aviation Week, spent several hours briefing Chinese astronauts, engineers and space-medicine experts about their spaceflight experiences during a visit to Beijing Space City arranged by the Space Foundation, a private U.S. group. Among those participating were Yang Liwei, China’s first astronaut; Zhai Zhigang, its first spacewalker; and three other Shenzhou spaceflight veterans.

Between them, Gregory and Henricks have been in space more than six times longer than all of their Chinese counterparts combined, and some of the scripted questions from the Chinese were quite basic. They included queries about what NASA would do if a crewmember became severely ill in space, and how astronauts recognize and handle space-adaptation syndrome, or space sickness. Others dealt with personnel issues, such as whether NASA astronauts are allowed to lend their names to advertising after they retire.

The questioning marked a stark contrast with the first encounters between NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts as their two human-spaceflight programs began to work together in the early 1990s. At that time, the Russian program had deep experience in human operations in space, but was strapped for cash.

During a tour of space facilities here on Sept. 22, the lack of experience in the Chinese program was offset by an apparent abundance of funding. Facilities at the compound in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing are gleaming, relatively new and elaborate. The Space Foundation delegation visited three of them: the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), the China Astronaut Research and Training Center and the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

In contrast to another U.S. visit last year, when Chinese authorities restricted a group organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies to a museum just inside the Beijing Space City gate (AW&ST May 5, 2008, p. 29), the Space Foundation group received a friendly official welcome at the astronaut training center and BACC inside the compound, and at the CAST facility in another compound nearby.

At CAST, photography was forbidden. But the U.S. visitors were given white smocks, caps and booties, and allowed into the class-100,000 clean-room high bay where the Shenzhou 8 orbital module and reentry capsule are being assembled alongside the Tiangong 1 orbital target and the Chang'e 2 robotic lunar orbiter.

Shenzhou 8 is identical to Shenzhou 7, which carried Zhai and two crewmates on the three-day spacewalk mission in September 2008, except that it has a small docking unit on its forward end and video cameras mounted around its circumference to guide final approach. The mechanical docking ring is not compatible with the Russian androgynous peripheral assembly system used on the ISS, officials say.

A combination of radar and laser ranging will guide the approaching Shenzhou to Tiangong 1 for China’s first exercise in proximity operations and docking. The 8.5-metric-ton target vehicle’s hull appears complete, with its docking ring in place at one end. But the propulsion/ service module at the other end is partially disassembled, with what appeared to be a large avionics bay pulled out and rotated 90 deg., connected to the rest of the spacecraft only by cables.

Set for launch in October 2010, Chang'e 2 is an external copy of its predecessor, which impacted the Moon on Mar. 1 at the end of what officials here say was a successful mission. Improvements include a better camera with a resolution of 5 meters (16.4 ft.) at the surface, they say.

Also on display at CAST were a large anechoic chamber outfitted by EADS Astrium known as the Compensated Compact Range, and a thermal vacuum chamber used for Shenzhou and spacesuit testing that has an internal diameter of 12 meters, and an internal height of 24 meters.

At the astronaut training center, Yang and Zhou guided visitors through a large simulator suite, where a full-scale Shenzhou mockup is mounted vertically next to the computer gear that generates its audiovisual input, and a reentry capsule simulator is mounted horizontally. They showed us a 10-meter-deep neutral-buoyancy lab built in 2007, with a Shenzhou airlock/orbital module underwater mockup displayed nearby. In a separate room, a harness-and-cable arrangement is used to train astronauts in a higher-fidelity airlock under simulated microgravity.

At BACC, Ma Yongping, the deputy director, briefed the U.S. visitors on the center’s operations. Later, Wang, the human spaceflight engineering director, and Zhou Jianping, the University of Southern California-educated chief designer of the China Manned Space Engineering Program, hosted a discussion and an elaborate banquet at a restaurant.

Also on the agenda for later in the week was a visit to the Jiquan Satellite Launch Center, where all of the Shenzhou missions originated. Foreigners are allowed to visit the site only rarely, according to Yang.

Gregory’s conversation with Yang, whose office manages human spaceflight for the central government and draws its funding through the military, marks a change for NASA. In the past, the U.S. agency has discussed space cooperation with the civilian China National Space Administration. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, also a former shuttle astronaut, plans a visit here before the end of the year to discuss space topics. President Barack Obama, who accepted an invitation from President Hu Jintao during the London G20 summit in April, is also scheduled to visit this year.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=awst&id=news/china092809.xml&headline=China%20Shows%20U.S.%20Delegation%20Next%20Spacecraft

Bolivia buys six K-8 jet trainers from China

2009-10-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

LA PAZ: The Bolivian government has approved 57.8-million-dollar purchase of six planes made in Pakistan with Chinese technology for use in anti-drug operations, media here reported on Friday.

The deal was finalised on Wednesday in consultations with ministers and stipulates that the aircraft will provide a “contribution to the regional battle against narcotrafficking, ensuring requisite control of national air spaces and areas prone to and affected by this problem,” reported local independent media agency Fides.

The government has not explicitly confirmed the deal but “the president will announce it on October 10”, according to Defence Minister Walker San Miguel, who was cited by La Razon newspaper.

The K-8, or Karakorum, plane is a light fighter jet jointly developed by China and Pakistan in the early 1990s. It is used primarily as a training aircraft, but can also be used for airfield defence. Bolivia is also waiting for five US-made Huey helicopters to be delivered by Brazil. Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Thursday that the delivery was being delayed by the United States, which has yet to give the project a green light.

China army parade may give clue to new missiles

2009-09-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

China army parade may give clue to new missiles

BEIJING (Reuters) - When the National Day parade rolls down Beijing's streets next week, foreign observers will look beyond the goose-stepping soldiers for signs that China is developing a new missile able to threaten U.S. aircraft carriers.

If China is able to mount systems that support an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM), it could force the U.S. carrier fleet to keep a greater distance, American defense analysts said, changing U.S. strategy for defending Taiwan should war break out.

On October 1, all eyes will be on the Avenue of Eternal Peace to see if China displays a Dongfeng 21-D missile, with maneuverable fins to help it find a moving target at sea, as well as a more finalized launch vehicle.

"The ASBM is far from operational, but it is close enough to make a splash," said Eric McVadon, a retired rear admiral whose 35-year naval career included a defense attache post in Beijing.

"It is something big. It represents the ability to make the U.S. think twice before sending carrier strike groups into the Western Pacific."

China is using the parade, which involves hundreds of thousands of marchers, to celebrate its modernization and the spectacular economic growth of three decades of reform.

Ten years ago, the military parade showcased new fighter jets and a model of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

This one will highlight achievements like the budding space programme -- illustrated in a topiary display along the route -- and the army's rescue work after a devastating 2008 earthquake in Sichuan.

New weaponry and priorities will stand out. This week, Defense Minister Liang Guanglie outlined plans to transform naval and air forces to project power far from China's shores.

EYE ON TAIWAN

Current warming ties between China and Taiwan make a military confrontation less likely, but both sides are still heavily armed against each other. The United States has committed to help the island defend itself in case of war [ID:nPEK217256].

The United States uses its carriers to maintain a presence near Taiwan and in much of the Pacific. It sent a carrier group through the Taiwan Strait to counter Chinese saber-rattling a few months before Taiwan's 1996 presidential election.

A weapon like an ASBM -- or even a credible threat -- that could keep U.S. ships far out at sea for longer would buy China the time to overwhelm Taiwan's defenses in the event of conflict.

An ASBM deployed from Chinese territory would have a range of about 1,500 km (930 miles), enough to reach far beyond Taiwan and cover much of Japan and the Philippines.

An ASBM would be an "asymmetric" weapon, since a carrier group has inadequate direct defense against it, especially if confronted with multiple missiles, unlike the more traditional submarines or bombers which a carrier group can counter.

McVadon credits China for choosing to develop missiles, rather than take the more uncertain route of trying to directly match the U.S. strength in ships and submarines.

"China's great success has been that it went to missiles," said McVadon, now director for Asia Pacific Studies at the Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis in Washington.

"It was a prudent decision to get around our strengths. They really made the right call."

Other analysts caution that successfully modifying the Dongfeng series missile to hit ships would not be enough to successfully hold an aircraft carrier at bay.

"Seeing it in the parade is not hard evidence that the missile is operative," said Matthew Durnin, a Beijing-based researcher with the World Security Institute. He recently coauthored a paper on the challenges of developing the systems -- including satellites -- needed to properly guide an ASBM.

"But U.S. intelligence believes that if this is credibly developed and deployed, it would change carrier strike group deployments."

Durnin predicts China will test the missile within the next two years, to prove it can hit a ship at sea. He estimates it will be about five years before China has the satellites in place to fully track a moving target on the vast Pacific.

"It will be very expensive to develop all the supporting infrastructure for such a system, and whether the Chinese will make the necessary investments is fundamentally a political question," said David Yang, a political scientist at RAND Corp. who has also written on the ASBM system.

Minister Liang said the Second Artillery Corps, which holds the keys to the country's nuclear weapons, would soon also control some conventional weapons. American strategists believe the ASBM could fall under that service's remit.

Even without full satellite cover, the threat to carrier groups is credible if China is able to launch multiple missiles and cripple, but not necessarily sink, a carrier or its escorts.

"I'm not forecasting its usage. They are doing it hoping it will deter, and never be used in combat," McVadon said.

"We may never know how well it works."

Hongdu announces 60 K-8 trainer jet contract for an Asian country

2009-09-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

Janes confirmed the news of 60 K-8 trainer jet export to an Asian country. My guess this Asian country is Indonesia.
Seems like K-8 is the most successful Chinese military product on the international arms market, with over 250 exported.

http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Defence-Industry-2009/Hongdu-announces-K-8-contract-for-Asian-country.html

The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group has signed a contract with an unnamed Asian country to export 60 K-8 basic jet trainer/light attack jet aircraft, it was announced on 8 September.

In a statement the company said the deal was signed between the two parties and China's National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) on 6 September at Hongdu's headquarters in Nanchang, in Jiangxi province.

China to build a new space launch center in Hainan

2009-09-15T18:12:00.001-07:00

China breaks ground on space launch center

BEIJING — China broke ground on its fourth space center Monday, highlighting the country's soaring space ambitions six years after it sent its first man into orbit.

The space port on the southern island province of Hainan incorporates a launch site and mission control center for slinging the country's massive new rockets into space carrying satellites and components for a future space station and deep space exploration.

The reports portrayed the center as a major stride forward for China's military-backed space program, which has launched three manned missions since 2003, including one last year that featured the country's first space walk.

China's future space ambitions include building an orbiting station and sending a mission to the moon, putting it in the forefront of the tightening Asian space race involving India, Japan and South Korea. China says its space program is purely for peaceful ends, although its military background and Beijing's development of anti-satellite weapons have prompted some to question that.

The Hainan center, located near the town of Wenchang and slated to go into use in 2013, is located at a latitude of about 19 degrees north, far closer to the equator than China's other bases in the its southwest and northern plains.

Proximity to the equator is an advantage for launching payloads such as geostationary satellites used for telecommunications because less fuel propellant is needed. Reports said rockets launched from the Hainan base will be capable of carrying up to 14 percent more payload than those launched from Jiuquan, the home of the manned space program in northern China.

That added capacity should aid particularly in China's space station program as well as plans to assemble the Beidou, or "Compass," navigation system as an alternative to the U.S. satellite GPS network, the dominant positioning system.

The center is also served by a nearby port, allowing for the transport by ship of components such as the new generation Long March 5 rocket capable of launching 25-ton components for a space station or future lunar missions. China's other space centers are located in remote parts of the country that rely on limited capacity rail links to transport rockets and other components.

According to media reports, the Hainan center's construction involves upgrading a small satellite launch pad already on the site and building a second pad and other infrastructure. More than 6,000 area residents are being moved to procure the 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) needed for the base.

China is just the third country after Russia and the United States to have launched a person into space, and has long operated a successful commercial satellite launch program.

Officials say plans call for an unmanned moon landing around 2012, a mission to return samples in 2015, and possibly a manned lunar mission by 2017 — three years ahead of an initial U.S. target date for returning to the moon.

Viewed as a source of national pride and patriotism, the program's strong public support helps shield it from the public doubts and budgetary pressures that constrain such programs elsewhere.

However, cooperation in space with other countries has been inhibited by wariness over the program's close military ties. Highlighting that relationship, Chang Wanquan, a People's Liberation Army general who sits on the ruling Communist Party's powerful central military commission, joined other officers and technicians in Monday's groundbreaking ceremony, the reports said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jszhZZpw8KvbElApGPkWEikezcBAD9AN1KRO0

Some of the new weapons that will be shown on the National day parade

2009-09-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

Beijing Rehearsal Shows Off New Missiles

Taipei - Photos of the Sept. 6 rehearsal parade for the 60th anniversary of the Oct. 1 founding of the People's Republic of China are generating excitement among China watchers.

"Obviously, the Chinese are going to put on a real show for the 60th anniversary," said Richard Bitzinger, a former CIA analyst now with the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) exhibited a wide range of arms never before seen by the public.

During the 1999 parade, China displayed only three road-mobile Dong Feng 31 (DF-31) ICBMs, but this year the number jumped to eight. Analysts are assuming the missiles are the new DF-31A variant, capable of carrying three multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV). The DF-31A is the first road-mobile nuclear ICBM capable of hitting Washington.

"This is a sign they are sending a message to Washington that they have a counterstrike capability," said Andrei Chang, China defense analyst, Kanwa Information Center.

The DF-41 ICBM was a no show at the rehearsal despite speculation China would show the missile for the first time to the public. There is still a chance the missile could appear on Oct. 1.

"If the DF-41 is not shown, it could be that they are still testing it and don't want to look premature in revealing it," Bitzinger said. Based on the DF-31, the DF-41 will have a range of 11,000-13,000 kilometers and carry 10 MIRVs.

The PLA is moving toward a MIRV nuclear missile capability, said Richard Fisher, vice president of the Washington-based International Assessment and Strategy Center.

The Dong Hai 10 (DH-10) long-range land-attack cruise missile (LACM) also made its first appearance to the public. The DH-10 is a three-missile tube variant of the Russian Raduga Kh-55 cruise missile. China procured six Kh-55s from Ukraine during the 1990s.

China has more than 200 DH-10s deployed along the coast across from Taiwan. The missile's range, in excess of 1,500 kilometers, also places Okinawa, at 700 kilometers, within striking distance.

"I think it's significant that they are taking the wraps off the DH-10, which openly demonstrates China's LACM capabilities," Bitzinger said. "The West has been talking for years about China's nascent LACM capabilities, and now it seems that the PLA has arrived. Obviously, this complicates missile defense, especially for regional U.S. forces and allies."

Photographs of the rehearsal also reveal there were several new short-range missile variants, including a DF-15 upgrade with new warhead stabilizer fins, a DF-11 with a modified warhead, possibly a penetrator, and a medium-range DF-21C equipped with a new engine.

"This is the first real opportunity to see the DF-21C with a pointed launch tube top," Fisher said. This missile is the basis for the future anti-ship ballistic missile program, which is part of China's anti-access strategy to deny U.S. navy ships from coming to Taiwan's aid during a war.

Another photograph, though unclear, could be the YJ-91 missile. Based on the Russian Kh-31 anti-radiation missile, the YJ-91 comes in both anti-radiation and anti-ship variants.

There were also two UAVs on display. One has been identified as the ASN-206 with a "curious saucer-bulb above the forward fuselage; a likely satellite com link or some kind of radar," Fisher said.

A second UAV photo is unclear, but could be the old ASN-205 that now serves largely as a target drone.

Infantry Vehicles and Equipment

The rehearsal also displayed a variety of new armored and infantry vehicles using a new digital camouflage pattern.

"This is intended to fox modern digitally enhanced imaging devices used in tanks, anti-tank devices and UAVs," Fisher said.

New vehicles on display include the ZBD97 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), 155mm PLZ05 self-propelled artillery, and the Type-99G main battle tank (MBT).

The ZBD97 appears to be an attempt by the PLA to produce a well-armed IFV similar to the Russian BMP-3 series.

The Type-99G MBT is the most modern variant of the new Type-98/99 series first seen in the 1999 parade. Improvements include an upgraded turret with detachable and upgradable composite armor, use of explosive reactive armor, plus improved engine and targeting systems.

There was also a new PLA Marine Corps blue camouflage IFV whose real designator remains unknown. Images have appeared on the Internet since 2005, but this is the first public display.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4266694&c=ASI&s=LAN

China to show five new types of missiles on the National day parade

2009-09-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

China will showcase five new types of domestically designed missiles at the Oct. 1 National Day parade, a leading missile expert from the Second Artillery Force, revealed Tuesday.

A number of advanced weapons of air and sea forces will also be on display, other sources said.

Five types of missiles, including nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, conventional cruise missiles and medium-range and short-range conventional missiles, will be displayed for the first time at the highly anticipated military parade, said the expert, who asked to remain anonymous and has been closely following the preparations of the strategic force of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

"These missiles are domestically designed and manufactured and have never been officially reported before," he said, adding that they belong to a second generation of missiles that have already been distributed to the military and are ready for operation.

He declined to disclose the model numbers of the missiles, citing state-secrecy reasons.

"The third generation is still under development and is unlikely to be displayed this time," he said.

Military aficionados have been expecting to see the Dongfeng 41, known as the DF-41, and the CSS-X-10, which is said to be a third-generation, solid-fuel, intercontinental ballistic missile.

While China is a late starter in the milssile development, compared with the US and Russia – countries equipped with fifth-generation missiles and in the process of developing sixth-generation missiles – it has made rapid progress, the expert said.

"Our second generation can match their third and fourth generations, and the third generation under development is comparable to their fifth and sixth generations," he said.

Progress made by the Second Artillery Force in the decade since the last military parade in 1999 will be highlighted at the Oct. 1 event, with marching soldiers and vehicles carrying missiles, three for every type.

"The force has created weaponry and equipment with nuclear and conventional missiles, both solid-fuel and liquid-fuel missiles, with different launching ranges, quick emergency response and precision strikes," he said.

The Second Artillery Force is a strategic unit under the direct command and control of the Central Military Commission, and the core force of China for strategic deterrence, according to a white paper entitled "China's National Defense in 2008," issued earlier this year by the Information Office of the State Council.

One of the force's responsibilities is "conducting nuclear counterattacks," the paper said.

"The statement indicates that the force can survive a nuclear attack before carrying out a counterattack. Any country that attempts to attack China with nuclear weapons must get ready for revenge, even if it has an anti-missile system," the expert said, adding that China's nuclear missiles, though few in number, have a high strike accuracy and formidable power.

A new submarine-launched ballistic missile, Julang 2, also known as JL-2 and CSS-NX-4, is also highly anticipated by fans of military hardware to make an appearance at the parade. It is said to have a maximum range of 8,000 kilometers and be designed to be installed onboard current and next-generation Chinese nuclear-powered submarines.

Li Jie, a naval expert, didn't exclude the possibility of Julang-2's appearance on Oct. 1. Li told the Global Times that the navy would showcase some types of ship-to-ship missile, ship-to-air missile and multiple rocket launchers at the parade.

"Maybe two to three of them will be unveiled for the first time," Li said. "The new weapons will help enhance the navy's combat capability in any future sea war."

Dai Xu, an air force colonel and military strategist, told the Global Times that a large part of the weaponry and equipment of the air force would be showcased at the parade, including third-generation warplanes, land-to-air missiles and sophisticated radar equipment.

"The backbone warplanes of the major military powers in the world are third generation. The qualities of some of our warplanes are at a level that is advanced in terms of the rest of the world," Dai said.

Li Daguang, a senior military expert at the PLA University of National Defense, emphasized that the military parade is not for saber rattling but aims to promote national pride, confidence and awareness of national defense.

"Some countries, observing China's parade with colored glasses, show off their weapons around the world on the battlefield instead," Li said.

Li Jie argued that the parade can reflect the current situation and tendency of China's military weaponry, as well as a way of showing China's military openness and transparency, and how it is aligned with international military standards.

According to the arrangement, President Hu Jintao will offer a keynote address at the huge celebration at Tian'anmen Square on Oct. 1, followed by the military parade and a mass pageant involving 200,000 people, 60 floats and a fireworks display.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/02/content_11982723.htm

China refuses Japanese naval ships visit to Hong Kong

2009-08-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

China has good reason to refuse a proposed visit to Hong Kong of three Japanese warships, Chinese media and experts are saying.

They said the ships should not be made welcome following recent decisions in Tokyo to host Xinjiang separatist Rebiya Kadeer and allow planned visits from former Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui and the Dalai Lama.

The website of Japan's Asahi Shinbun newspaper reported Sunday that the three Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) vessels, with more than 700 naval officers and crew on board, set off from Tokyo in April. The ships called in at 13 countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe and are due back home in early September.

Though the mini fleet had no plans initially to visit Hong Kong, Japan has since raised the idea of a stopover sometime late this month or in early September in an attempt to improve exchanges with the Chinese navy, said the website.

According to the report, the Chinese government told the Japanese embassy in Beijing that "it is a sensitive issue, so far there is no atmosphere for approving Japanese warships' stopover in Hong Kong".

The report quoted Japanese analysts as saying that China was expressing its discontent following Japan's reception of Kadeer, Lee Teng-hui and the Dalai Lama.

Kadeer is head of the World Uighur Congress, which is suspected of having instigated the July riots in Xinjiang that claimed at least 197 lives.

Lee and the Dalai Lama are scheduled to visit Japan and make speeches there in September and November.

A diplomat with the Japanese embassy, who declined to be named, told China Daily yesterday that Japan was still negotiating with China about the suggested visit.

An official with the Foreign Ministry's spokesman's office said the ministry was studying the case, while the Ministry of National Defense made no comment yesterday.

Hong Kong-based Shing Pao Daily News said in an editorial yesterday that "Beijing is assured and bold with justice" in declining the visit.

"The request for JMSDF ships to visit Hong Kong would ordinarily be normal practice among military exchanges with China but what the Japanese government did recently contradicts with the principal of friendly cooperation and made the atmosphere unsuitable," it said.

Su Hao, director of China Foreign Affairs University's Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, said the request from the Japanese warships to visit Hong Kong was significant because it was unprecedented, even though there is an agreement between Beijing and Washington to allow US warships to stop in Hong Kong for supplies.

The first Japanese warship to visit China after World War moored at a naval base in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, last summer, drawing national attention because of Japan's past invasion of China.

"It's understandable for the government to decline such a request at a time when many sensitive issues have emerged in bilateral relations," Su said.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-08/18/content_8580389.htm

China's stealth Type 022 Fast Attack Missile Craft

2009-08-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

The Type 022 (NATO codename: Houbei class) is the new-generation catamaran (twin-gull) missile fast attack craft (FAC) built for the PLA Navy. The first-of-class (hull number 2209) was launched in April 2004 at the Qiuxin Shipyard based in Shanghai. Six contractors are now involved in the construction of the Type 022. Approximately 81 or more of these missile boats are currently in service with three flotillas, having gone through serial production. The vessel replaces the ageing Type 021 (Huangfeng class) that were commissioned between the late 1960s and early 1980s.

The wave-piercing catamaran offers great high-speed, long-distance cursing performance. The twin hulls of the catamaran enable the vessel to be more stable when travelling at high speeds than the conventional single-hull craft. Catamarans are especially favourable in coastal shallow waters, where large single-hull warships have limitations due to their deeper draft. The Type 022 missile FAC was likely to be used for costal defence roles in conjunction with larger surface ships and land-based aircraft.

Specifications:

* Displacement: 220 tons full load
* Length: 42.6 m
* Beam: 12.2 m
* Draft: 1.5 m
* Speed: 36 kt
* Crew: 12
* Armament:
Anti-ship missiles: 8 C-801/802/803 or
land-attack missiles: 8 Hongniao missile-2 long range land attack cruise missiles.
Surface-to-air missiles: FLS-1 surface-to-air launcher with 12 QW class MANPAD missiles
Guns: 1 x licensed copy of KBP AO-18 6-barrel 30 mm gun (AK-630) by ZEERI
* Propulsion: 2 diesel engines @ 6,865 hp with 4 waterjet propulsors by MARI
* Radars:
Surface search radar: 1 Type 362
Navigational radar: 1
Electro-optics: HEOS 300

Latest update on China's aircraft carrier project

2009-08-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Chinese jet trains to take off using ski ramp.

The wonders of digital photography (on the ground and from commercial satellites) provide evidence that China is testing the use of its Su-30 aircraft and a ski ramp type carrier deck design. China is expected to have an operational carrier soon, and it will be one using a ski ramp (instead of a steam catapult). It was suspected that there was a ski ramp training facility somewhere, now it's been located, in Xian-Yanliang. What's strange about this is the altitude of this airbase; nearly 500 meters (rather than sea level.) Then again, Xian-Yanliang is a windy place, which allows testing of the stationary ski ramp built there, with winds typical of what would be encountered when the carrier turned into the wind for the commencement of aircraft launching operations.

Late last year, China announced that its first class of carrier aviators had begun training at the Dalian Naval Academy. The naval officers will undergo a four year course of instruction to turn them into fighter pilots capable of operating off a carrier. The Russians have warned China that it may take them a decade or more to develop the knowledge and skills needed to efficiently run an aircraft carrier. The Chinese are game, and are slogging forward.

Earlier this year, the Russian aircraft carrier Varyag was renamed the Shi Lang (after the Chinese general who took possession of Taiwan in 1681, the first time China ever paid any attention to the island) and given the pennant number 83. The Chinese have been refurbishing the Varyag, one of the Kuznetsov class that Russia began building in the 1980s, for several years now. It is expected to be ready for sea trials by the end of the year.

The Varyag has been tied up in a Chinese shipyard at Dailan since 2002. While the ship is under guard, it can be seen from a nearby highway. From that vantage point, local military and naval buffs have noted that some kind of work is being done on the ship. The only visible signs of this work are a new paint job (in the gray shade used by the Chinese navy) and ongoing work on the superstructure (particularly the tall island on the flight deck.) Many workers can be seen on the ship, and material is seen going into (new stuff) and out of (old stuff) the ship. The new contracts are believed to be for more equipment for the Varyag, in addition to the non-custom stuff already going into the ship.

Originally the Kuznetsovs were conceived of as 90,000 ton, nuclear powered ships, similar to American carriers (complete with steam catapults). Instead, because of the cost, and the complexity of modern (American style) carriers, the Russians were forced to scale back their goals, and ended up with the 65,000 ton (full load ) ships that lacked steam catapults, and used a ski jump type flight deck instead. Nuclear power was dropped, but the Kuznetsov class was still a formidable design. The thousand foot long carrier normally carries a dozen navalized Su-27s (called Su-33s), 14 Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopters, two electronic warfare helicopters and two search and rescue helicopters. But the ship can carry up to 36 Su-33s and sixteen helicopters. The ship carries 2,500 tons of aviation fuel, allowing it to generate 500-1,000 aircraft and helicopter sorties. Crew size is 2,500 (or 3,000 with a full aircraft load.) Only two ships of this class exist; the original Kuznetsov, which is in Russian service, and the Varyag. Currently, the Kuznetsov is operating in the Mediterranean.

The Chinese have been in touch with Russian naval construction firms, and may have purchased plans and technology for equipment installed in the Kuznetsov. Some Chinese leaders have quipped about having a carrier by 2010 (this would have to be a refurbished Varyag). Even that would be an ambitious schedule, and the Chinese have been burned before when they tried to build new military technology in a hurry.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htnavai/articles/20090812.aspx

Chinese warship visits Kochi, India.

2009-08-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

The timing of this ship visit coincides with the on going 13th round of Sino-India border negotiation. The 6000 ton ship (167 Shenzhen) belongs to China's North Sea Fleet, it is current deployed in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations.

Chinese Navy's Guided Missile Destroyer Shenzhen that has docked at Kochi on a four-day visit on Saturday.

Kochi: A Chinese Navy ship, en route to the port of Zhanjiang after deployment in the Gulf of Aden on anti-piracy operations, docked at the port here on Saturday on a four-day visit.

Shenzhen, a guided missile destroyer of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), is commanded by Senior Captain Zhao Chang Sheng and embarks Rear Admiral Yao Zhilou, Deputy Commander of China’s South Sea Fleet.

The crew of the ship is expected to visit the training facilities under the Southern Naval Command during the port call. On Monday,

Zhang Yan, Chinese Ambassador to India, will call on Vice-Admiral Sunil K. Damle, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command. Apart from professional and social interaction, a basket ball match between the two Navies is also slated to take place during the visit.

Shenzhen is the only Type 051B Luhai-class destroyer with a displacement of about 6,100 tonnes. It has a slope-sided hull designed with a view to minimising radar signature to dodge detection. It took part in the PLA Navy’s first goodwill visit to Africa in 2000, Europe in 2001 and Japan in 2007.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200908081832.htm

Photos of China's J-10 fighter jet refueling over the sky of South China Sea

2009-08-01T16:12:00.001-07:00

These are J-10S two seat version, they are refueled by H-6U tanker.
The pictures are amazingly clear.

Chinese military to launch official Web site

2009-07-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

Chinese military is learning the importance of a good public relation in world's media

BEIJING — China's Defense Ministry will launch its first official Web site next month in what state media said Thursday was an effort by the secretive military to be more transparent.

China has long been tightlipped about its military strength and capacity, drawing criticism from other countries wary of the Asian giant's growing power and skyrocketing military spending, although Beijing says it is purely for defense.

The Web site — in English and Chinese — will run on a trial basis starting Aug. 1, which marks the anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army, the world's largest with 2.3 million members, the official China Daily said.

Its editors say they hope to make it as informative as the U.S. Defense Department's Web site, the newspaper reported.

The Web site appears aimed at reassuring Asian and Western nations that the PLA is becoming more accessible to the outside world, dxperts told the China Daily.

"As more attention is being given to online information, the Chinese army has moved one step forward in its public diplomacy," Professor Li Xiguang, dean of Tsinghua University's journalism school, was quoted as saying.

The Web site's launch "is a major step for the PLA to open up to the outside world," Sr. Col. Huang Xueping, deputy director of the ministry's information office, said in an interview with the newspaper. The office was only set up last year.

The site will "cover a large amount of information," featuring regular activities and background of the Chinese military.

China's military spending has jumped by double-digit percentages for nearly two decades. This year, Beijing announced a 14.9 percent rise in military spending to 480.68 billion yuan ($70.27 billion), though it was a smaller increase than previous years.

That spending puts it on par with Japan, Russia and Britain, but it is still dwarfed by the U.S., which spends nearly 10 times as much.

In recent years, China has been increasing its international military ties as it attempts to modernize its army. Earlier this year, Chinese warships were sent to patrol waters off Somalia as part of the international effort against piracy.

But China's military growth has also been the source of friction, with multiple confrontations at sea this year between Chinese vessels and U.S. naval ships, including a collision between a Chinese submarine and a U.S. sonar device.

In March, the U.S. Defense Department released a report saying Beijing's rapidly growing military power was shifting the military balance in the region and could be used to enforce its claim in disputed territories. While tensions have eased between the two sides, it warned that "much uncertainty surrounds China's future course, particularly regarding how its expanding military power might be used."

The military is also planning to establish more information offices nationwide and hold more press conferences, spokesman Huang said.

The first batch of military press officers, selected from the different armed forces, graduated in March from a boot camp on public relations, the China Daily reported.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hYxj3x4MNZykJ7QpBZPPu62haydwD99K2C0O0

China successfully tested a new rocket engine for Long March 5 heavy lift rocket

2009-07-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

Long March 5 is a Chinese next-generation heavy lift launch system that is currently under development by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). Currently, six CZ-5 vehicle configurations are planned for different missions, with a maximum payload capacity of 25,000 kg to LEO and 14,000 kg to GTO. The CZ-5 rocket is due to be first launched in 2014 from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan island.

The CZ-5 rockets will be comparable to the Delta IV Heavy, Atlas V, Ariane 5, Angara A5, Proton, and Falcon 9.

Estimate spec:
Size
Height 60.5 metres
Diameter 5.2 metres
Mass 643,000 kilograms
Stages 3
Capacity
Payload to LEO
25,000 kilograms
Payload to GTO
14,000 kilograms

Chinese Military to establish a space force

2009-07-15T16:26:00.001-07:00

China's PLA eyes 4th branch of military: Space

Chinese military experts are calling for setting up military space forces, an indication that Beijing’s military is moving ahead with plans to wage space war in a future conflict.

The Beijing Zhongguo Xinwen She, the official news service for overseas Chinese, reported recently that space, dubbed “sky” by Chinese, is now a fourth domain after land sea and air.

“The vast and boundless space has become the arena of rivalry and contention between various countries, and warning signals have emerged everywhere,” the report said. “Before long, the ‘heavenly troops’ in Chinese classical myths will become reality.”

Wang Faan, researcher in the PLA Academy of Military Science, told the news outlet that “in accordance with the development trend in the future and the changes in the international situation, while planning the building of services and arm[ed] branches, the Chinese military should consider and plan the establishment of the space force in due course.”

In January 2007, China tested an anti-satellite weapon by firing a ground-based missile that destroyed a Chinese weather satellite. The ASAT test shocked U.S. military planners because it demonstrated a strategic asymmetric warfare capability that could be used to cripple the U.S. military in a conflict.

The report said China’s military modernization efforts are aimed at producing high-technology forces. “The establishment of a space force should be planned in due course,” it declared.

The comments, appearing in an official state-run news organization, appear to contradict China’s public position of seeking to ban space weapons.

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/ea_china0539_07_07.asp

Chinese Army is equipped with crossbow in Xinjiang

2009-07-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

Xinjiang riots: Modern Chinese army displays ancient preference for crossbow

By John Bingham

A staple of warfare in medieval Europe, they are believed to have been used in China since about 400BC, appearing in Greece slightly later.
Despite the telescopic sights and gun-like triggers which give them more than a passing resemblance to a modern sniper rifle, the crossbows wielded by members of the military units operating in Urumqi retain a striking resemblance to their ancient counterparts.
A staple of warfare in mediaeval Europe, they are believed to have been used in China since about 400BC, appearing in Greece slightly later.
Featured in Sun Tzu's The Art of War, remnants of crossbows were even found in the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, among his Terracotta Army.
Although they are believed to have been first used for hunting, the military potential of the crossbow was quickly appreciated.
Firing short dart-like missiles known as bolts further and faster than a traditional bow, they proved capable even of piercing armour.
Modern varieties can fire sleek metallic bolts or bullets.
In Europe, crossbows were used by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings, where they were said to penetrate English shields.
Replacing the longbow, they remained in use for a further 400 years, after which they were superseded by guns.
In China, large, catapult-like versions were developed, employing basic mechanics to string the bow, line up the bolt and fire it in a single motion.
The repeating crossbow was widely used until the late 19th Century.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/5780852/Xinjiang-riots-Modern-Chinese-army-displays-ancient-preference-for-crossbow.html

Iran to buy China's HQ-9 SAM air defense system

2009-07-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

News source from Aviationweek. Seems like China is developing closer military relationship with Iran. What other military equipment China can sell to Iran ?

Iran to buy China's HQ-9 SAM air defense system

Iran will turn to China instead of Russia to acquire an advanced air defense system after relations between Iran and Russia hit rock bottom, the official Iranian news agency PressTV reported. For years Iran has been trying to purchase the S-300 anti-aircraft missile, which is considered to be one of the most advanced systems available on the market and would dramatically increase Iran's air defense capabilities against any attacks on its nuclear installations.

HongQi-9/FD-2000 system

The S-300 surface-to-air missile system, which can track targets and fire at aircraft 75 miles away, features high jamming immunity making it harder to incapacitate the system electronically, and is able to engage up to 100 targets simultaneously.

Teheran will now turn to China for the HongQi-9/FD-2000 system which combines elements "borrowed" from the Russian S-300 and the American MIM-104 Patriot system, according to the Iranian news agency. Although experts estimate that the Chinese system does not perform as well as the Russian S-300, it still presents an effective addition to bolster the Iranian air defense, which is virtually obsolete against any modern air attack on its vital strategic installations. There is no unclassified information regarding the effectiveness of western countermeasures against the HongQi-9/FD-2000 system, nor against the Russian S-300. There was unconfirmed speculation over possible electronic countermeasures used during the 2007 attack on the alleged Syrian reactor.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:0729c57a-b59e-4792-b6e9-1c834b215f9b

Vietnamese navy visits China

2009-06-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

Vietnam and China try to improve military relationship between the two countries,
despite the on going dispute in South China Sea.
A Vietnamese patrol boat visits Chinese Navy port in Kanjiang, Guangdong province.

Venezuela may buy more Chinese military equipment

2009-06-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Good news on Chinese military exports, Venezuela can provide much oil to fuel China's economy.

Venezuela to get Chinese military planes in 2010

Venezuela may add Chinese-made fighter jets to a wish list of planes it plans to buy from China as it strengthens trade ties with its Asian ally, officials from both countries said Thursday.

The K-8 flight training and light attack aircraft are due for delivery in January 2010, Chinese aerotechnology official Yang Yng told Venezuela's state-run Bolivarian News Agency. He didn't confirm how many planes Venezuela was buying or how much it would pay for them, but Venezuelan Army Gen. Jesus Gonzalez in September said his country would purchase at least two dozen of the aircraft, with options for more.

China will provide logistical support for the planes for three years and Chinese technicians will service the planes for as long as they're in use, Yang said.

Venezuela may also buy advanced trainer aircraft such as the Chinese-made L-15, said Luis Reyes Reyes, an aide to President Hugo Chavez.

Chavez's government has in recent years fed fears in Washington of a military buildup, signing contracts with Russia to purchase more than US$4.4 billion worth of arms since 2005 _ including 24 Russian Sukhoi fighter jets and 53 attack helicopters. Venezuela also plans to install a radar system with China's help.

A 2007 report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service warned of a potential Latin American arms race, citing "concern" that Venezuelan purchases "could stimulate other states in the region to seek comparable weapons systems as a counterweight to Chavez's military buildup."

Trade with China reached more than $10 billion in 2008, up 13 times from $742 million in 2003, Venezuelan Trade Minister Eduardo Saman said. Much of the trade flows are made up of Venezuelan oil exports.

http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=980820&lang=eng_news

Chinese Military Firm Reports Major Increase in Sales

2009-06-13T17:52:00.001-07:00

Recent reports within the Chinese press revealed that sales of a Chinese state-owned military conglomerate that produces equipments and arms for both civilian and military applications have rose substantially in the first quarter of 2009. A case in point is the Beijing-based China South Industries Group Corporation (CSIGC), one of the country's largest civilian-military firms, which stated that its first-quarter sales rose 8.4 percent year on year to $5.73 billion (38.99 billion Renminbi). According to the official Xinhua report, CSIGC reportedly earned over $100 million (710 million Renminbi) in profits in the first quarter—with profits increasing month-on-month—citing data released by the company in late April (Xinhua News Agency, April 26).

The figures in the report only cited sales for civilian products such as small cars and motors, and no details were given on the composition of total sales from military products. "In the first quarter, the company sold 300,000 sets of vehicles, up 13.2 percent year on year. The growth was more than 9 percent higher than a 3.88-percent growth in the country's overall domestic auto sales in the same period." Moreover, "sales from its power transmission and transformation, as well as new-energy sectors, jumped almost 60 percent year on year to 3.44 billion yuan [approximately $500 million]. The company's sales of transformers surged 73 percent" (Xinhua News Agency, April 26).

CSIGC is a state-owned enterprise under the direct administration of the Chinese State Council. The company was re-structured in the landmark reforms of 1998, which divided China's defense industrial base into civilian and military components. CSIGC is comprised of 64 large-and medium-sized industrial enterprises, 13 research institutes and other corporations. According to a Chinese government website, CSIGC holds 11.6 percent and 50 percent of shares of North lndustries Finance Company Ltd. (NORFICO) and China North lndustries Corporation (NORINCO), respectively (Techinfo.gov.cn). While CSIGC produces equipment for civilian uses, it is known for its research and development of "special equipment" for the country's armed forces.

The growth in sales of CSIGC and its sister organizations in recent years have increased in line with the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) military budget, which analysts say creates a feedback loop for PLA defense modernization. The PLA's overall budget has been increasing by double-digits annually for the past two decades, and the modernization of the Chinese military is stoking concerns of a regional arms race and raising international awareness about the impact of Chinese arms sales toward conflict zones.

Andrei Chang, the editor-in-chief of Kanwa Defense Weekly, noted in a January report that the quantity of Chinese military arms and equipment transferred to Africa is expanding. According to Chang, the arms and equipment are being “traded for oil, mineral resources and even fishing rights.” For instance, “Zambia has used its copper resources to pay China in a number of military deals, for instance, and Kenya has been negotiating with China to trade fishing rights for arms” (UPIAsia, January 26).

While China’s military exports are soaring, Russian arms sales on the other hand have been in decline. According to a Russian official, Moscow’s sales of weaponry and military technology to Beijing continue to drop from previous years. Anatoly Isaikin, general director of Rosoboronexport—a Russian arms export monopoly—told the Rossiiskaya Gazeta that “sales have dipped about $1 billion a year” (The Moscow Times, April 19; UPI, April 11). The Moscow Times reported that Russia has pulled in $16 billion from arms sales to China since 2001, and this includes Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets, Kilo class diesel submarines and air defense systems. Yet, Isaikin said that the Chinese share of Russian arms exports fell to 18 percent last year and could continue dropping to 10-15 percent in the future. Isaikin attributes this to Russia's expansion into other arms markets (The Moscow Times, April 19). The Russian arms industry, however, has been trying to lobby for stronger Sino-Russian defense ties due to concerns about the 62 percent drop in Russian arms sales to China in 2007 (SIPRI's online Arms Transfers Database, March 31, 2008; Moscow News Weekly, March 27, 2008; China Brief, April 16, 2008).

http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=35038&tx_ttnews[backPid]=7&cHash=7b927d16bc

China's military spending estimated at $84.9 billion

2009-06-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

China is now world No. 2 arms spender, report says

By MALIN RISING

STOCKHOLM (AP) — China has become the world's second biggest military spender behind the United States, a Swedish peace research group said Monday.

Global arms spending rose 4 percent last year, but China increased its spending by 10 percent to an estimated $84.9 billion last year, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in its annual report on world arms transfers.

"China is continuing to acquire both domestic and foreign arms as it seeks to equip its armed forces for conditions of modern 'informationalized' warfare," it said. Such warfare involves the use of precision weapons and high-tech information and communications technology.

Sam Perlo-Freeman, a researcher for the peace institute, said China had previously spent relatively little on its military.

"They are the second biggest military spender now, that does not mean they are the second strongest military power, because a lot of other countries have been at this game for a lot longer than China," Perlo-Freeman said.

"While they are certainly seeking to increase their regional and global influence ... there is very little evidence of any hostile intent in terms of the region," he said.

The United States continued to top the rankings by a wide margin, with its military expenditure rising 9.7 percent last year to $607 billion, the institute said. It said the U.S. accounted for nearly 42 percent of the total global arms spending of $1.46 trillion.

France narrowly overtook Britain — last year's No. 2 — for third place. Russia climbed to fifth place from seventh in 2007.

The report said the security situation in Afghanistan is likely to worsen and warned that expectations for President Barack Obama's strategy for the region may be too high.

"Regrettably, Afghanistan's fate over the next few years still looks to be finely balanced. Progress will continue to be slow, flawed and fragile," the report said. It warned that a hasty international exit would risk leaving the political and security situation dangerously unstable.

The report also said Obama's goal of putting less emphasis on military solutions and more on political development seemed at odds with the U.S.' decision to deploy new combat troops to Afghanistan over the next two years.

The research institute said Obama will face difficult challenges in withdrawing troops from Iraq, as well as in changing the way the U.S. deals with the international community and in pursuing nuclear disarmament.

"These and other challenges may be exacerbated by the effects of the world financial crisis as key countries find it difficult to muster the necessary political and economic will to collectively address global and regional security problems," the report said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h9vyZCoFpWK24-IY_yXaTkiPIkgAD98MHC400

China to build an aircraft carrier

2009-06-02T06:21:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong, China — Shipbuilding experts from Eastern Europe have confirmed that China will start to build its own aircraft carrier this year, as preparations for the project are complete.

The experts had visited the No. 3 military dock of the Changxing Island Shipyard – the new location of the Jiangnan Shipyard, known as the cradle of China’s defense industry – based in Shanghai, where they acquired exclusive photos of the interior of the shipyard. From these it can be deduced that China is ready to commence building the aircraft carrier at this dock.

Chinese armed police have dramatically strengthened their watch on Dock No. 3. All the entrances to and exits from this dock are under armed police guard, with plainclothes police on patrol. In contrast, the entrances to Dock No. 1, where civilian ships are built, are guarded only by shipyard security staff.

Dock No. 3 is 580 meters long, 120 meters wide, and completely encircled by a wall at least 2.5 meters high. A giant gantry crane has been built, with a capacity to lift at least 600 tons. The dock is large enough to build a medium-sized conventional aircraft carrier similar to the Russian Admiral Kuznetsov class with a light load displacement of about 50,000 tons.

The outfitting quay for No. 3 Dock has been finished and includes a large gantry crane. According to the Eastern European sailors who visited the shipyard, the quay is 8 kilometers long, and was finished in the autumn of 2008.

A number of large containers have been shipped to the area near the dock. Among senior shipbuilding experts from Germany, France and Italy who examined the shipyard photos, one suggested the containers might be loaded with oxygen supplies and power-generating equipment, as huge amounts of oxygen and power would be required for welding engineering.

An Eastern European source familiar with the aircraft carrier project said China had invested 35 billion yuan (US$5.1 billion) in the facilities at Changxing Island, including three gigantic joint-structured indoor assembly workshops in which the separate sections of the carrier would be built.

The expert from the French shipbuilding industry said these facilities could be used for processing steel plates and section materials, or the preliminary treatment or assembly of separate sections of the carrier.

Sources say that the shipyard and all its facilities were built at a very fast pace. A separate road network was finished around January 2007, to provide safety and security for the project. Despite attempts at secrecy, many residents of the nearby Changxing township knew that the shipyard was being readied to make China’s first aircraft carrier.

The facilities include numerous five-story buildings – accommodations for nearly 60,000 peasant laborers hired to build the aircraft carrier facilities – that have been in use since early this year. A correspondent for Kanwa Defense Review visited the area to interview peasant workers recruited for this project. The workers said they were paid from 3,000 to 4,000 yuan (US$440 to $585) per month, which is three or four times what an ordinary laborer in Shanghai can earn, and that their living conditions were very good.

The round-shaped headquarters building was to be finished this spring. Free-standing residential buildings in red and grey have been constructed for the shipbuilding experts. Satellite photos show that these houses are quite luxurious.

Judging from the size of the three gigantic joint-structured indoor assembly workshops affiliated to Dock No.3, it is fully possible that the separate modules of the ship will be built in these workshops and finally assembled at the dock.

Sources claim that China intends to build, equip and launch its first aircraft carrier – internally named “Beijing” – between 2009 and 2015. It is possible that the process could take longer, however.

The first steps will include the processing and cutting of steel plates and section materials as well as the assembly of sectional parts. When the keel is laid down it will be difficult to keep it secret, as the keel of the aircraft carrier must be towed to the dock in one piece.

June 3 is a date worth watching, as that day will be the Jiangnan Shipyard’s 144th anniversary. It is part of Chinese culture to mark anniversaries in a special way to bring good fortune. Therefore, China may take the opportunity to officially launch the aircraft carrier project on this date.

http://www.upiasia.com/Security/2009/06/02/china_ready_to_build_aircraft_carrier/8004/

China sells satellites with military potential to oil-producing nations

2009-05-25T18:13:00.001-07:00

By ANDREI CHANG and JEFF CHEN

China has sold three communications satellites to Nigeria, Venezuela and Pakistan that have military capabilities, a service life of 15 years and are equipped with C-band frequency and 18 channels of Ku-band frequency transmitters.

The performance characteristics of all three of these satellites were basically the same, and all of them were to be launched by CZ-3B carrier rockets.

However, the communications satellite for Nigeria stopped functioning less than one year after it went into operation when its solar array drive assembly failed. This posed a major challenge to the credibility of China-made communications satellites. Two weeks ago, China announced it would replace the Nigerian satellite in 2011 at no charge.

The satellites were developed on the foundation of the domestic Dong Fang Hong IV communications satellite. Of course, all of them can be used for military communications as well as civilian purposes -- a matter of concern to the U.S. military. The United States had asked China not to assist Venezuela with its satellite project, but its request was ignored.

The United States is concerned about China exporting military-use satellites and providing launch services to "rogue nations." The People's Republic of China's indifference to this U.S. concern can be seen as a tactic to exert pressure on the United States to halt its sales of advanced arms to Taiwan.

China is now actively cultivating oil-producing nations as customers for its satellites and launch services. China's strategy has been effective so far, and its exports of military equipment have been boosted as a result. Nigeria and Venezuela are among the newest clients of Chinese-made military equipment.

Nigeria has purchased a number of J-7 air-superiority combat fighters from China. In November, shortly after its satellite launch, Venezuela announced that it would purchase 18 K-8 trainers from China.

Iran is another customer that China is pursuing for its satellite sales and launch services. In 2006 China provided a VSAT communications-satellite program to Iran's TA Co. valued at more than $500,000. This satellite network provided voice communications, data and video transmission service to the Iranian oil company, which is believed to have paid for the system with crude oil.

Programs involving satellite technologies often involve huge sums of money, through which full-scale economic and trade relations can be expanded. Following its satellite launch for Nigeria, China won an $8.3 billion project to restructure Nigeria's railway network. However, after the communications satellite stopped functioning, Nigeria coldly declared it would suspend the contract with China.

In Angola, when the Angola state television station upgraded to DStv satellite channels, China Electronics Import and Export Corp. provided an entire satellite TV program production and transmission center. Angola is China's second-largest source of imported oil.

http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2009/04/09/China-sells-comsats-with-military-potential-to-oil-producing-nations/UPI-37881239289602/

Mozambique gets $3m in Chinese military aid

2009-05-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

MAPUTO (AFP) — Mozambique will receive three million dollars in military aid from China under an agreement signed recently in Beijing, Mozambique's defence ministry said Wednesday.

A defence ministry spokesman said the money would be used to purchase logistical equipment.

"The Chinese defence ministry guaranteed that, despite the world financial crisis, it will continue to support the armed forces of Mozambique with logistical assistance and training," ministry spokesman Cristovao Artur Chume said in a statement.

China has taken a keen interest in Mozambique in recent years.

The country became Mozambique's second-largest investor last year, bringing in 76.8 million dollars (56 million euros) -- second only to neighbouring South Africa.

Chinese financing has funded such projects as a hydroelectric dam, a convention centre and a national football stadium.

China's role in Africa has expanded rapidly as its economy has boomed.

It is the continent's second-biggest trading partner after the United States, a relationship fuelled in part by petroleum imports from such oil-rich African countries as Angola and Sudan.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gkEylINYH2kEDGFdt9TiyI2MTtbw

China plans to export J-10

2009-05-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

China readies J-10A fighter for export

By Andrei Chang and John Wu

Hong Kong, China — China is aiming at a substantial share of the international market for third-generation fighter aircraft, with a particular eye on oil-rich third-world countries as part of its arms-for-oil strategy. This was evidenced by the high-profile display of its J-10A fighter at the 2008 Zhuhai Air Show last November.

Chinese experts were observed giving exhaustive information on the J-10A to military delegations from Angola, Nigeria and Venezuela at the air show. Venezuela seemed most interested in the aircraft.

The first foreign buyer of the J-10A will be Pakistan, a source from the Chinese aviation industry said. In March, Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshall Tanvir Mehmood Ahmed confirmed that a deal with China had been reached, and the aircraft would be delivered in 2014 and 2015. The version for Pakistan will be called the FC-20.

However, there is an issue with the engine on this aircraft. The J-10A is currently equipped with Russian-made AL-31F aviation engines. It is unclear whether Russia will permit China to install these engines on its aircraft and then export them to Pakistan. Such a move would have not only economic but also political repercussions, considering that Pakistan’s rival, India, is a major purchaser of Russian arms.

For this reason, the export version of the J-10A fighter is still under design. Both the engine and the weapon systems on board will be different from the domestic version, according to the source from the Chinese aviation industry.

India has been using the Russian AL-31FP engine extensively in its fighter aircraft. If China exports large numbers of J-10P/FC-20 fighters outfitted with Russian engines to Pakistan, India will be much more concerned over this deal than with China’s earlier export of JF-17 2.5-generation fighters to Pakistan. As a third-generation combat aircraft, the J-10A will pose a real threat to the Indian Air Force.

With this concern, India sent a strong delegation to the Zhuhai Air Show to expand its contacts with the Chinese, led by its air chief of staff. The Indian Air Force’s aerobatics demonstration team also put on a performance at this event.

At the Singapore Air Show earlier last year, Indian Air Chief Marshall Fali Homi Major had already carefully inspected the simulation cockpit of the JF-17, which is being jointly developed by China and Pakistan. His trip to Zhuhai was to examine the J-10A/ FC-20 fighter.

In contrast to India’s increased interest in engaging with China, Russia sent a much smaller delegation than usual to Zhuhai. For the first time, Russia did not exhibit any combat aircraft or radar systems at the air show. Some representatives of Russian enterprises even cancelled their planned trips to China at the last minute.

One member of the Russian military delegation described China-Russian arms trade as being in a long and drawn-out “winter.” A representative of Rosoboronexport, the agency that handles exports of Russian defense equipment, declined to comment on China’s possible export of J-10A fighters equipped with Russian AL-31F engines.

China did have its own indigenous engine on display at the show, the Taihang turbofan engine, with a thrust power of 13,200 kilograms – although some experts say it is only 12,800 kilograms. The Taihang’s exterior design and modular structure, as well as the processing and polishing technologies of the core machine and engine blades, seem to be an improvement over China’s previous aviation engines, but it is still far behind similar systems from Russia and Western countries.

Representatives of China’s Liming Motor Corporation refused to answer questions about the engine’s performance features. It is unclear why China decided to introduce this engine to the international market when it has not elected to use it on its own J-10 fighters.

A Chinese military source disclosed that China has been promoting the J-10A to Egypt, but it appears that no substantial negotiations have yet taken place. An authoritative source from the Russian military industry has said that Russia will not allow China to use its engines in exported planes if it perceives such sales as having a negative impact on Russia’s own export market. Egypt was once a major client of Russian arms, though it now buys little other than spare parts.

Pakistan, on the other hand, is not a traditional client of Russian aircraft. Therefore Russia allowed its engines to be used on the JF-17 fighters China is developing with Pakistan. The same arrangement may therefore hold for the J-10A.

The basic price for the J-10A is about US$29.3 million, according to the Chinese source. Considering that China aims to sell this fighter primarily to oil-producing countries – and is prepared to trade it for oil and other natural resources – it could be an attractive option for such countries.

A general assessment of the export version of the J-10A fighter can conclude that its engine has less thrust than the F-16 Block 52, while its radar system is more or less on a par with the Zhuk-ME multifunction radar on the Russian MiG-28 SMT. This is because Russia’s Phazotron Design Bureau exported to China three sets of its Zemchung multirole radar systems after 2001, allowing China to come up with its own version of the Zhuk-ME radar. This radar has a detection range of 120 kilometers for 5m2 aerial targets and can attack four targets in the air simultaneously.

In terms of the diversity and performance of its weapon systems, especially long-range attack weapons, the J-10A lags far behind the F-16 Block 52. The-air-to-air missiles loaded on the J-10A fighter at the Zhuhai exhibition were SD-10A AAMs with compound hardpoints. The SD-10A is a medium-range active radar-guided air-to-air missile upgraded from the SD-10, with its maximum range extended to 70 kilometers. Its length is 3.9 meters, diameter 203 millimeters, weight 198 kilograms, and maximum speed Mach 5.

The PL-12 air-to-air missiles currently in service in the PLA Air Force have undergone similar upgrading. Short-range missiles include the new-generation PL-5EII and PL-9C. The PL-5EII is equipped with a multichannel infrared seeker, the latest laser proximity fuse, and a rocket motor with a non-smoke propellant.

The air-to-ground weapons on the J-10A mainly include the LT-2 laser-guided bomb and the FT series of global positioning system-guided bombs. In recent years China has been imitating U.S. aviation combat weapons, a trend that is reflected in the weapon platforms on the J-10A, including its imitation U.S. joint direct attack munition serial bombs.

At the most recent Zhuhai show, China put on open display its FT-5 GPS-guided bomb. The FT-1 and FT-3 500/250-kilogram-class GPS-guided bombs were on display at the previous show in 2006. China also showed off its 500-kilogram-class FT-2 with gliding fins added. The FT-2 has an effective range of 15-90 kilometers, a circular error probability of 20 meters and an air-dropping altitude of 3,000 to 12,000 meters.

The FT-5 small-diameter bomb copies the latest design of the U.S. military. A designer of the system said that the FT-5’s warhead has a weight of 35 kilograms and a circular error probability of 15 meters. It was developed mainly for unmanned aerial vehicles. The effective range of the FT-5 is 2-5 kilometers when launched from a UAV and 3-35 kilometers when launched from a J-10A.

China has also developed the LT-3 GPS+ terminal laser-guided air-to-ground missile for the J-10A, which is very similar in structure to the U.S. Army’s JDAM+ laser-guided bomb.

These imitations provide evidence that the Chinese military has been tracking U.S. technology, viewing the United States as both a presumed enemy and a competitor in the arms export market. Of course China’s imitations are not limited to U.S. military equipment, but it is certainly learning from U.S. technology as well as military combat doctrines.

China is now paying close attention to the development of anti-GPS-jamming multiple-guidance weapons. Its Sekong Company has developed a 570-kilogram-class guided bomb based on the Russian Krasnopole laser-guided projectile’s seeker technology. China plans to promote this guided bomb along with the J-10A. A designer says that this bomb has a circular error probability of 3.1 meters and an air-release altitude of 500-10,000 meters.

It is not clear whether the LT-3 has ever been test-fired, as China did not show video footage of this guided bomb under test.

As for anti-ship weapons, Chinese promoters of the J-10A claim that the fighter can carry 75-kilometer-range new-generation C-705 anti-ship missiles or C-802A anti-ship missiles with a range close to 250 kilometers. The C-705 was also on exhibit for the first time. The C-705 is a modified version of the C-704, with a turbojet engine and two flight fins. The weight of its warhead is 110 kilograms and it has a minimum flight altitude of 12 meters.

The J-10A fighter has 11 hardpoints, two of which are of compound structure, making the total number of hardpoints 13.

The PLA Navy seems to be assessing the possibility of acquiring J-10As for its combat ships. A Chinese source said that the navy liked its price and its aerial refuelling capability. This source also disclosed that the J-10A’s combat radius is 800 kilometers. In this regard, the technological standard of the materials used on the J-10A can be judged far inferior to those of the same-generation fighters of the United States and Europe.

The J-10A is already fitted with an arresting hook imported from Russia for shipboard landing drills. However, the same source said no decision had as yet been made as to whether the PLA Navy will employ the J-10A as a ship-borne combat aircraft.

China to export new HQ-9 surface to air missile

2009-05-09T14:10:00.001-07:00

By ANDREI CHANG

HONG KONG (UPI) -- China has put its HQ-9 surface-to-air missile on the export market under the name FD-2000. Brochures advertising China's latest missile appeared at the most recent African Ground Force Equipment Exhibition in Cape Town, South Africa, and also at the International Defense Exhibition in Karachi, Pakistan, last November.

The China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corp. is the exporter of the long-range SAM. The name FD-2000 was first revealed by the Kanwa Information Center in 1998 as the export name of the HQ-10; more than 10 years later, China has finally introduced this missile system to the international market.

The People's Liberation Army Air Force has already deployed the HQ-9 at its bases in Xi'an and Lanzhou.

The HQ-9/FD-2000 unveiled at those exhibitions included its guidance radar. A model of this phased array guidance radar was put on display at the PLA equipment exhibition in Hong Kong last summer.

The four-celled HQ-9 launcher is very similar to that of the Russian S-300 SAM. The Chinese introductory brochure said the missile's range for aircraft targets is 7 to 125 kilometers, much lower than the 150-kilometer range of the Russian S-300 PMU1. This is the main reason China continues to import Russia's S-300 PMU2, which has a range of 200 kilometers. The HQ-9/FD-2000's firing altitude is 25 meters to 27 kilometers.

The HQ-9's range for missile targets, or air-to-ground missiles, is 7 to 50 kilometers, with a firing altitude of 1 to 18 kilometers. Its range for cruise missiles is 7 to 15 kilometers, at a firing altitude of 25 meters. The range for ballistic missiles is 7 to 25 kilometers at a firing altitude of 2 to 15 kilometers.

The HQ-9's guidance system is composed of inertia plus uplink and active radar terminal guidance systems. The manufacturer said that its response time is 15 seconds, and it is capable of dealing with 48 targets simultaneously.

The brigade-level combat system is composed of one command vehicle, six control vehicles, six track-radar vehicles, six search-radar vehicles, 48 missile-launch vehicles and 192 rounds of missiles. In addition, there is one positioning vehicle, one communications vehicle, one power supply vehicle and one support vehicle.

The composition of the combat system indicates that one HQ-9 battalion is equipped with eight missile-launch vehicles, which is consistent with what satellite photos of the system have shown.

One industry source said that China has also developed a new version of the HQ-9/FD-2000 for naval ships, which can be installed on the export versions of combat ships. However, the source did not disclose the firing rate of the HQ-9.

A careful comparison of the Chinese FT-2000 anti-radiation missile and the FD-2000 launch system reveals that the transport vehicles of the two missile systems are quite different in exterior structures. Nonetheless, both have 8X8 wheels, and their launch tubes both have 11 reinforcing bands. The FT-2000 has a maximum range of 12 to 100 kilometers, a firing altitude of 3 to 20 kilometers, a missile length of 6.8 meters and a diameter of 466 millimeters.

These figures indicate that the FT-2000 and FD-2000 use different types of missiles. At present, only Pakistan is believed to have expressed an interest in purchasing the FT-2000. But according to a source from Islamabad, even Pakistan is not considering importing the missile system at this stage.

The FD-2000 may be able to compete with the Russian S-300 PMU SAM, which has only a 90-kilometer range, on the international market because of the lower cost of the China-made missile.

But the effective ranges alone show that a substantial technological gap must be overcome before the HQ-9 can replace the S-300 PMU2. Nonetheless, the Chinese designers said that in terms of the technological standard of its computer design and display and control systems, the HQ-9 is superior to the Russian S-300 PMU1.

Given the fact that the HQ-9 has already been approved for export sales, there is a possibility that China has upgraded the missile system on the foundation of the original, bringing it closer to the standard of its Russian competitor.

http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2009/03/18/China_exports_new_surface-to-air_missile/UPI-30271237410000/

Chinese Navy Requires Supercruising Fighter

2009-05-04T18:02:00.001-07:00

A supercruising combat aircraft is a high priority of the Chinese navy, the country’s top admiral says in a revealing official interview that gives strong clues of perceived shortcomings and future directions for the maritime force.

Adm. Wu Shengli also says China must step up work on precision missiles that can overcome enemy defenses, and the nation should move faster in developing large combat surface ships—probably meaning the aircraft carrier program that looks increasingly imminent (AW&ST Jan. 5, p. 22).

Wu’s demand for supercruise—supersonic flight without afterburner—hints that such performance will be available from the next Chinese fighter, sometimes called the J-XX.

“One possibility is that the J-XX is being designed for supercruise and that Wu is trying to build support for a naval version of the aircraft,” says Richard Bitzinger, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

The design of the J-XX is unknown. It could be a new aircraft or quite possibly a development of the J-10, a fighter now entering service.

The J-10’s configuration is similar to that of the Eurofighter Typhoon, which the manufacturer says can supercruise at Mach 1.5, although it is likely to be somewhat slower with a useful external load.

For the Chinese navy, one advantage of supercruising would be the ability to cover a large defensive area in less time—quite useful if the imagined target is a U.S. carrier group at long range.

Importantly, Wu lists a supercruising fighter among a series of technological demands that all look quite achievable for the Chinese navy over the next decade or so, suggesting that he does not regard such flight performance as a pie in the sky.

“Sophisticated equipment is the key material basis for winning a regional naval war,” says the admiral, evidently referring to the possibility of a confrontation in the Taiwan Strait. “We must accelerate and promote steps to work on key weapons.

“We must develop new-generation weapons such as large surface combat ships, stealthy long-endurance submarines, supercruising combat aircraft, precision long-range missiles that can penetrate defenses, as well as deep-diving, fast and intelligent torpedoes, and electronic combat equipment offering compatibility and commonality.”

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/J10v2-042709.xml&headline=Chinese%20Navy%20Requires%20Supercruising%20Fighter

Hamas agents ordered weapons from China

2009-04-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

JERUSALEM — Israel has evidence that the Hamas regime has been ordering weapons and military equipment directly from China.

Israeli officials said the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip has sent agents to Beijing to negotiate weapons deals with state-owned Chinese companies. In 2008, they said, Chinese-origin extended-range rockets were acquired and sent to the Gaza Strip via Iran.

"We now believe that Hamas has been dealing directly with Chinese suppliers, rather than through Iran," an official said.

During the war in the Gaza Strip in early 2009, Hamas fired scores of Chinese-origin 122 mm and 170 mm rockets, with ranges of up to 40 kilometers, into Israel.

Officials said Hamas has been using agents from Europe, Israel and the West Bank to help facilitate the Chinese weapons procurement. On April 26, a Palestinian man from the West Bank city of Hebron was indicted on charges of trying to purchase weapons for Hamas.

Saadi Jamjum, a 33-year-old car dealer, was alleged to have traveled to China for Hamas in March 2009. The indictment said Jamjum was asked by a Hamas agent, identified as Raid Abu Hatlah, to purchase 60 telescopic rifle sights, 2,000 M-16 rifle magazines, 2,000 additional gun clips, 1,000 radios, 400 mobile phones and dozens of listening devices.

The indictment said the Chinese weapons were to have been shipped to the Gaza Strip via cargo registered as containing toys. To enhance the credibility of the shipment, Jamjum was ordered by Abu Hatlah, a resident of the Gaza Strip, to purchase thousands of dollars of toys from a Chinese factory.

The Chinese suppliers of the weapons allegedly ordered by Jamjum were not identified.

Officials said Hamas has sought to diversify its military suppliers in wake of the 22-day war with Israel. So far, Iran and Hizbullah have been virtually the sole suppliers to the Hamas regime

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/ea_china0333_04_27.asp

Russia: China shamelessly steals fighter jet technology

2009-04-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

China completes the tests of its latest fighter. Chinese engineers say that J-11BS represents the aviation of the fourth generation. Foreign experts say that the Chinese have actually stolen the idea of the fighter jet from Russia.

China’s latest J-11BS fighter was unveiled on April 10. The development of the aircraft is to be finished by the end of 2009. The serial production is to be launched in 2010.

Chinese engineers have not offered anything new. The J-11BS is a two-seated modification of the J-11B, which appeared in China as a result of an international scandal.

China purchased a batch of Su-27 SKK from Russia in 1992. The country later said that it would like to build its own fighters on the Russian license. Russia then received orders for the two-seated version of the same aircraft – Su-30 MKK.

The miracle of the Chinese aircraft-making company Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) took off in 1998 – the J-11 aircraft, which was actually a licensed product.

China ’s military administration said six years later that it no longer needed licensed fighter jets because their battling capacities did not match the country’s needs, as it was said. China had 95 new J-11 aircraft added to its arsenal; the planes virtually represented Russian fighter jets assembled in China.

However, China proved to be unable to develop the production of aircraft engines, and the country continues to purchase Russian engines for Su-27 MKK and Su-30 MKK, which supposedly do not meet China’s demands.

In February 2007, China represented J-11B, which bore a striking resemblance to Russia’s Su fighters, as US experts wrote.

China is currently working on the deck-based version of the Su-27 aircraft. The country apparently uses its previous experience and copy Russian fighters for it. Therefore, Russia refused to sell deck-based Su-33 to China in 2008.

Sergei Balmasov,
Pravda.Ru correspondent