PLN Decommission of the day: One of China Navy's Kilo Class Submarines To Be Turned Into A Museum Ship

 As part of the Zhanjiang Bay Cultural Tourism Base tourist attraction

J-20 the Red-Nosed Fighter

 The story chronicles the experiences of Rudolph, a youthful reindeer buck who possesses an unusual luminous red nose. Mocked and excluded by his peers because of this trait, Rudolph proves himself one Christmas Eve with poor visibility due to inclement weather. After Santa Claus catches sight of Rudolph's nose and asks Rudolph to lead his sleigh for the evening, Rudolph agrees and is finally favored by his fellow reindeer for his heroism and accomplishment. 

A fresh batch of J-20s was seen rolling out of the production line, and if rumors on the Chinese internet are to be believed, this could be the production version of the WS-15 Turbofan-powered variant

A new Chinese Naval Cable Ship spotted

 This new Northern Cable 770 suggests it is home to the North Sea Fleet.   Photo credit goes to HC_andy 

Sunday, March 14, 2010

PLAN's Cable Ships

Maintaining a secure communication channel with the PLA's remote island garrison is a full time job. Wireless is less expensive but not preferred -- just think of all those EP-3s flying right outside the gate.

Posted by Coatepeque at 9:15 PM

Rare photo of the day: Type 051S Luda prototype/testbed

Judging by this extremely rare photo of Type 051S,  the one-off  prototype/test-bed was armed with an early variant of the YJ SSM and a twin HQ-61 surface-to-air missile launch.   The modification concept seemed to be similar to the failed Type 053K air-defence frigate program

Move Over Sputnik...Kuaiyun Could Be the New Red Scare Over America

It's seems possible a new Chinese unmanned system is the "UFO" being shot down over North America this weekend. The system that fits the general description given by intercepting pilots is the Kuaiyun C4ISR ballon platform.

The Kuaiyun project was announced by state news Xinhua in September 2018. Kuaiyun was intended " to build a floating mobile platform that can reach the stratosphere, and provide services such as hydrogeological observation, major disaster monitoring, and information support and surety."  

Kuaiyun disk-balloon and underslung UAV: 

Added 2/13 another angle of underslung gondola UAV:

Added 2/14 

NORTHCOM Pilot Descriptions:

North Coast of Canada Shootdown: Object was a “small, metallic balloon with a tethered payload below it”

Lake Huron Shootdown: Object was an "octagonal structure" with "strings hanging down" (Kuaiyun has 10-sided solar array on top, could easily be mistaken for octagonal)

Pentagon: "Objects MAY BE benign research balloons..."

Read more on the China-Defense.com forum.

“Made-to-Order” NCOs: The PLA’s Targeted Training NCO Program

 One more study by the China Aerospace Studies Institute that's worth of your time to read.   Full article here (link)

MSgt Daniel Salisbury & Kenneth Allen

Over the last decade, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has rapidly expanded a program to increase technical capabilities across its enlisted corps by developing what it calls “made-to- order” noncommissioned officers (NCO). These targeted training NCOs receive technical training at civilian institutions before entering the PLA with NCO rank and benefits, bypassing the junior enlisted ranks altogether. 

While the program is not likely to become the PLA’s main source of NCOs, its continued expansion indicates growing trust in its outcomes and highlights its increasing importance in a suite of PLA recruitment and talent development programs.

The Centralization of the PLA Air Force’s Basic and Technical Training

 Latest professional study by the China Aerospace Studies Institute on "The Centralization of the PLA Air Force’s Basic and Technical Training"

The full study can be accessed via this here (link)

Initial entry training is a major undertaking for any armed force, but China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force (PLAAF) faces a unique set of challenges based on its enlisted force’s large size, relatively short service commitments, and high proportion of technical requirements. Although the PLA does not release comprehensive personnel data, the PLAAF most likely demobilizes and replaces about 20% of its enlisted force annually, including two-year conscript/recruits1 who are not promoted to the NCO corps and any NCOs who are not promoted to the next level—many of them in positions requiring some level of technical training. As such, even minor adjustments to initial entry training may have significant impacts for the PLAAF in terms of reaping the maximum benefit from these two-year conscript/recruits before many of them are demobilized.

 

U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission: Personnel of the People's Liberation Army

 U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission

New Contracted Research Report

Personnel of the People's Liberation Army


Today, the U.S.-China Commission released a new report entitled “Personnel of the People’s Liberation Army,” prepared for the Commission by BluePath Labs.


This report examines the people behind the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the force’s ongoing efforts to address the Chinese leadership’s longstanding concerns about the competence of its personnel. Topics surveyed include the challenges the PLA faces in improving personnel quality; the force’s recruitment and retention efforts; the expertise, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds of PLA personnel; the force’s use of both conscription and voluntary recruitment; morale; combat readiness; and the role of politics in the PLA.

 
Key Findings:


    Xi Jinping has had continued doubts about personnel competence and loyalty since becoming the Chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2012, and thus has focused on both force modernization and Party loyalty. Despite this emphasis, many commanders are still judged as incapable of properly assessing situations, making operational decisions, deploying forces, or leading forces in a modern, joint, informationized war.
    The PLA remains concerned about improving political officers’ operational knowledge, seeking to make political officers an asset rather than a liability in the command tent. Political officers and Party Committees within the PLA are emphasized as the key conduit for ensuring Party control and often play a key role in unit affairs, including in personnel issues and day-to-day training and operations. They often struggle to play a productive role in the latter, however.
    The PLA has emphasized recruitment of college-educated and more technically proficient personnel at all levels since 2009. It has succeeded in recruiting more educated personnel, though it continues to face serious challenges with retention and proper utilization of talent.
    The PLA has also worked to improve the professionalism of its non-commissioned officer (NCO) corps through a range of new initiatives, with the goal of increasing NCO responsibilities and allowing NCOs to take over billets previously held by junior officers.
    Significant changes have been made to improve training and standardize bases and academic institutions, while basic training times have nearly doubled. Most significantly, in 2020 the PLA shifted from a single conscription cycle per year to two cycles per year, with the aim of eliminating uneven levels of unit combat-readiness at certain times of the year.
    While progress has been uneven, the sum of these initiatives is likely to produce a PLA that is more educated, professionalized, and technically proficient in the coming years.


The report’s authors also provide recommendations for Congress. Read the full report here.


The report was authored by Kenneth W. Allen, Thomas Corbett, Taylor A. Lee, and Ma Xiu.


###


The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission was created by Congress to report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. For more information, visit www.USCC.gov or follow the Commission on Twitter at @USCC_GOV.


DISCLAIMER: This contracted report was prepared by BluePath Labs at the request of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission to support its deliberations. Posting of the report to the Commission’s website is intended to promote greater public understanding of the issues addressed by the Commission in its ongoing assessment of U.S.-China economic relations and their implications for U.S. security, as mandated by Public Law 110-161 and Public Law 113-291. However, the public release of this document does not necessarily imply an endorsement by the Commission or any individual Commissioner of the views of conclusions expressed in this contracted research report.

Thank you,


Jameson Cunningham

Congressional Affairs and Communications Director

U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission

202-624-1496


Link to the report:  https://www.uscc.gov/research/personnel-peoples-liberation-army

Type 81 SR, a SVD-ish rifle shows up in the Canadian Market

 

They should have used the SVD looking furniture instead of PSL furniture. Also, should have based on the long action version of the Type 81 so it could chamber it in 7.62x51 NATO or 7.62x54R.

Introducing the all-new Type 81 SR, exclusively from Tactical Imports. Developed to enhance the capability of the Type 81 platform, the SR features a number of changes over the legacy Type 81 including:

• Heavy profile barrel for increased accuracy
• Thumbhole Stock with reversible cheekrest for LH shooters
• Flat bottom extended handguard for more stability when shooting from rested surfaces
• 5 Round waffle-pattern magazine for bench and prone shooting capability
• Threaded muzzle for attachment of optional accessories
• Adjustable Trigger stop screw for added precision
• Lightened Trigger pull weight for added precision

Evolution from FC31 to J35