U.S., China to Consider Sharing Resources During Joint Missions

U.S., China to Consider Sharing Resources During Joint Missions http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=118202 By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2012 – In what U.S. Pacific Command’s logistics chief calls a groundbreaking development, officials from the United States and China plan to meet to discuss sharing logistical resources, including fuel, as they operate together during counterpiracy and humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions. The United States has officially extended the invitation for a team of senior Chinese logisticians to visit Washington in early 2013 to discuss the possibility of a first-ever logistics cooperation agreement between the two countries, Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark M. McLeod told American Forces Press Service. If adopted, the arrangement would enable the United States and China to share fuel, food, supplies, and even vessel parts to support their joint operations, he said. Pacom officials pitched the idea last month during the 41st Pacific Area Senior Officer Logistics Seminar in Perth, Australia. The forum of senior logistics and national security officers from Pacific, Asian and Indian Ocean area nations meets annually to exchange information, pursue bilateral and multilateral initiatives and encourage closer regional cooperation. This year, PASOLS participants focused on ways to promote multinational and multiagency logistics collaboration. Navy Rear Adm. Yang Jianyong, who led the Chinese delegation at this year’s seminar, called the U.S. proposal “a good area for future discussion [and] cooperation,” McLeod reported. Such an arrangement was floated in the past, but didn’t get traction because of strained U.S.-Chinese relations. But the timing could now be right, McLeod said, as both countries begin looking for ways to strengthen their military-to-military relationship. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Pacom commander Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III recently visited China to promote closer cooperation and collaboration. Logistics cooperation with China provides a perfect forum for that relationship-building, McLeod said, particularly as China assumes a growing global role. For example, in addition to counterpiracy operations, China periodically deploys its naval hospital ship, the Peace Ark, to provide medical services in other nations. “As they go from an internal defense-focused military and begin to push off their shores and take on more regional security roles, they are finding that their logistics chains are kind of strained,” McLeod said. PASOLS, and a potential logistics agreement with the United States, offer China an opportunity to learn from the experience of the regional partners it now operates with, he said. “Based on them reaching out and starting to perform some of these more joint missions that other nations are doing,” he said, “we thought this was an opportunity for us to enter into an agreement with them to share resources.” McLeod called the potential agreement a great foundation for other military-to-military cooperation that supports both the United States’ and China’s national security strategies. “Obviously, both militaries are interested in regional security. Both militaries are interested in freedom of passage through areas. There are a lot of things going where we share common interests,” he said. “But this is the first time, at least from a logistics standpoint, that we have reached out and they have been very receptive to those ideas,” McLeod said. “That is pretty groundbreaking for us.” McLeod called these developments important building blocks toward closer logistics collaboration that enables regional nations to partner together and respond more effectively to natural disasters and other contingencies. Responses to regional natural disasters and other contingencies will be far better, he said, if the nations understand how each other’s operations, share basic principles and learn from each other’s experiences. “There are things that each of us can bring to the fight that ultimately helps all of us provide support,” he said. McLeod said he will share the lessons from PASOLS with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other regional organizations. “What we are trying to do is operationalize what we do in the theater by branching out to some of these other large organizations,” he said. Ultimately, he hopes to promote sharing arrangements that enable more countries to participate in regional operations. “Many nations have difficulty when they reach beyond their logistics chains and have to go about gathering supplies and equipment,” he said. Setting up an infrastructure so nations can share resources, water, even cybersecurity expertise could help eliminate that roadblock, he said. But McLeod said he sees particular promise in operationalizing fuel across the theater. “That is an interest area that many, many nations have, from our high-end partners all the way down to our developing partners that are expanding their capabilities as they go forward,” he said. “That helps you not only during operations, when transiting vessels or operating equipment in that [particular] nation, but it [also] can be important when there is a supply interruption because of a typhoon or some other natural disaster,” McLeod said. “In essence, you diversify your fuel capabilities so, no matter where you go, you have that capacity.” Tuesday, September 18, 2012 Photos of the day: China, U.S. conduct first joint anti-piracy drill Insert Quote China, U.S. conduct first joint anti-piracy drill (Source: Xinhua) 2012-09-18 BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of National Defense confirmed Monday that the Chinese and U.S. navies conducted their first joint anti-piracy drill in the Gulf of Aden on the same day. The drill, conducted by the Chinese missile frigate Yiyang and the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill, lasted for more than five hours, the ministry said. The drill was praised by the Chinese side as being conducive to increasing mutual understanding and trust between the two navies and deepening bilateral cooperation in non-conventional security fields. Editor:Ouyang Dongmei

Countermeasure Washdown Systems

Photos of the day: Carrier Ops.

This is what they are doing at sea.

J-10S wallpapers

Photos of the day: Clear images of Y-9 Transporter in "China Airforce" color

 Judging from the recently photos, there is no doubt that the Y-9 project has entered serial production.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Could this be the first Y-9 in-flight photo?

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Y-9 project, rebooted. 

http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2010/09/y-9-project-rebooted.html

According to China Aviation News (here) the long delayed first Y-9 prototype is under construction. It is scheduled to perform its maiden flight by 2011.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Y-9 Tactical Transport Aircraft program back on track?

          http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2009/07/y-9-tactical-transport-aircraft-program.html
According to Shanfei’s press release posted on its website (http://www.shanfei.com/xwzx/new/20090713,1.html) the Y-9 dual-purpose Tactical Transport Aircraft project has been restarted. Shanfei upper management acknowledged elements that caused the delay of this important project. They included: unbalanced department workload, lack of research capability, project planning, funding, in addition to a shortage of parts, limited parts assembly lines and final assembly, and limited test flight capabilities. There were also technology limitations, frequent accidents due to low safety standards, poor quality control, undefined procedures and poor production work flows that led to a serious delay of the project.
Here are the words in Shanfei’s press release and judging from the language used AVIC, Shanfei’s parent company, must be getting hard on them.

大 运研制按计划要求正常推进。但 由于任务繁重、研发能力和资源不足，对现场生产组织提出挑战，多项工作进度不同程度滞后；零件生产、部装、总装、试飞等能力未填平补齐，受现场技术质量问 题处理影响，生产不畅，任务不均衡，严重影响产品交付效率；因违反程序、操作规程等原因，多次发生质量、安全事故，安全生产形势严峻

The Y-9 Tactical Transport Aircraft, or YunShuji-9 project, was reported back in 2001 as an enlarged version of the PLA’s workhorse Y-8 transport: a Chinese version of the C-130 Hercules with an airdrop payload capability of 20,000kg or 100 paratroopers. The older Y-8 had a max airdrop payload of 13,200kg. The Y-9 has a built-in RoRo ramp for quick offloads/airdrops. It will also have a max range of 3000km, allowing it to reach most of China from Wuhan—the central city in China and also home to the 15th airborne army. Strategically, this allows the Chinese military a quick reaction to any trouble spot and is one of the reasons why the Y-9 project is so important. Also, it lessens the reliance on Russia for transport aircraft, even though it is not in the same class as the Russian Il-76’s payload of 50,000 to 88,000kg. But the Y-9 is a homegrown and inexpensive solution that is capable of dropping armor such as ZBD03/ZLC2000 Airborne Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The PLA’s order for 36 Il-76s placed in 2005 is still under negotiation.
Now that the project is seriously behind schedule, it will not be surprising to see management changes take place at Shanfei.

Official photo from Shanfei



Y-9 display model and artist impression:

2nd Z-10 equipped Army Aviation Unit.

Judging from the recent PLA Daily articles and internet photo "releases", the 8th LH brigade of the 38th Group Army, Beijing MR has become the 2nd LH unit armed with the latest Z-10 attach choppers (6th squadron).   It is interesting to note that the 8th is also home to the Z-19 light attack helicopter (5th squadron).

After two years of service with the 5th LH brigade, it is clear that the CMC is now ready to expand its Z-10 footprint

This Z-10 is obviously at Baoding (8 Army Avn Bde), where 12 large hangars (for MI-17) and 9 small hangars (for Z-10), all camouflage and with round roofs, have been built by 2011. They seem to be also constructing 8 large hangars (for Z-8?).

There are also round hangars at Sanshui-Daliao (6 Army Avn Bde), but they are not camouflaged and are in two consecutive rows of 10, not separated like those at Baoding.

Since Z-8 and Z-10 appear to go together, perhaps we should expect the next Z-10 squadron to be formed in 26 GA 7 Army Avn Regt (Bde?).

--  franco-russe

Z-10 in BJ MR as reported by the PLA Daily

http://www.chinamil.com.cn/jfjbmap/content/2012-09/08/content_14139.htm

8月下旬，塞北某综合训练基地，北京军区某装甲团与航空兵、防空兵开展协同作战演练。图为装甲兵召唤航空兵提供火力支援
李东现摄　

Sunday, December 12, 2010

WZ-10 of the PLA 5th LH Regiment

It seems there are at least 8 of them already in service.

Photo of the day: Three 1300t class CMS cutters being being built simultaneously at Huangpu

In addition to the 056 line, there are now THREE lines building the 1300t class CMS cutter simultaneously
-- hmmwv

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Chinese Maritime Surveillance (CMS) to commission 36 cutters in 3 years.

Chinese Maritime Surveillance (CMS) to commission 36 new cutters from 2010 to 2012 including seven 1500 ton class, fifteen 1000 ton class and fourteen 600 ton class "to better protect China's maritime interests".

Not sure what is the urgency but it sure helps to have a strong domestic shipbuilding industry  to handle bursting demands.  

中国明年完工36艘海监船 将极大提升海上维权实力

2012年05月10日 05:41　来源：中国日报网　 http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2012/05-10/3876907.shtml

　　中国海监总队相关负责人5月9日接受《中国日报》采访时介绍2010年部署的36艘海监船预计将于2013年完工，届时必将极大提升我国海上维权实力。

　　据了解，36艘海监船将分配给10个沿海省市区(含计划单列市)，其中包括7艘1500吨级，15艘1000吨级和14艘600吨级海监船。

　　昨日，中国海监威海市支队承担的1艘600吨级海监船在山东威海正式开工建设。

　　海南省安排建造一艘1500吨级和两艘1000吨级海监船，以提升省级海监执法维权力量。

　　(记者：王倩 编辑：陈璐)

The 1000 ton cutter "China Maritime Surveillance" 26

CMS 75

"China Haijian 50" vessel enters service

(Source: Chinanews)   2011-12-16


The China Haijian 50” vessel, a new flag vessel with most powerful comprehensive ability of the China Marine Surveillance, left Shanghai wharf for its maiden voyage on Dec. 13, 2011. It formed into formation with the “China Haijian 7115” helicopter and the “China Haijian 66” vessel and then sailed to the East China Sea to perform regular cruise and law enforcement mission.

Editor:Cui Xinwen

DDG 162 Nanning Decommissioned

In addition to DDG 131  "Nanjing", another Luda class DDG is now being transferred to the Chinese civilian "coast guard", the CMS (China marine surveillance).  This time it is the Nanning. 

Together with Dongce 226 and Nanyun, the CMS will gain four more 2nd-hand ocean patrol and support ships in rather short order.