China Coast Guard's New Y-12F Patrol Aircraft

 As shown in yesterday's CCTV-7 report, a new twin-engine turboprop patrol aircraft has entered service with the China Coast Guard. From the screen capture below it appears to be an enlarged, somewhat "fattened" derivative of the Harbin Y-12F civilian utility aircraft.  The aircraft is equipped with a small forward-looking infrared (FLIR) turret mounted under the nose. The pilots also appear to have bubble observation windows, which are always a useful feature when your job involves actually looking for things outside the aircraft.

Further aft, there appear to be various communications and satellite-navigation antennas, along with what looks to be a surface-search radar and an integrated mission management system for tracking contacts at sea. The exact configuration is difficult to determine from a few seconds of television footage, but it is clearly more than a stock civilian transport with a fresh coat of white paint.

Maritime patrol aircraft are a fairly standard tool for any modern coast guard. They are invaluable for search-and-rescue missions, fisheries enforcement, maritime surveillance, and generally keeping track of what is happening over large stretches of ocean without having to send a cutter everywhere.

The broader point, and one I've touched on in several recent posts, is that the China Coast Guard continues to evolve beyond being simply a fleet of large white-hulled cutters. It is increasingly becoming a more comprehensive maritime service with dedicated aviation assets, improved sensors, and better command-and-control capabilities.  Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing depends entirely on your political point of view. 

By the way, if you'd like to buy your own Y-12F, AVIC is apparently more than happy to provide a quote via this (link) For anyone whose life plan includes operating a small fleet of utility turboprops, today may be your lucky day.

 

Friday, December 24, 2010

Y-12F Tactical STOL prototype 001.

Y-12F Tactical STOL prototype 001 rolled off production line on December 19th, counting down to its maiden flight.

Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Selects Hamilton Sundstrand for Y12F Environmental Control System


WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co. Ltd. (HAIG) has selected Hamilton Sundstrand to provide the Environmental Control System for the Harbin Y12F airplane. Hamilton Sundstrand is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

Using the latest technology developed for regional jets, Hamilton Sundstrand's Environmental Control System will provide technical advancement for the Y12F airplane, which represents the next generation of high wing, middle-to-short haul airplanes with technology that enables improved economy and efficiency, and a significant reduction in airplane weight. The Y12F is a light multipurpose airplane that can accommodate 19 passengers or three large cargo containers.

"Hamilton Sundstrand is very excited by the opportunity to work with Harbin as partners on the Y12F," said Jim Patrick, Hamilton Sundstrand vice president of Air Management Systems. "Our success on the program is further evidence of our position as a leading aircraft systems integrator."

Founded in 1952, HAIG is a major Chinese airframe manufacturer with more than 16,000 employees. The company's facility, located in Harbin, Heilongjiang, produces helicopters, flying boats and light general purpose aircraft. Development of the Y12 began in 1980. Type I was used chiefly in exploration and Type II is a passenger plane with 12 seats.

"We selected the Hamilton Sundstrand Environmental Control System because of its quality, reliability and innovative design," said Qu Jingwen, president of Harbin Aircraft Group.

With 2007 revenues of $5.6 billion, Hamilton Sundstrand employs approximately 18,300 people worldwide and is headquartered in Windsor Locks, Conn., U.S.A. Among the world's largest suppliers of technologically advanced aerospace and industrial products, the company designs,manufactures and services aerospace systems and provides integrated system solutions for commercial, regional, corporate and military aircraft. It also is a major supplier for International space programs.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries worldwide.

Contact: Dan Coulom



Windsor Locks, Conn.
860-654-3469

SOURCE Hamilton Sundstrand 

 

Friday, June 25, 2010

Y-12F Tactical STOL update.

The first Y-12F prototype undergoes structure static-test. Maiden flight is scheduled for October this year.

This Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B turboprops powered Chinese tactical STOL has a max T-O weight of 84,00 Kg (18, 518 lb) and a design life of 50,000 flight hours or 60,000 take-offs. Five copies were per-ordered by "a government agency" during the 2006 Zhihai airshow. (here)

运12F首架机转入静力试验 预计10月首飞

http://news.ifeng.com/mil/2/detail_2010_06/25/1669621_0.shtml

6月15日，运12F首架静力试验机机身铆接下架，交付静力试验室，标志着中航工业哈飞完成了运12F首架机的整机铆接任务，为实现10月份首飞奠定了坚实的基础。

交付仪式上，哈飞公司副总经理张继超代表公司向运12F团队表示感谢，对大家一年来辛勤努力取得的成果表示祝贺。他说，运12F是支撑哈飞公司未来发展的主要机型之一，对于哈飞公司转型升级实现跨越式发展有着重大的意义。尤其是深入开展“创先争优”活动以来，基层各部门和单位切实践行了“转型升级打基础，凝心聚力促发展，我为党旗增光彩”的活动主题，干部党员身先士卒，忘我奉献，抢时间争进度，确保了任务的按期完成。他希望参与运12F项目的全体人员能够继续发扬拼搏精神，力保运12F首飞成功。

运 12F首架机作为静力试验机装配了完整的机身结构，在铆接过程中，全部通过各项检查指标，达到了静力试验机制造装配各项技术条件要求，按期交付静力试验室。该架机将在静力试验室展开为期半年的静力试验，重点验证飞机结构、构件在静载荷作用下的强度、刚度以及应力、变形分布情况。

运 12F是哈飞公司在运12系列飞机基础上，集30年通用飞机研制经验而设计开发的新一代短途支线/通用涡桨飞机，是全球该座级先进机型之一。哈飞从 2005年开始进行概念设计，用4年的时间完成了设计图样发放、工装设计、制造。2009年5月，零部件开始投产；6月，打响铆接第一枪；11月，整体油箱铆接结束。2010年2月，机身小部件开铆；6月，运12F前、中机身进行对接并交付静力试验。

运-12F是运-12系列的全面改进型，机体进一步放大，最大起飞重量从5吨级大幅提升到8.4吨（最初指标为7.7吨），最大商载从1.7吨提升到3吨（最初指标为2.7吨）。图为运-12F研制早期的宣传图册。

与运-12系列其他型号相比，运-12F实际是一款全新设计的轻型通用飞机。

 

What does a Coast Guard need a landing craft for?

Here's a fairly clear photo of China Coast Guard cutter 34607, a Type 271-II 500-ton Landing Ship Medium (LSM).

And yes, that immediately raises an obvious question: what does a coast guard need a landing craft for?

Cutter 34607 appears to be a hand-me-down from either the PLA Navy or the PLA Ground Force, both of which have operated the Type 271-II in various forms. The Chinese seem reluctant to throw away a perfectly serviceable hull, and one more transfer to the Coast Guard probably wasn't going to change that.

As far as I can tell, China is the only country whose coast guard operates anything resembling a landing craft capable of limited ocean going. Most coast guards are content with patrol vessels, rescue ships, and the occasional buoy tender. Apparently someone in China looked at a landing ship and thought, "Sure, paint it white."

To be fair, there are practical uses. A shallow-draft landing craft is well suited for hauling personnel, vehicles, construction materials, and supplies to remote outposts or civilian facilities. Using a Coast Guard cutter for those missions can also look a bit less provocative than dispatching a gray-hulled naval ship, particularly in front of nervous South China Sea neighbors.

Beyond that, I wouldn't read too much into it. Not every unusual vessel transfer is evidence of a master plan. Sometimes an old ship gets a new paint job and a second career. Still, it's an amusing little oddity of the Chinese maritime fleet and one of those details that makes you stop scrolling and say, "Wait, why does the Coast Guard have a landing ship?" 

 

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Photo Of The Day: China Coast Guard is now amphibious?

 Like the PAP, it seems that the China Coast Guard is also getting (Type 067 III) landing craft into her fleet

 

Saturday, April 19, 2025

Video Of The Day: Peoeple's Armed Police is now amphibious?

In April 16th 2025, the People's Armed Police (PAP) commissioned a LCU (Type 067 III) into its fleet,  you can watch the entire video (here).  While the PAP is known to command small river crafts for security and law enforcement purposes, particularly in inland waters, this is the first time of it commanding an amphibious asset.

 

Here are some screen captures of the same video

Friday, April 04, 2025

Photo of the day: China Coast Guard Type 701 Support Ro-Ro Ship

There are all sorts of Ro-Ro ships in China that can use a Mulberry-style harbor with barges to offload their cargo, including the China Coast Guard Type 701 Support Ro-Ro Ship.   It was first sighted on December 5, 2023, shortly after her commissioning.   Below is the most recent photo of her as of April 4th, 2025.

Photo from Dec 2023

Photo from April 4th 2025

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Ship of the day: Army's Own Landing Ship Medium (LSM) GY802, Type701

The gangway banner from a recent open house reads "Hainan Province, Sansha Garrison, GY802 Ship"

Another example of the 8.6×70mm DBU-202 cartridge in PLA service.

 Pictured here is a GI Zhou catching some sleep next to his beloved QBU-202 bolt-action sniper rifle, chambered in 8.6×70mm Lapua Magnum and fitted with a rather impressive-looking high-tech optic.

The system itself has been around since the early 2020s, and there is already a fair amount of information about it available online. While drone warfare continues to dominate headlines both inside and outside China, this photo offers a useful reminder that the PLA is also investing heavily in other specialized forms of warfare. The adoption of a new long-range sniper caliber is one small but visible example of that broader effort.

Norinco has not simply introduced a rifle and called it a day. Over the past few years, it has developed an ecosystem of supporting equipment that aligns with the PLA's evolving land warfare concepts. Although some literature exists on the subject, I think there is still plenty of room for further research. The role of specialized long-range marksmanship and sniper units appears to be receiving increasing attention within the PLA's broader warfighting framework.

The PLA is not exactly keeping these capabilities out of the public eye, either. Chinese sniper teams have appeared regularly in international events such as the Golden Owl competition in Kazakhstan and the Sniper Frontier contests held under the International Army Games framework. In recent years, China has also hosted its own Sharp Blade international sniper competitions, attracting teams from dozens of countries.

Tonight, you pukes will sleep with your rifles. You will give your rifle a girl's name because this is the only cat you people are going to get

 

 

 

 

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Non-headliner items from the current Zhuhai Airshow 2024

14.5X114mm Three-barreled Gatling gun RWS mount as an anti-drone solution   Note the UAV jammer in the back of this "CS/Squad C-UAV System"

Also, the new General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) chambered in 8.6mm is based on PLA's current in-service QJY-201, another export push perhaps. 

 

Replacing the CJ-6 Basic Trainer for Good?

At the 2025 Dubai Airshow, China's new XJJ basic trainer made its first public appearance, offering the clearest sign yet that the People's Liberation Army Air Force may finally be preparing to retire the venerable CJ-6 from frontline basic training duties.

The XJJ program appears to be moving forward steadily, with reports indicating that the aircraft will be powered by a new turboprop engine developed to replace the aging HS-6A (Huosai-6A) piston engine that has powered generations of CJ-6 trainers. The shift reflects a broader modernization effort, bringing primary pilot training closer to the performance and operational characteristics of modern military aircraft.

The CJ-6 has had a remarkably long career. First flown in the late 1950s and entering service in the early 1960s, it became the backbone of Chinese military basic pilot training for decades. While often compared to the Soviet Yak-18, the CJ-6 was substantially redesigned by Chinese engineers and evolved into a highly successful aircraft in its own right (too successful as one might argue or the PLAAF really is that cheap) .

For generations of PLAAF, PLANAF, and civilian pilots, the CJ-6 represented the first step into military aviation. The aircraft earned a reputation for being rugged, forgiving, easy to maintain, and inexpensive to operate. Those same qualities helped it find a second life abroad, where large numbers of surplus aircraft were exported and became popular among warbird collectors and recreational pilots, particularly in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

Even as newer trainers entered service, the XJJ for example, the CJ-6 remained difficult to replace. Its low operating costs and proven reliability made it a practical solution for basic flight instruction. However, the aircraft's piston-engine design increasingly contrasted with the needs of a modern air force training pipeline centered around advanced jet trainers and fifth-generation combat aircraft.  There's rumor flying around (pun intended) that the PLAAF might have sixth-generation flying as well.

The appearance of the XJJ suggests that Chinese military planners finally have a successor capable of taking over the CJ-6's role. A modern turboprop trainer would offer better performance, lower lifecycle support challenges, and a training experience more representative closer to the contemporary military aviation.

That said, replacing the CJ-6 is more than simply introducing a new aircraft. It marks the possible end of one of the longest-serving training platforms in Chinese aviation history. Few military trainers anywhere in the world can claim over six decades of continuous service.

But, eventually every aircraft reaches the end of its journey.

PLAAF, it may finally be time to let the old trainer go. Long overdue.  "Let It Go"

  

Wednesday, November 05, 2025

Elephant walk Nanchang CJ-6

Step aside, sixth-generation fighter Chengdu J-36 and Shenyang J-50, below is the pride of the PLAAF

Saturday, August 30, 2025

Nanchang CJ-6, the old and the new

As the PLA Navy intensifies its push train more naval aviators, it can rely on the time-tested CJ-6 as its basic trainer aircraft. Yup, the pilots who now command the cutting-edge J-35 stealth fighter began their careers in a far humbler 60-year-old, radial-engined trainer with tricycle landing gear. 

 

 

Monday, December 30, 2024

Forever CJ-6

CCTV captured footage of a newly minted Nanchang CJ-6 taking off.  Some in China requested that the PLAN be photographed a CJ-6 taking off from one of her new flattops, as a reenactment to a WWII Pacific Theater scene.    Personally, I believe that's a terrific concept; let's do it.

Thursday, August 22, 2024

Yup, CJ-6 trainer still in production

This tiny trustworthy basic training is still in production after 60 odd years, according to this AVIC PR photo.   It now has a civilian variant to offer as well. 

Just photos: Clear High Res Photos Of Type 054B's 48VLS cells

Photos of second batch of Type 054B guided-missile frigates taken from Shanghai's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard 

 

Also,  I am offline for 12 to 14 days,  see you guys back in early Sept.

 

Bonus photo of 2x Type55 DDG under construction at Dalian shipbuilding up north

 

Monday, August 10, 2026

Type 054B FFG Ready for Launch at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong — and Possibly 48 VLS cells

Another Type 054B is sliding toward launch at Huangpu, as is tradition the Chinese internet, they immediately broke into debate over hull numbering. It’s part of the PLA‑watching sport at this point.

Some insist this is Huangpu’s 5th hull, others swear it’s the 6th. The confusion is predictable: Huangpu and Hudong‑Zhonghua are building 054Bs in parallel, and the “5th hull” many people reference is actually the one taking shape in Shanghai. Tomato, tomahto, the numbering "debate" is mostly noise.

The signal is the production tempo. The PLAN already has two 054Bs commissioned, and rumors point to eight more in the second batch. That puts the class on track for roughly ten ships in service within a few years, keeping up the下饺子 pace.

But the real headline isn’t whether this hull is #5 or #6. It’s the early zoomed‑in photos suggesting that the second‑batch 054Bs may be moving from 32  vertical launching system (VLS)  cells into 48 of the Type54B class. If confirmed, that’s a meaningful jump in flexibility and firepower and arguably the bigger story than the hull count.

Happy Monday for all of your VLS counters out there.  

36 to 48   vertical launching system (VLS) cells.  32 on the first two

 

 Now, look at the 2nd batch of Type54B below

 

 

 

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

A new Type 054B frigate is now taking shape at Guangzhou’s Huangpu Shipyard.

Some of you will remember the classic era of China‑Navy watching when dedicated enthusiasts would literally camp outside the big shipyards in Dalian, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Guangzhou. Back then, blurry fence‑line photos were prized intel, and some of them ended up on this blog.

As Chinese milblogs and satellite imagery became more accessible, the community gradually shifted from on‑the‑ground snapshots to analyzing high‑resolution overhead imagery instead. 

Still, it’s always refreshing to see a genuine shipyard photo surface again. There’s something about that old‑school, boots‑on‑the‑ground perspective that satellite pictures just can’t replace.

 

Sunday, March 01, 2026

Third Type054B FFG spotted

After the first two Type 054B frigates entered PLAN service in early 2025, many wondered whether production would continue at the same pace. That concern now seems misplaced: a third Type 054B has been spotted under construction at the Pudong Changxingdao shipyard in Shanghai, a clear sign that the class remains firmly in the pipeline as a core “blue‑water” general‑purpose combatant moving forward.

Looking back at the broader Type 054 program, the pattern is familiar. China typically builds an initial pair of ships, conducts a period of intensive evaluation and refinement, and only then moves into full‑rate production for a larger batch. The emerging trajectory of the Type 054B appears to be following that same proven approach.

 

 

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

PLAN commissions first Type054B frigate

PLA Navy commissions first Type 054B frigate
By Global Times Published: Jan 22, 2025 10:12 AM

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1327355.shtml


The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's first Type 054B frigate, the Luohe, is commissioned on Wednesday, given the hull number 545, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

With the hull number 545 and a displacement of about 5,000 tons, the Luohe is a new generation of frigate independently developed and built by China. It has made breakthroughs in vessel stealth technology, combat command systems, and firepower integrated control, among other aspects, significantly enhancing its performance.

The ship possesses strong comprehensive combat capabilities and diversified military mission capabilities, which are of great significance for improving the overall combat effectiveness of naval warship formations. It is an important piece of equipment for the transformation and development of the Chinese navy, according to Xinhua.