A follow up on my Type 529 post

Type 529
perhasp previous remrcs premature.
Strange gun installation (!) Perhaps no true gun at all but watercanon for riotdispersal (greenpeace?) or firefighting. Anyone has any pics with uncovered guns???


Here is two screen capture of Type529 in service with Guangzhou MR, looks like twin 14.5mm/25mm AAA

"Sharpening-2008" exercise stretched to cover tactics

english.chinamil.com.cn 2008-09-18

　　During the on-going force-on-force exercise coded "Sharpening-2008", the multi-service and multi-arm joint trainings were stretched from the strategic level to the tactical level. In the past, multi-service and multi-arm joint trainings were all confined to the strategic level, it was very rare for joint trainings at brigade and regiment levels to cover tactical contents.

　　Deputy director of the on-going exercise Xu Min is of the view that the multi-service and multi-arm joint training implies the transition from the research-centric stage to the normal test-oriented stage.

　　Besides, the multi-service and multi-arm joint training is becoming more and more demanding for the commanders in terms of all-round quality. In previous ground battles, the command elements included only intelligence reconnaissance, command and control, and fire strike. Today, the commanders should know how to command airborne troops, Air Force aviations and Army aviations in joint operations. More command elements require commanders better to have command capabilities accordingly.

　　It is learnt that after receiving the task of conducting this trans-regional force-on-force maneuver exercise, a mechanized infantry brigade of the Jinan Military Area Command added the contents of joint training to all levels from individual soldiers to the commanders of detachments and the leading bodies of the brigade, but with special emphasis on different subjects. For example, individual soldiers would focus on "target identification and guidance", "air-landing essentials" and "the operation of digitalized equipment for individual soldiers", the commanders of detachments would focus on the operation of communication equipment such as satellite navigation and positioning equipment and the command information system, while the leading bodies of the brigade would stress on the disposition of various services and arms in the operation, the basic theories in join operation and the use of sea chart and aviation map.

　　By Fei Shiting and Yang Xihe

　　(Sept 18, PLA Daily) Editor: Chen Jie

HQ-9 Contests For Turkey's AD Requirement

BBC Monitoring International Reports

August 11, 2008 Monday



TURKISH OFFICIAL DETAILS DEFENCE PROCUREMENT PLANS



Text of report by Turkish semi-official news agency Anatolia



[Article by Mustafa Seven: "Defence Industry Under Secretary Bayar on Air Defence Projects" -AA headline]



Ankara 10 Aug 08 (AA) -Defence Industry Under Secretary Murad Bayar said that four serious candidates had been found for the procurement of a long-range, high-altitude air defence system and that talks with these four countries were under way.



Bayar replied to the AA journalist's questions about the air defence systems that Turkey is planning to purchase.



Underscoring that there were four serious contenders for the long-range, high-altitude air defence system, Bayar said these were the United States , Russia , China and Israel .



Bayar also emphasized that they were about to begin serious development projects in the field of air defence systems. He added that half the requirement for mobile air defence systems would be met directly through tenders while the rest would be met by domestic, home-grown production.



Eight Anti-Missile Systems



Turkey is preparing to establish a comprehensive air defence umbrella to counter surrounding missile threats.



The Long-Range Regional Air Defence and Missile Defence System Project is designed to provide Turkey with regional air and missile defence against all air threats.



The project will see four batteries purchased in the first package for the Air Force with four more batteries being purchased at a later date making eight missile defence batteries in all.



Candidates



Emphasizing that talks were underway with four countries including Russia for a long-range, high-altitude air defence system, Bayar said that the s-300 [NATO designation SA-10 Grumble and SA-20 Gargoyle for the extended range version] was currently in production but that this production line was going to be upgraded to the s-400 [NATO SA-21 Growler] and that Turkey was interested in the s-400.



The missiles manufactured by the United States , Russia , China and Israel are the main choices for air defence systems. However, experts agree that Russia and the United States are the main competitors in this field.



Following a bad showing in the Iraq War the United States Patriot system has been upgraded and is now effective against tactical missiles and non-missile aerial vehicles.



The Chinese seem to be experts in the area of medium altitude air defence systems.



Russia is particularly boastful of its long-range, high-altitude systems the s-300 and s-400.



Russia also says it can carry out joint production of these missiles.



Israel manufactures the Arrow system.



The four contenders for the project are Russia 's Rusoboronexport [Russian Defence Export Company] s-400, the Patriot Pac III MEADS, the Israeli Arrow and the Chinese HQ-9.



Turkish firms are expected to contribute with the production of certain sub-systems.



Two of the long-range air defence systems, which are planned to go active in 2010, are expected to be deployed in Ankara and Istanbul while the other two should be deployed according to threat assessments.



Turkey 's requirement for a long-range anti-air and anti-missile system first emerged during the United States operations against Iraq in 1991 and 2003. During those operations NATO mobilized its own assets and deployed Patriots to Turkey . Patriot systems provided security against Iraq 's Scud missiles.



Turkey first met the Patriot system during the 1991 Gulf War. Patriots were successfully used against Iraqi Scuds by both Israel and Saudi Arabia . The air defence radars used by the land-based Patriot system can detect a target up to 100 km [ 62 miles] away destroying it within 15-20 seconds. Patriots have a range of 70 km [ 45 miles].



Patriot Alternatives s-300 s-400 Arrow-2



There are two alternatives to Patriot. The first is the Russian-built s-300 system. Turkey first heard of the s-300 when the Greek Cypriots purchased it for deployment in southern Cyprus in 1997. The s-300 system has a range of 150 km [ 90 miles], can reach an altitude of 27 km and can lock onto a target and fire within 8-10 seconds.



The third option is the Israeli Arrow-2. Produced with US help the Arrow-2 has a range of 100 km and can reach an altitude of 50 km.



Defence sources say that Russia has developed the s-400 after thes-300, and that this system outperforms both the Patriot and the Arrow. The same sources say that Russia is not currently offering the s-400 for sale but add that the s-400 may be purchased during talks for the s-300. The s-400 is known as a 5th generation air defence system. Its performance is double that of the s-300 with a range of 400 km. The s-300 can fire six missiles simultaneously while the s-400 can fire 12. They can hit targets travelling at 2,800 meters a second.



Low-Altitude, Medium Range Systems



Evaluations of bids for low-altitude, medium-range air defence systems are underway.



Defence Industry Under Secretary Bayar said that the next phase for the purchase of ready-to-go low-and medium-altitude air defence systems would be calling for bids.



No High Altitude Systems In TSK Inventory



There is currently no system in the TSK [Turkish Armed Forces] inventory for long-range missile and air defence. Turkey still uses the Rapier and pedestal-mounted Stinger for short-range defence and the modernized I-HAWK for medium range defence.



How The System Works



High-altitude, long-range air defence systems are aimed at destroying long-range missile threats before they enter Turkey 's air space.



During the operation of high-altitude air-defence systems once it has been determined that enemy missiles are headed for Turkey the air defence systems and their associated batteries are alerted, also with satellite help.



Air defence systems are able to stop enemy missiles some 50-300 km away.



Source: Anatolia news agency, Ankara , in Turkish 0704 gmt 10 Aug 08



BBC Monitoring

The most detailed report on PLA’s brigade-ization and Battalion battle group reform from PLAdaily, someone should translate this…..

军旅营体制带来了什么
http://www.chinamil.com.cn/site1/jbzsc/2008-09/08/content_1465561.htm
本报特约记者　胡伟　特约通讯员　黄建东　周林
2008-09-08 06:30:20 来源：解放军报第3版


　　视点提要　党的十七大报告指出，要适应世界军事发展新趋势和我国发展新要求，调整改革军队体制编制和政策制度，逐步形成一整套既有中国特色又符合现代军队建设规律的科学的组织模式、制度安排和运作方式。南京军区某集团军历经两次编制体制调整，逐步形成了军旅营的新编制体制。他们立足这一特点，充分发挥新编制体制优势，弥补作战训练短板，促进了战斗力的攀升。（武天敏）

世纪之交，南京军区某集团军连续实施了两次编制体制改革，所属步兵师先后整编成了摩步旅，集团军人员缩减了近2万人，指挥机构也逐步由军师团营“四级制”变成军旅营“三级制”。

　　编制体制调整后，部队的战斗力如何？带着这样的疑问，8月上旬，记者走进这个集团军，感受新体制给部队带来的新变化。

　　指挥结构趋向扁平化

师厉害？还是旅厉害？这可不是在下军棋。

　　今年6月，淮河流域连降大雨，该集团军担负淮河中下游抗洪抢险任务。山雨欲来，集团军准备拉动一些部队，进行模拟演练。

　　一天，集团军在没有预先号令的情况下，突然给某摩步旅和某装甲师同时下了一道命令：向淮河流域集结。时间就是生命，看谁拉动快，两个单位开始了一场比拼。

　　结果，新体制优势显现：摩步旅作战值班室接到命令后，马上向旅首长报告，然后直接通知到营连，清点人员、携带器材向集结点进发。相形之下，某装甲师作战值班员接到命令，向师首长报告后，再通知团作战值班室；团作战值班员重复上述程序，向团首长汇报后，才通知到营连，出动时间比摩步旅晚了10分钟。

有关专家指出：军旅营体制结构扁平、横宽纵浅，是诸多国家陆军建设发展的方向，这种体制适应现代战争的指挥方式，有利于部队的快速反应。事实上，这个集团军也多次从新体制中尝到“甜头”：今年年初，南方发生雨雪冰冻灾害，该集团军充分发挥军旅营体制精干、灵活、多能的体制优势，以最快时间将两个旅投送到一线，在关键时刻发挥了关键作用。

然而，该集团军领导坦言：“军旅营体制既有优势也有短板。”今年5月，他们组织实兵实装对抗演练。担任“红军”的某旅合成营充分发挥短平快的高效指挥优势，进攻如霹雳闪电。相形之下，担任“蓝军”的某团却因指令传递慢而节节败退。关键时刻，“红军”某旅一辆装甲车战损，阻挡了进攻通路。“红军”急忙呼唤保障队，却只来了一名修理士官。此时，“蓝军”乘机反扑，战场态势瞬间逆转，“蓝军”反败为胜。原来，装甲步战车发动机维修，至少需要三四个人配合，一名维修士官无论如何也难当战场抢修重任。对此，旅装备部长周智伟直“叫苦”：步兵师改旅后，旅编制装甲单位有几十个，却只有1名装甲助理员、2名修理工。兵种多了，保障难了。

　　对此，该集团军一位领导形象地打了一个比方：“就像一个人，减肥之后肯定是身体轻快了，能窜会跑了。但是脂肪的减少，也会有一些副作用。”

　　旅营地位作用“大变脸”

　　前不久，这个集团军专门召开了“发挥军旅营体制优势研讨会”。会上，大家畅所欲言：“军旅营体制确实显现出了指挥层次少、编制结构精干、合成要素增多、协同方式灵活、遂行多样化任务能力较强等优势，但同时也暴露出作战保障能力不强等问题。”

　　记者调查中，该集团军各级领导有一个共识：由“四级制”变成“三级制”，不是简单地减少了指挥层次，而是带来了“战、建、训、管、保”等方方面面的深层次变革。

　这些变革，恰恰是训练转变最迫切的呼声。对此，某摩步旅作训科科长刘遵伟感触颇深：师改旅前，集团军一个通知，机关只要当当“传声筒”，转换报头就发到团里；改旅后，旅机关直接面向部队，这就要求机关要根据各兵种营特点，做好具体的实施计划，工作量明显加大，对机关人员的素质和能力要求明显提高了。

的确，从师到旅、从团属营到旅属营，旅和营的地位作用都发生了巨大变化。某旅三营营长黄继勇说：以前是“上有团下有连，营这一级最清闲。”现在，情况完全不一样了。6月初，这个营进行合成营综合演练，营成为独立作战单元，他既要指挥步兵冲击，又要指挥防空袭，还要召唤炮兵火力……

　　“我俨然成了半个团长了！这正说明，推进军事训练转变，最根本、最紧要的是在提高官兵综合素质上狠下功夫。”黄营长感慨地说。

　　顺应形势扬长避短

调查中，记者发现，这个集团军经过几年探索实践，已经走出了“孰优孰劣”的争论，步入了又好又快发展的轨道。

比如，集团军乘编制体制改革有利时机，明显加快了信息化建设。随着“扁平结构”代替传统“树状结构”，该集团军加快一体化指挥平台建设，较快研究探索出了信息化条件下作战的指挥编成、流程和方式。对此，集团军领导深有感触：“如果不是编制体制改革，我们可能还要摸索更长的时间。”

同时，记者欣喜地发现，“师改旅”这个新生事物，正在由“双刃剑”变成“双受益”——

　　集成组训：师在学习旅。7月中旬，该集团军某装甲师首次采用合成组训模式，以装甲合成营为作战单元开展协同战术演练。此次演练，参演的各兵种分队高度融合，密切协同，攥成了“硬拳头”。该师领导告诉笔者，这种组训方式，就是借鉴了旅的优势，打破专业壁垒，优化内部结构，提高指挥效率，大幅提高了营的综合作战能力。

　　作战保障：旅在借鉴师。记者发现，该集团军的旅专业技能考核成为今年一大亮点。集团军对所属旅10多个兵种160余个专业考核内容进行了细化，考核全岗覆盖，全员参与，从主战兵种到保障单元，从关键岗位到一般岗位，包括“八大员”无一例外。这种考法，使一大批“多面手”脱颖而出，有效促进了旅保障力量自身建设。

　　据悉，编制体制调整后，该集团军所属部队，无论师旅，专业基础训练成绩每年都以3%左右的幅度提高；分队军官和士兵达到技术能手标准的比例，每年提高5%左右。

Russia, China resume talks on military transport planes
16:03 | 05/ 09/ 2008

Print version

GELENDZHIK (South Russia), September 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will continue negotiations on a contract to deliver 34 transport planes and four aerial tankers to China earlier frozen due to a disagreement over prices, Russia's state-run arms exporter said on Friday.

"We are returning to the contract and renegotiating the price of these planes," Mikhail Zavaliy, a Rosoboronexport official told reporters at an air show in the Krasnodar Region.

According to the 2005 contract between Rosoboronexport and China's Defense Ministry, worth $1.5 billion, Russia was supposed to deliver 34 Il-76 Candid medium-range military transport aircraft and four Il-78 Midas aerial refueling tankers.

The first deliveries under the contract were due to begin in 2007, but in 2006, Uzbekistan's Tashkent Chkalov Aircraft Association, the manufacturer of the aircraft, refused to sign a production contract with Rosoboronexport at the contract price.

As a result, the agreement was delayed, and Beijing suspended negotiations on this and several other military contracts with Russia.

Since then, the Tashkent-based company has become part of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation, and the planes will now be assembled at an aircraft manufacturing plant in Ulyanovsk in central Russia, the official said.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080905/116575606.html

Take it for what it is, a starting point for debate, nothing more, nothing less.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/04/content_9771257.htm

China submits 2007 military expenditure report to UN
www.chinaview.cn 2008-09-04 17:57:49 Print

BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- China has reported its 2007 military expenditures to the United Nations (UN), the second time it has done so since it started participating in the UN Military Budget Transparency Mechanism last year.

The report provides more information than the previous submission, including basic data of the country's military spend for the latest fiscal year. It also explained the main purpose of the expenditures, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said here at a regular news briefing.

This demonstrated again that the Chinese government attached great importance to the issue of military transparency, and actively improved mutual trust with other countries in the military field, she added.

Since last year, China has participated in the UN Military Budget Transparency Mechanism and returned to the Conventional Weapons Registration System, two major mechanism of the UN concerning military transparency.

The UN Military Budget Transparency Mechanism came into being in 1980 when the UN General Assembly approved resolution 35/142 entitled "Reduction of Military Budgets." It introduced the UN system for standardized reporting of military expenditure.

Currently, more than 110 nations have joined the system.

According to rumor, DDG 163 Nanchang, another Luda class destroy of South Sea Fleet is slotted for decommission after DDG 161. Interestingly, South Sea fleet just commissioned two new Type 054A FFG in recent months, coincidence?


Most recent photos of DD163 taken in Lushun, Dalian

Confirm, PHL03 300MM MRL is in active service.

I posted the following back in March 08, 2008:

Here is the latest orbat for PLA's last two reminding
Artillery Divisions.

While all other arty divisions have been downsized as
artillery brigades, those two Taiwan facing divisions
gained a new life to host some of PLA's latest long range rockets.

1st Arty Div, 42nd Group Army, Guangzhou Military
Region, new unit number 75230

- 25th regiment 75231
- 26th regiment 75232
- 27th regiment 75233
- 52th regiment 75234
- 209th Heavy Rocket Regiment 75235

9th Arty Div,  1st Group Army, Nanjing Military
Region, new unit number 73031

- 2rd regiment 73032
- 3nd regiment 73033
- 14th regiment 73034
- 16th regiment 73035
- 201th Heavy Rocket Regiment 73036



In today's PLAdaily, it reports:

From August 27th to August 30th, Long Rang Rockets Units Nanjing and Guangzhou MRs
were send to a Northwestern desert for a live fire drill.

http://pic.chinamil.com.cn/news/2008-09/01/content_1455286.htm


两大军区火箭炮部队万里机动实弹演练
来源：中国军网 发布时间： 2008-09-01 09:29:16
人民解放军炮兵部队大力加强实战化训练，在复杂条件和艰苦环境中检验与提高信息化条件下的作战能力。8月27日至30日，来自南京和广州军区的远程
火箭炮部队经远程机动后，在西北某地的茫茫大漠上组织实弹战术演练。图为演练部队快速占领发射阵地后，对数十公里外的目标实施火力打击。



中国军网  吴苏琳  摄

（责编：孙礼）