It is not your father's PLA

China’s Military Says No Plates for Porsches in Crackdown
By Bloomberg News - Apr 28, 2013 9:01 AM PT

 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-28/china-s-military-says-no-plates-for-porsches-in-crackdown.html
   

China will ban the use of military number plates on luxury cars, including Porsche and Bentley, in a crackdown on abuse of vehicle management within the armed forces amid President Xi Jinping’s campaign against corruption.

The change was ordered by the Central Military Commission, headed by Xi, and is part of the military’s effort to reinforce discipline and protect its image, the PLA Daily, the armed forces’ official newspaper, said in a report yesterday.
Enlarge image China’s Military Says No Plates for Porsches in Luxury Crackdown

In a full-page special report in the paper, the People’s Liberation Army logistics department gave a list of luxury autos that will no longer be allowed to use military plates. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

A new license system will go into force on May 1 to clamp down on the sale and use of legal and counterfeit military plates in order to “maintain social harmony, stability and the reputation of the military,” the paper said. Existing plates for all military vehicles will be canceled, it said.

The use of military license plates on luxury cars “is at odds with our army’s glorious tradition and not conducive to building the military’s morals,” according to a commentary in the newspaper. Vehicle management is “a political task to maintain forever the nature, principle and true color of the armed forces,” it said.

In the Internet era, military vehicles have been put in the public spotlight and drivers must “mind their behavior,” the commentary said.

“In recent years, irregularities in the use of military cars have drawn public attention,” the official Xinhua News Agency said in a report yesterday. “Some internet users have posted snapshots on popular Twitter-like microblogs featuring limos with military license plates.”
Detailed List

In a full-page special report in the paper, the People’s Liberation Army logistics department gave a list of luxury autos that will no longer be allowed to use military plates. Banned cars include Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lincoln, Cadillac, Volkswagen Phaeton, Bentley, Jaguar, Porsche and all-terrain vehicles include Land Rover, Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7.

Other cars priced at more than 450,000 yuan ($73,000) and with engine capacity of 3.0 liters and above will also be barred from using military license plates, the paper said.

The registration, production and issue of all military license plates will be processed through a computer database so that luxury cars or vehicles exceeding quotas will be automatically rejected, according to the report.

The military has also adopted technology that will match license plates with electronic toll collection cards to detect counterfeit license plates as they pass through toll gates, the newspaper said.

--Fan Wenxin. Editors: Nerys Avery, Peter Torday

To contact the reporter on this story: Wenxin Fan in Shanghai at wfan19@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: John Liu at jliu42@bloomberg.net

Photos of the day: Zubr coming home

Jianghu class FFG535 Huangshi and 536 Wuhu decommissioned today.

Two Jianghu III class FFG completed their refit while being decommissioned at the same day -- this odd pattern adds credence to the rumor that they are being sold off to the Bangladeshi navy.   We will know soon enough

 

Monday, March 05, 2012

Two Jianghu II class to Burma (Myanmar)

In addition to the pending transfer of two Jianghus to the Bangladeshi navy, the China navy is also selling two of its "younger" Jianghu FFG to the Burma navy.   Since FFG 554 "Anshan" and FFG557 "Jishou" were build in 1986 and 1988, there should be a few years of service life left in them.

Now both navies are Jianghu equipped, it will be interesting to see if they ever face each other in battle.

Burma, Bangladesh in Warship Standoff
By LAWI WENG Monday, October 12, 2009
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=16979

Burmese and Bangladeshi warships faced off across the Bay of Bengal on Monday as both nations built up naval and military forces along the border, according to a report in the Dhaka-based The Daily Star on Monday.

Quoting sources within the Bangladeshi armed forces, The Daily Star reported that Burma had on Sunday brought in heavy tanks, artillery guns, 12 warships and a frigate “as part of its preparation for a large-scale conflict with Bangladesh.”

The Bangladeshi daily said that according to a Bangladeshi naval official, Dhaka had reinforced its maritime border “in a bid to repulse a Myanmarese incursion by preparing 30 warships in Chittagong and Khulna.”

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni reportedly rejected reports about the heavy military build-up on the border at a press conference on Sunday, saying it is a routine movement of security personnel.

However, the Bangladeshi daily cited several sources within the country’s defense services who suggested the Burmese regime was provoking a conflict.

The Irrawaddy was unable to independently confirm the reports with the Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

Meanwhile, news of the standoff has to date gone unreported in Burma’s state-run press.

Tensions between Burma and Bangladesh mounted last week after Burmese armed forces began erecting barbed wire fencing along its Bangladeshi border.

According to The Daily Star, the Burmese government had deployed nine light infantry battalions to the border region. However, Khaing Mrat Kyaw, an editor at the Dhaka-based Narinjara news agency, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that only five battalions had been moved into position by Oct 7.

Bangladesh and Burma share a 320-kilometer border, partly demarcated by the Naf River, a regular route for smuggling and illegal crossings.

Tin Soe, an editor for the Kaladan Press Network, based in Bangladesh, said that a border-based military officer told Bangladeshi journalists in Dhaka on Sunday: “We will solve this conflict through diplomatic channels. If we can’t solve it, we have to go to war, because we don’t want to lose an inch of land.”

Tin Soe said that the people living near the border are worried about the potential conflict because they fear the Burmese junta’s troops will bury a lot of landmines along the border.

Dipu

Most of the Burma navy are mounted with C-801/2 SSM,  I am sure the existing C-201 SSM will be removed in due course.

 

Photo of FFG554  taken last year -- seems to be in good working order.

War profiteering with Chinese Characteristics

ZXauto, a small Chinese producers of pick ups and SUVs proudly display their "Libyan" technical in a recent Shanghai auto-show.  While this is so wrong on so many levels, I can't help it but to cheer for their entrepreneurial spirit, (with Chinese Characteristics of course)

KJ-200 early-warning airplane first used for disaster relief

KJ-200 early-warning airplane first used for disaster relief

(Source: China Military Online)   2013-04-25

The picture shows that a KJ-200 early-warning airplane of the Air Force of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLAAF) is about to take off from a military airfield to perform disaster-relief operation on April 24, 2013. (Photo by Wu Sulin)

　　BEIJING, April 25, (ChinaMil) -- The air force under the Chengdu Military Area Command (MAC) of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) dispatched a KJ-200 early-warning airplane to quake-hit Lushan county of southwest China’s Sichuan province at 07:37 on April 24, 2013 to provide reliable and effective command and support for helicopters’ air-drop, air-transport and rescue missions on the same day.

　　The earthquake-stricken areas in Lushan county of Sichuan province feature complex terrain, changeable weather, heavy air rescue mission and numerous disaster-relief aircraft, etc. The KJ-200 early-warning airplane above the quake-hit areas significantly improved the capabilities of commanding and controlling the air rescue operations.

　　According to Zhao Pengmin, deputy chief of staff of the PLAAN, the KJ-200 early-warning airplane can carry out air early warning (AEW) command, communication guide and radar shadow detection to ensure scientific, efficient, well-organized and safe air disaster-relief operations. It is learnt that as of 17:00 on April 24, the KJ-200 early-warning airplane had flown nearly 8 hours, commanded and controlled 83 batches of in-flight aircraft, guided PLAAF helicopters to transport 42 persons/times and air-drop and airlift 28.8 tons of disaster-relief materials.

Editor:Dong Zhaohui

PR photos of the day: Simulation Training Center Army Aviation Corps

Photo of the day: Handover of the Zubr LCAC to the PLAN

Project 958 handover ceremony in Ukraine
http://andrei-bt.livejournal.com/218598.html

Thanks snake65 for this news update.

Friday, July 02, 2010

The Zubr deal has been finalized.

The last update on the Zubr deal transpired in April 2010 (here). after a prolonged negotiation, the deal seems to have finalized.

Blueprints are to be handed over to the Chinese side under the project, according to some sources

Expect a Chinese export variant coming to a trade-show soon.

(Thanks dylan for the news)

KYIV. July 1 (Interfax-AVN) - The implementation of a contract to build high-speed hovercrafts of the Zubr-type for China at the Morye shipyard in Feodosia will start in September, Prime Minister of Crimea Vasyl Dzharty said.

"The construction of the first two hovercrafts will begin in September," Dzharty said at the shipyard.

Crimea and Ukraine continue looking for new orders for Feodosia shipyards, he said.

"I think orders will come from Russia and from Ukraine," he added.

Earlier reports said that a $350 million contract for the construction of four high-speed amphibious hovercrafts of the Zubr-type for China was concluded by Ukrainian arms trader Ukrspetsexport in 2009.

Two were to be built in Ukraine and two in China with Ukrainian experts' participation. Blueprints are to be handed over to the Chinese side under the project, according to some sources.

Ukraine, Russia and Greece signed a trilateral contract in January 2000 for the delivery of four similar hovercrafts to Greece - two by Ukraine and two by Russia, worth a total of about $200 million. The contract with Ukraine was worth about $97 million and with Russia some $101 million.

The high-speed amphibious hovercraft of the Zubr-type is capable of carrying 150 tons of cargo, including up to three medium tanks, or 500 Marines. The hovercraft can develop a speed of over 60 knots (about 120 kilometers per hour) on land, water and ice. It can tackle obstacles of up to 1.5 meters high. Zubr has five 5 hp gas turbines.

Greek Navy's Zubr L81

Latest military technologies help China's quake rescue

Latest military technologies help China's quake rescue

Xinhua | 2013-4-24 9:11:48 By Agencies

The latest development of military technologies, including a satellite navigation system and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), has helped China carry out more efficient rescue and relief efforts after Saturday's strong earthquake.

At the field headquarters of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Chengdu Military Area Command (MAC) set up for quake rescue and relief, many important deployments have been made based on latest pictures of the quake-hit areas taken by satellites, drones and reconnaissance aircrafts.

"From these high resolution pictures taken from the air, we can tell where there are landslides, which roads are blocked and which parts are damaged most," said Zhou Xiaozhou, head of the rescue headquarters of Chengdu MAC.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake, which jolted southwest China's Sichuan Province on Saturday morning, has left 193 dead, 25 missing and 12,211 injured as of 6 a.m. Tuesday.

So far the rescue and relief teams have responded quickly mainly because the country has established an aerial intelligence network covering a large area and collecting precise information in an efficient way, Zhou said.

According to Zhou, shortly after the quake, the PLA Navy sent out its remote sensing aircrafts from the base in Sichuan to find out the situation of Lushan County, the quake epicenter and a remote mountainous region.

In the meantime, the PLA Air Force mobilized its helicopters and reconnaissance aircrafts to update the situation of the quake-hit areas and guide rescuers on land.

To acquire more geographic information of the quake-hit area and the disaster's damage, the National Defense Bureau of Science, Technology and Industry initiated an emergency space mission to collect remote sensing data of the quake-hit area by using five satellites flying over on Saturday.

In lower airspace, the quake-relief troops have used UAVs to map small-size or narrow locations in the quake zone where manned reconnaissance aircraft could hardly reach.

In most parts of Lushan, the strong quake damaged communication, transport and power supply facilities, adding difficulties for the rescue force who had to trek through narrow mountain roads and under the threat of landslides.

The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has enabled land rescuers to communicate among each other and with the headquarters, said Lang Anwu, chief of staff of an artillery regiment under the 13th Combined Corps of PLA Army, which has engaged in the rescue mission in Lushan.

The BDS is China's homegrown satellite navigation system. The country has already sent 16 satellites to space for the system and the BDS is expected to cover the globe with a constellation of over 30 satellites by around 2020.

To help more quake-relief troops, the PLA's General Staff Headquarters has provided additional 260 sets of the Beidou system to the quake zones. At least 363 sets of the hand-held Beidou system have been equipped in the quake zones.

"Each squad has been equipped with the BDS terminal device so that the headquarters can locate them at any time and send out orders," Lang said.

In the early hours after the quake, the transport of injured people and rescue teams has largely depended on helicopters and planes.

With China's indigenous Beidou system, the quake-relief headquarters can not only acquire every rescue unit's real-time location and maneuver but also contact them even if telecommunication is cut off.

Air strength has played a vital role in rescue. Three hours after the quake, a cargo plane took off to ship a national rescue team to the quake-hit area while four emergency helicopter squads rushed to the worst-hit areas to locate and set up temporary helipads.

In the first 72 hours since the quake, the air force shipped about 900 people out and more than 120 tonnes of relief material into the quake zone.

Since roads to some remote townships and villages were frequently blocked by sliding rocks, the Air Force started the first airdrop operation on Monday, delivering food and water for thousands of homeless survivors.

"The efficiency of rescue and relief work is closely linked to the capacity of air support," said Cai Suwei, a senior Air Force officer commanding the rescue work. "We need to further improve the fast response capacity of the Air Force so as to minimize the casualty in natural disasters."

The military medical aid teams have also adopted new technologies to save more lives salvaged from under the debris.

A medical team from the Beijing-based PLA's General Hospital has brought a telemedicine system supported by satellite communications to field operation shelter vehicles in the quake zones.

Within the first 24 hours after the quake, a 12-year-old girl was saved from Baoxing County but her condition became critical due to internal bleeding.

Two surgeons of the medical team consulted on the girl's condition with more experts of the PLA's General Hospital in Beijing through the telemedicine system, who guided the surgeons to remove the girl's ruptured spleen.

One week before the quake, the Chinese government published a new national defense white paper to illustrate why and how the country employs its armed forces in a more diversified way in peace time.

The document stressed that participating in emergency rescue and disaster relief is one of the most important tasks for China's armed forces since it is one of the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters.

China has formed nine state-level professional emergency-response teams for flood relief, earthquake rescue and other emergencies, according to the white paper.

A total of 19,000 soldiers and officers from China's military and armed police forces have been sent to quake-hit areas in Sichuan since Saturday.

China's Air Force starts first airdrop in quake zones

China's Air Force starts first airdrop in quake zones

(Source: Xinhua)   2013-04-23

　　BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force on Monday carried out its first airdrop operations in quake-hit southwest China to deliver food and water for thousands of homeless survivors.

　　Loaded with bottled water, instant noodles and other food, an Air Force helicopter took off from Qionglai Airport to Baosheng township.

　　The Air Force has also deployed a second helicopter to drop food and water to Baosheng.

　　The weight of food and water by the two helicopters totals 2.6 tonnes, according to Air Force sources.

　　Since the quake hit mountainous Lushan County of southwest China's Sichuan Province on Saturday, roads to many remote towns were blocked by sliding rocks, leaving survivors facing food shortages.

Editor:Zhang Tao

Sichuan earthquake, helicopter operations.

A total of 27 Mi-171 family of helicopters (23 from the 2nd LH brigade and 4 from the PLAAF) carried out 132 sorties 36 hours after the quake's occurrence.   According to reporters on site, finding suitable landing zones in this mountainous region is the major bottleneck for the initial slow tempo of operations.    

 

China Int'l Search and Rescue Team arrived at Lushan

Air Force Gen. Ma Xiaotian in Command

Air Force Gen. Ma Xiaotian (back R) reads a map of the quake-hit zone on the plane. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Lushan County of Ya'an City in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:02 a.m. Upon hearing the news, Commander Ma Xaotian of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), who is inspecting air force troops stationed in Yunan Province these days, changed his prefixed plan and immediately flew 6 minutes after the earth quake occurred to the Qionglai airport, the nearest airport to the quake-hit zone, to direct the earthquake relief work of the Air Force troops.(Chinamil.com.cn/Liu Yinghua)

The body of the fallen. RIP

The PLA lost one of their own en route to the quake zone.

据成都晚报消息，在荥天路翻车的成都军区救援车最新情况：荥经县人民医院接了5名受伤战士，其中1人去世。加上在荥经县中西医结合医院去世的1名战士（这名战士仅20岁），救援战士去世了2名。.