Photos of the day: Z-19's Mast Mounted Radar

This MMR could enhance Z-19’s lethality and battlefield survivability by allowing the chopper to launch its AKD-10s (Chinese Hellfire) from defilade similar to what the An/APG-78 FC radar is bringing to the AH-64D Apache program.

Monday, July 18, 2011

The news of PLA's 6th LH Regiment, Guangzhou MR, test fired the Red Arrow ADK-10 ATGM against "sea targets", (the Chinese HellFire AGM114) was widely reported by the Chinese media back on July 11th, it takes several days before a watered-down version of the same article is released in English.

The ADK-10 is normally associated with the WZ-10 attack helicopter program, but judging from this CCTV report, it seems that the PLA LH is retrofitting it to the WZ-9 fleet as well.

Army aviation troops conduct new weapons combat power generation drill

(Source: PLA Daily) 2011-07-18

The targets at sea are hit by projectiles.

The aviation force of the Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted new weapons and ammunition combat power generation drill on July 10, 2011.

At 09:00, 18 armed helicopters entered the pre-determined air space.

The armed helicopters first launched chaff bombs from the sky at a low altitude less than 100 meters, and then fired multiple rocket shells and laser-guided missiles successively in the state of level flight. All the rockets and missiles hit the targets on the sea surface.

Sun Delong, deputy director of the Army Aviation Department of the PLA General Staff Headquarters, told the PLA Daily that during this drill, the army aviation troops tested tactics apt to be used in real combats such as tactical strikes by four helicopters in quick turns and launching of new-type laser-guided missiles by two helicopters with ground irradiation, which improved the maximum operational effectiveness of the helicopters.

By Zhou Jingbo and Hao Yisi (PLA Daily)

 Chinese Hell Fire AGM114 on display

J-15's buddy centerline refueling store

Here is one potential solution to the challenge of limited takeoff weight and range of Short take-off but arrested-recovery (STOBAR) carrier borne aircraft -- Give them a “hard point mounted fuel pod with a hose-and-drogue system” (a.k.a buddy store) This arrangement  allows carrier borne aircraft to increase their combat range as well as their take-off weight without the need of a dedicated tanker support.


Judging from the following public release photos of China’s Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark, such a buddy store is available to the Chinese Naval Aviators, assuming that they have mastered the mid-air refueling techniques of course. Given the fact that the J15 is based on the Russian SU-33, the Shangyang buddy store bears resemblance to the UPAZ-1A Sakhalin centerline refueling store series currently available in the international arms market.

SU-33's UPAZ-1A at play

 

Photos of the day: Type 056 corvette

Cyprus to provide facilities to Chinese escort frigate in Syrian operation

Cyprus to provide facilities to Chinese escort frigate in Syrian operation
Xinhua | 2014-1-3 10:07:14
By Agencies    


Cyprus said on Thursday it will provide facilities to a Chinese Navy frigate that will provide escort in the Mediterranean for ships delivering Syria's chemical weapons for destruction.

Cyprus has decided to support the operation of the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for the transport and destruction of chemical weapons from Syria, according to an official statement from the Cypriot government.

"In this context the government will provide facilities to the Chinese navy," the statement said.

Chinese frigate Yan Cheng set out on Tuesday for the escort mission and is currently sailing through the Suez Canal, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press briefing in Beijing earlier on Thursday.

The Yan Cheng will cooperate with frigates from other countries, including Russia, for the escort mission when it reaches Limassol in Cyprus.

The destruction of Syria's chemical weapons is an ongoing process that began with several agreements reached in September 2013. The most important is a UN Security Council resolution, which imposed on Syrian responsibilities and a timeline for the destruction of its chemical weapons.

The chemical weapons will be delivered to two cargo vessels, one Norwegian and one Danish, at port Latakia of Syria and will then be transferred at sea to an American vessel specially equipped to destroy them by hydrolysis, a process which turns the deadly chemicals into low toxicity liquid.

Drum roll please.........The China Navy warship assigned to help guard Syria chemical weapons destruction is Type054A FFG 546 "Yancheng"

China military ship to help guard Syria chemical weapons destruction

BEIJING Thu Dec 19, 2013 4:51am EST

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/19/us-syria-crisis-china-idUSBRE9BI0A620131219
(Reuters) - China is to send a military ship to help protect a specially adapted U.S. vessel that will destroy Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Syria is due to hand over deadly toxins which can be used to make sarin, VX gas and other lethal agents under an international agreement forged after an attack on the outskirts of Damascus killed hundreds in August.

The chemicals will be destroyed on board the specially adapted U.S. ship because they are too dangerous to import into any country. There is no agreement yet on where the ship will anchor while the work is carried out.

"China has decided to send a military ship to participate in the protection mission for the shipping of Syrian chemical weapons," ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing.

She added that it was an "important move" to show China's support.

"China hopes that the relevant work on removing Syria's chemical weapons can be completed safely and smoothly. This will assist in pushing for a political resolution to the Syrian issue, will assist in increasing regional peace and stability and accords with the interest of all sides," Hua said.

China has repeatedly called for a political resolution. It has also called for a full and impartial investigation by U.N. chemical weapons inspectors and warned against pre-judging the results. It has said that anyone who uses chemical weapons should be held accountable.

Chemical weapons were likely used in five out of seven attacks investigated by U.N. experts in Syria, where a two-and-a-half-year civil war has killed more than 100,000 people, a U.N. report said last week.

The most serious use was on August 21, when hundreds of people were killed in a sarin gas attack in the outskirts of the capital, Damascus. The worst poison gas attack in a quarter of a century prompted the threat of missile strikes by the United States against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

A month-long tender for the commercial destruction of hundreds of tonnes of industrial chemicals and toxic waste from Syria's chemical weapons starts on Thursday, with contracts likely to go to a handful of firms.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie)

PLA Navy to provide escort as US transports Syrian arms
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 19 December, 2013, 6:15pm
UPDATED : Friday, 20 December, 2013, 3:44am

Angela Meng and Reuters


Syria is due to hand over deadly toxins that can be used to make sarin, VX gas and other lethal agents. Photo: Reuters

Beijing plans to send a warship to accompany the US vessel MV Cape Ray on its mission to destroy Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.

Syria is due to hand over deadly toxins, which can be used to make sarin, VX gas and other lethal agents, under an international agreement forged after an attack on the outskirts of Damascus killed hundreds in August. The chemicals will be destroyed aboard the specially adapted US ship because they are too dangerous to import into any country.

"China hopes for the safe and smooth completion of the Syrian chemical weapons disposal work," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in Beijing.

The PLA Navy would be responsible for escorting the mission from Syria to Italy, which would be the first time it would operate in the Mediterranean, Chen Kai, secretary general of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, told Xinhua.

"As China goes global, it will increasingly find it has a strong interest in global security, freedom of commerce and freedom of navigation, and combatting terrorism," said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank in Beijing.

Haenle said that while China was willing to contribute support to the mission, it did not play a significant role in the discussions leading up to the agreement. "China should also be trying to play a more active role in the next step of conflict resolution in Syria," he said.

Non sequitur photo of the day: China Navy Marine's cute puppy

Photo Op of the year: PLAN's 1st Carrier Battle Group (CVBG)

CV Liaoning and her "entourage" return to Qingdao after a 37-day training exercise at sea.   Note the company of three Shang class nuclear attack subs among this over-the-top photo op.