Stupid PLA PR

Chengde MR's A&E Regiment (arts and entertainment) staged a new drama; not only they get the rifle wrong (L85? are you kidding me), they also managed to scare the bejeezus out of the Tibetans.

You want to know for the past 10 years, now here is the answer.

One of those meaningless and stupid trivia question that has to be answered -- yes J-10 can perform a Pugachev's Cobra Maneuver. This cool look’in ACM has absolutely no actual combat values, but who cares, as long as it can entertain spectators at airshows.

In order to perform the Cobra the pilot reduces speed to approximately 275 knots in level flight, then he must disable the AOA limiter on the Flight Control System, as this serves to limit the airplane to angles of attack not exceeding 30 degrees in normal flight. Once this is accomplished, the pilot sharply pitches up the nose of the airplane. If the speeds are right and the pitchup is done properly, the aircraft will rotate around its horizontal axis until the nose is past vertical - the single-seat fighter can achieve between 110 and 120 degree AOA! - while continuing to move in its prior flight path as the maneuver is too quick and there isn't enough energy to allow the airplane to climb as it pitches up. Once the pilot has reached the desired attitude, s/he sharply increases throttle and releases the stick. The airplane has managed to rotate back past vertical on the initial rotational energy of the pitchup maneuver; once it approaches vertical, however, the rear half of the aircraft (now the 'lower' half) generates much more drag than the front (or 'top') half due to the larger cross-section of the wings and stabilizers. This will cause the rotation to stop and then reverse, the nose pitching sharply 'down' relative to the airframe, back into level flight. The throttle added during the maneuver will, if done properly, prevent the airplane from losing any altitude during the process. In sum, the maneuver should take no more than a few seconds. The aircraft will exit the maneuver at around 135 knots, which means it is in a fairly precarious position until it gains airspeed.

LTTE Mod. (corrected)

It's not a Sri Lankan Army mod, but a kitbash of captured (ex-SLA) vehicles made by the LTTE guerillas. The resulting vehicle was captured by the SLA during the final days of the conflict. By the way, the SLA described it as a "BMT Armored Tank"


No....Did they really mounted a Panzer III Ausf F turret on top of a Type63 APC?!!

Joking aside (The turret is from a FV601 Saladin) it is interesting how they managed to convert an old APC into a light tank by lowering the chassis, the rewire work to bring power to the turret must be extensive. Not sure it is worth the effort; the extra weight can really slow down the already slow APC and there is almost no armor for protection. But, when you are at war, you gotta do what you gotta do, plus, it looks cool. Pimp my ride, South East AZN sytle.

We have much to fear from the Chinese Military.

First, they are buying up all the oil in the world, and than all the iron ore, the world tolerated it. Not this time, Chinese military has crossing the sacred line -- they are buying up all the hemp, no wonder folks at Huffingtonpost hold such strong views against the PLA, it is about supply and demand.

http://www.votehemp.com/news/newsv3no16.html

According to Nimbin-based hemp researcher and grower Klara Marosszeky, a Western Australian hemp grower is exporting all of his crop to China, including a contract to supply the Chinese military. The military are using the material to create "hemp food packs" that include hemp milk, hemp chocolate, hemp cake, hemp coffee and hemp protein powder, amongst other food products.

After some investigation, I found over 20 Chinese military sites contain articles calling for the greater usage of hemp in military applications. Surprisingly, one of those sites included the largest Chinese military portal, FYJS (飞扬军事). If Chinese government wants to recruit the best foreign College students to fill its ranks, they should study the proposal suggested by the following websites.

http://www.fyjs.cn/bbs/htm_data/26/0906/189683.html
http://news.ifeng.com/mil/2/200906/0605_340_1189108.shtml
http://bbs.money.163.com/bbs/mfsm/136892503.html
http://military.china.com/zh_cn/news/568/20090605/15510731.html

Here are examples of hemp based applications adopted by the Chinese Military.



Enhanced protection for new type of helmet by using hemp fiber






Hemp based filter for gas mask, (and it smells good)






Hemp added bullet proof glass for Chinese Humvee



A layer of Green-Hemp-Coat has improved anti-ballistic protection performance on this new 8x8 wheeled APC






And, of course, a better tasting military MREs (the Chinese writing above reads "Hemp Based Food")

中国大力开发军用汉麻
上世纪七十年代末，中国南方边境战事犹酣。由于气候潮湿，许多官兵患有脚气、股癣、烂裆等疾病，总后军需装备研究所遵照中央军委指示，开始寻找一种适合军用服装的新型纺织纤维材料。汉麻以其奇特的性能，很快被列入首选。

●由它制成的军服吸湿排汗、抑菌舒爽，制成的头盔美观耐用、轻便坚固

●由它制成的板材搭建的指挥所吸音屏蔽，提取的生物油可抵军用柴油

内容提要

汉麻，一种古老的植物，素有“天然纤维之王”美誉，由它制成的服装衣饰具有吸湿、透气、舒爽、散热、防霉、抑菌、抗辐射、防紫外线、吸音等多种功能，既可军用又可民用。大面积推广种植，可有效缓解我国纤维紧缺的现状，为解决“三农”问题闯出一条高附加值的新路，其优良特性将为未来军人吃穿住用带来革命性变化。

汉麻，一种神奇的植物，在他们手中，浴火重生一般变成各种军用服装、高档服饰的原料，有望改变当今世界纺织品结构；将来还可能成为石油、煤等矿物替代品，减少能源消耗造成的环境污染。

汉麻，一种生态环保、可再生的多用途植物，在他们手中，经过脱胶、抽丝等工序，变成像白花花的棉絮一般，既可毛纺，又可棉纺，还可混纺，且成本低廉。

20年不懈奋进，裁得云锦织霓裳的“魔术师”们，就是总后军需装备研究所军用汉麻材料研究中心的科研人员。

“国纺源头，万年衣祖”——

穿越历史续写传奇的植物

汉麻，又名线麻、寒麻、火麻等，别名称谓多达十余种。

史书载，麻起源于中国，是人类最早用于织物的天然纤维，有“国纺源头，万年衣祖”美誉，其种植历史至少有8000多年。早在2000多年前的西汉，我国麻纺织技术就已成熟。马王堆汉墓出土的“素色蝉衣”等大量麻纺精品，已成为麻纺工艺发展史的里程碑。西汉时期，麻纺精品与丝织精品沿着“丝绸之路”进入中东、地中海、欧洲，继而走向世界。麻织品运用到官吏和宗教的服饰上，被赋予一种神圣祥瑞的力量，为世人膜拜。

近代以来，随着棉花种植的推广，以及工业合成纤维的出现，古老的麻渐渐淡出了人们的视野。


上世纪七十年代末，我国南方边境战事犹酣。由于气候潮湿，许多官兵患有脚气、股癣、烂裆等疾病，有些部队患病率竟高达90%，直接影响着指战员的身心健康和战斗力。鉴于此，总后军需装备研究所遵照中央军委指示，开始寻找一种适合军用服装的新型纺织纤维材料。经过大范围筛选和调查，汉麻以其奇特的性能，很快被列入首选。军需所及时研制开发的抗菌防臭袜、高腰作训鞋和内裤等产品，有效地解决了官兵疾患问题。

随着对汉麻研究的深入，专家们发现这种神奇的植物可谓浑身是宝：汉麻的排湿性是纯棉的3倍，汉麻面料可在1小时内将附着的细菌杀灭；汉麻织物可屏蔽95％以上的紫外线，在370℃ 高温时不褪色，在1000℃时不燃烧，具有极佳耐热、防紫外线性能；汉麻韧皮可用于纺织；汉麻秆芯经研磨可生产木粉、制造活性炭、生产浆粕用于造纸；麻叶、麻花、麻根可提取药物，有止血、散淤、解毒、安胎等功效；麻籽仁可榨油，其不饱和脂肪酸含量竟高于深海鱼油；汉麻秆芯吸收甲醛是松木的11倍，且具有分解化学有害气体的特殊功能。

而当时，汉麻的“金贵”仍处于“养在深闺人不识”的实验室阶段。

进入新世纪，我国纺织业异军突起，一跃成为世界纺织服装大国，纺织品出口创汇顺差最高时占到我国的70％，但同时也使我国成为世界上最大的纺织原料消耗国。羊毛原料50％、棉花35%依赖进口，它的直接后果是造成纺织品出口附加值降低，每出口一吨纺织品仅创汇4000美元，而同期的美国可达1.7万美元- 吨。

随着纤维资源的紧张，人们的审美理念也在发生位移，那种以消耗资源、破坏环境为代价的化工产品并不被看好，取而代之，追求环保、崇尚自然重新成为时尚主旨。

寻求一种具有自主产权的新型纤维资源，对中国纺织行业不仅是解燃眉之急，更是一次涅槃之旅。古老的汉麻，再次激发了人们无尽的遐思。

为破解“三农”难题闯出新路——

汉麻是军民融合的新宠儿

中国是农业大国，但土地资源日渐缺乏成为构建现代农业的最大障碍之一。怎样让“浑身是宝”的汉麻为破解“三农”难题出力呢？

2004 年，总后军需装备研究所专门成立军用汉麻材料研究中心，由张建春副所长领衔多位专家，首先完成了汉麻的改良育种。此后，中心联合国内有关科研院所，进行了大量艰苦细致的探索，包括汉麻种植、汉麻加工等专项技术研究。每一次闯关夺隘都如同到太上老君的“炼丹炉”中走上一遭。5年多的攻关终于研制成功了机械脱胶软麻设备、闪爆加工设备、生物脱胶、高温蒸煮设备、分纤漂洗、液氨整理设备和纤维分级梳理设备及相关的工艺技术。

采用新工艺方法开发出的汉麻纤维除保持了麻原有优良性能外，还具有纤维长度长，柔软舒适的性能；利用该纤维可以纺出60Nm的优质纯汉麻纱线，而且可以与棉、莫代尔、天丝等其他任何材料进行混纺。军需所专家们20多年的不懈求索为汉麻的产业化提供了技术支撑，为实现纤维资源产业革命奠定了坚实的基石。

据了解，一季汉麻秆芯的产量相当于一年速生林，其韧皮纤维产量每亩可达100公斤以上，比棉花高50％。这种产能的表现形式还包括在我国各地都能种植，特别适合种植在山坡地、荒地和盐碱地等，不与粮、棉、油争地。

由于汉麻自身含有多种特有化学成分，具有较强的抑草抑虫害功能，因此在整个生长过程中不需要使用杀虫剂和除草剂，对环境没有任何污染。

诸多优良“天赋”使得汉麻产业化的第一步——种植，成为保护土壤的可持续利用价值，调整农业产业结构，培育新型产业，增加农民收入的有效途径。

2006 年，云南西双版纳设立汉麻生态农业基地，一期种植了3万亩汉麻。现今，从云南的红河、石林到北方的通辽、呼伦贝尔，汉麻种植的范围迅速扩大。2009年我国汉麻种植面积扩大到10万亩。伴随着种植业的蓬勃兴起，这些地区经济得到了发展、农民生活得到了改善。根据产业发展计划，到2020年，我国汉麻种植面积将达到1000万亩，可实现100万农民就业，每年可为国家提供100万吨汉麻韧皮纤维、500万吨木浆、20万吨高档食用油，增收1000亿元，有望使300万贫困人口脱贫。

2006年5月，胡锦涛总书记在云南视察汉麻基地时给予了充分肯定，他指示“务必把这件利国、利军、利民的事办好”，并要求实现产业化。总后有关部门坚决贯彻总书记的指示，对汉麻产业的发展给予了长期的支持。

2007 年4月，在总后技术指导下，中国纺织行业龙头企业雅戈尔集团与宜科科技共同投资2亿元，在云南组建了汉麻产业投资控股有限公司，现已达到年产汉麻纤维 5000吨的生产能力，一条从汉麻的种植、纤维加工、纱线、产品创意设计、产品制作和销售的独特产业链正在形成。

现代后勤“大厦”的新材料——

未来军人吃穿住用离不开汉麻

30年前，汉麻的军用让这株古老的植物成为专家的新宠。重生的汉麻又怎样为中国军人搏击未来遮风挡雨呢？

张建春作为汉麻研究开发的领军人，他一直致力于勾画这样一幅蓝图：让中国军人穿得帅气健康。

军服在保型性、悬垂性、保温性、舒适性、功能性等方面均有严格的要求。常服、礼服需要挺括，以保持军人英武的身姿；作训服除应具有防水、防风、防虫、防晒、抗菌等功能外，还应具有结实耐磨、防红外、阻燃的特性；二炮部队的服装要能防酸、防碱、防生化、防辐射，飞行员的服装要能抗负荷，在这些方面，汉麻大有可为。

“我军是世界上第一支大批应用麻纤维的军队！”谈及此，张建春总是一脸的自豪。

张建春有个梦想：中国是纺织服装大国，军人的穿戴也应体现国家实力，彰显我们和谐发展的新理念。

“ 我们现在从袜子开始做起，袜子是弹性纤维和麻的复合。接着是鞋，鞋是涤纶、尼龙等强度较高的纤维和麻的混合。麻加到鞋里面特别好，因为麻是吸湿快干。一出脚汗，很快可以干，本身又抗菌，所以麻在鞋材料里会有大发展。我们做了180万双高腰作训鞋试穿，部队反映特别好。现在正在做的是含麻的毛料。现今军官的礼服夏天穿，一场会下来，浑身全湿透了，多热啊。把麻加进去，散热透湿就舒适了。官兵的内衣内裤也准备用汉麻，届时部队常见的皮肤病将会得到根本抑制。”

“除了服装，我们目前开展了全方位的汉麻军用研究。以汉麻秆芯粉为原料，可制作新一代木质防弹陶瓷，防护能力高、重量轻；汉麻电磁屏蔽板材可用于指挥所电子信息屏蔽；汉麻杆做成的高效炭吸附材料可用于制作高档防毒面具；汉麻籽榨油后剩余的籽粕中可提取汉麻仁蛋白，可用于制作高营养价值的作战口粮；汉麻籽生物柴油经上百万公里坦克发动机和地面车辆行车试验，证明与现今军用柴油指标基本一致，可满足部队能源多样化的要求。此外，我们已成功研制出一种以汉麻秆芯粘胶为基体的新型阻燃纤维，该项研究获2008年纺织工业协会一等奖。”

汉麻，在张建春的脑海中是一座取之不竭用之不尽的宝藏。这个古老又年轻的神奇植物造就了张建春和他的战友，他们也把汉麻事业推上了一个新高峰。

迄今，汉麻研究中心已研究出了18台-套新型加工设备，申报了18项国家发明专利，研究成果得到了行业内和国际上的广泛关注。张建春和他的同事们也在汉麻事业春意盎然中收获着喜悦和希望。

Dennis J. Blasko Speaks at Whittier

The following two videos are Col (Ret) Blasko's recent lecture about the Chinese military at Whittier. It is very insightful, I highly recommend it and hopefully this lecture will clarify some of the questions you have -- the part about the Chinese concept of deterrence is especially good. (Warning, watching the lecture may tempt you to read the Art-of-War again)

KJL-200 and KJL-2000, oh my.

Out of the blue, all those PLAAF AWAC and ELINT birds are gathering in Jinzhou and headed toward the South East, don't know why.










In an unrelated story..

May 29, 2009
U.S. Presses China for Tough Response to North Korea
By MARK LANDLER and DAVID E. SANGER

WASHINGTON — The United States is pressing China to consider taking a variety of severe sanctions against North Korea, including the inspection of suspect ships and planes, as it tries to ratchet up the global response to Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test, administration officials said Thursday.

But it is not clear that the Chinese government has the stomach for a heightened showdown with North Korea, these officials said, even though its criticism of the underground test on Monday was unusually vehement.

The administration’s initiative reflects a belief that the greatest threat posed by a nuclear North Korea is the leakage of critical weapons parts or fissile material to other states or terrorist organizations, rather than the prospect of North Korea’s making one of its neighbors a target for a bomb. President Obama’s national security adviser, Gen. James L. Jones, described the proliferation threat in some detail in a speech in Washington on Wednesday evening.

The White House has not said publicly whether it supports enforcing a 2006 United Nations Security Council resolution, passed after the North’s first nuclear test, that permits the inspection of ships suspected of carrying missile parts or nuclear technology.

Those operations could be tricky: North Korea has said it will regard such an action as an act of war, and American intelligence about North Korean shipments has been poor. The North’s involvement in the construction of a Syrian nuclear reactor went undetected for years, until shortly before Israel destroyed the reactor in September 2007.

Yet there is a growing conviction in Washington and other capitals that North Korea’s actions demand a stronger response than the usual menu of economic sanctions and political rebukes that have left the nation isolated but unbowed in its pursuit of nuclear status.

The administration is also seeking China’s cooperation in a global effort to disrupt the flow of money to North Korea’s ruler, Kim Jong-il, and his family, officials said. Some of that money is suspected to be held in Chinese-owned banks, making such an effort diplomatically sensitive.

Still, a senior official said he was “pleasantly surprised” by how open China was to cooperating with the United States. China has historically tolerated the erratic behavior of Mr. Kim, worrying more about a calamitous collapse of his government than about his nuclear ambitions. But the recent test and missile launchings, the official said, may have crossed a line with China’s leaders.

“At the level of Chinese irritation, this is historic,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. “Normally, the Chinese urge us not to react. But they are reaching a point where they could be agreeable to using more of their own weight.”

The Chinese, officials said, have taken note of South Korea’s decision this week to join an American-led security campaign to stop the spread of nuclear material, as well as the harsh words about North Korea from some parts of Japan’s political establishment. The United States is to discuss efforts to intercept ships coming from North Korea with officials from South Korea and Japan at a regional security conference this weekend in Singapore, where the defense secretary, Robert M. Gates, will meet with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts.

The deputy secretary of state, James B. Steinberg, will attend those meetings, and will then travel to Tokyo for further meetings with Japanese officials, according to the State Department. Mr. Steinberg may also be involved in negotiations with the Chinese, a senior official said.

At home, the United States continued to rally support for a resolution in the United Nations. The State Department spokesman, Ian C. Kelly, said no agreement was likely to be reached for at least two days.

While the major powers uniformly condemned North Korea’s test, there was some confusion Thursday about whether Russia, which holds a veto in the Security Council and is a member of the multilateral talks on North Korea’s nuclear program, was balking at additional sanctions.

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Andrei Nesterenko, told reporters in Moscow, “We do not need to use the language of sanctions.” Still, American and Japanese officials said they did not believe that Russia had retreated from its tough initial response.

Because North Korea would regard the interception of its ships as an act of war, the Bush administration decided not to do that after the North’s first nuclear test in 2006.

The United States and South Korea have already raised the alert level for their forces in South Korea to its highest level in three years — increasing the number of surveillance flights and satellite reconnaissance — reflecting what military commanders say is a “grave threat” from North Korea.

Whatever the risks, some independent experts are advising the Obama administration to put all options on the table, including a military strike on North Korea’s nuclear sites and missile launching pads. “We could have stopped this last nuclear test if we had chosen to,” said William Perry, a former defense secretary who negotiated with North Korea during the Clinton administration. “We could have stopped the first one if we had chosen to.”

“That requires military action, and I’m not recommending military action,” Mr. Perry said, speaking Thursday at the Council on Foreign Relations. “But somewhere along in this series of coercive actions, one can imagine an escalation, and if the ones that are less do not succeed, we have to be willing to consider the other ones.”

The nuclear test and North Korea’s other actions, he said, suggested that the government no longer viewed its nuclear program as a chip to be used in negotiations with neighbors or the United States. Rather, he said, North Korea is determined to remain a nuclear-weapons state.

This presents Mr. Obama with a different set of calculations than either President George W. Bush or President Bill Clinton confronted.

“We now have a new situation that has not appeared before,” said Brent Scowcroft, a national security adviser to President Gerald R. Ford and the first President Bush, who spoke on a panel with Mr. Perry. Under these circumstances, he said, the United States had both more leverage and incentive to enlist the cooperation of China, as North Korea’s most influential neighbor.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/world/asia/29diplo.html?_r=1&ref=global-home&pagewanted=print

Thai Navy'F25T loading essential supplies

Thai Navy'F25T loading essential supplies (of Tsing Tao Beer) before heading home.







Thanks GT for those photos.

Good landscaper needed!

As someone who likes to work on landscape on Saturdays, I am shock, shock, to see the condition of Chengdu Airport, really? Is this the best landscape job you can do? Weeds are everywhere!

I know a few guys from from Langley Virginia that can mow the lawn for you for 8 dollars an hours . See, look at how good of a landscape job they done. Look at those beautiful tulips, they really bring serenity to where it is needed..

I know a good idea when I see one!

A number of news outlets reported that US is seeking China's help in effort to stabilize Pakistan, they proposed that China should provide arms and training to Pakistan military. That is a good idea, how come no one in China considered that before in the past 30 years. Chinese weapons in the Pakistan military? What is this world coming to? The horror, the horror.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\05\25\story_25-5-2009_pg1_10

US seeks China’s help in effort to stabilise Pakistan

LAHORE: in an effort of broadening support for stabilising Pakistan, the United States administration has appealed to China to provide training and even military equipment to help Islamabad counter a growing terrorist threat, the Chicago Tribune said on Sunday. Quoting US officials, the paper said the proposal was part of a broad push by Washington to enlist key allies of Pakistan in an effort to persuade Islamabad to step up its efforts against terrorists while simultaneously supporting the country’s civilian government and struggling economy. Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, has visited China and Saudi Arabia, another key ally, in recent weeks as part of the effort, it said. daily times monitor


Here is another write up from LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fg-us-china-pakistan25-2009may25,0,6047766.story

Raise the Red J-10...

J-10FF, FF stands for FireFighter edition....actually no, it is the PLAAF's "August 1" Aerobatic Flight Team's new bird practicing for the upcoming Oct 1st National Day Parade. Why the bright red color scheme? Well, consider the parade will be directed by Zhang Yimou, it should not be a surprise. Just add a dragon (make sure it is painted yellow) on the fuselage and you are good to go.

Zhang Yimou to direct Chinese anniversary parade
http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=19420974
The Associated Press
Friday, January 16, 2009

BEIJING: Movie director Zhang Yimou will follow up his successful opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics by orchestrating a celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of communist China, his assistant said Friday.

Directing the Oct. 1 celebration indicates how firmly Zhang, 57, is embraced by the ruling Communist Party after last year's Olympic opening ceremony that stunned television audiences around the world.

For a time, Zhang was considered a troublemaker and had several of his films banned.

Zhang made his career directing films such as "Raise the Red Lantern" and "To Live," unflinching stories about the hardships during China's turbulent 20th century that were not well received by Chinese authorities.

He later directed less gritty works such as "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers," which made his work available to a wider audience in China and focused more on historical epic.

More than 40,000 people took part in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, using thousands of costumes and lavish stage sets. Zhang has said the task was much harder than making any film.

Now, Zhang has been given the task of organizing the celebrations marking the founding of the People's Republic of China, said the English-language China Daily newspaper, citing an unnamed senior Beijing municipal government official.

Zhang Jigang, a vice director of the Olympic ceremonies, will team up with the director to put on a "grand show," the report said. While the anniversary is celebrated every year, China normally puts on a bigger show every 10 years.

Zhang Yimou's assistant, Pang Liwei, confirmed that Zhang will be in charge of a gala on the evening of the anniversary but it was not clear what the event would involve.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the tone will be "solemn" rather than extravagant because of the financial crisis.

That means Zhang may have to rely on eye-catchers besides flying acrobats and an extravaganza of fireworks that marked the Olympic gala. The celebration will follow a parade of tanks and missile launchers that will show off the might of the People's Liberation Army.

The military parade will go down Beijing's main boulevard that crosses Tiananmen Square in the heart of the city, from where Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China on Oct. 1, 1949, after a civil war with the Nationalists, who fled to Taiwan.

Here are some older photos of the "August 1" team and its J-7E.

First Photos of S-400 in China.

Here is a background information for a public released Jane's entry.


Looking at joint projects such as the S-300/400 family of SAM, it has became apparent that days of hardware fire-sell to the PLA had been long gone; increasingly, as demonstrated by the many joint defense projects that China is a partner with financial and technology contributions.

http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jsws/jsws9067.html


HQ-19 (S-400) (China)

Section
Defensive weapons

Appearing in
Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems

Publication date
Dec 23, 2008

Description
It is now believed that the Russian S-400 Triumf (Chinese designator HQ-19) surface-to-air missile system was a joint development programme with China. The system uses the same sensors, battle management and launch vehicles as the Russian S-300 (SA-10/-20 'Grumble') and Chinese HQ-9/-15. The S-400 introduces three new missiles, the 9M96, 9M96/2 and the 40N6, which can be fitted in new canisters replacing all or some of the S-300 missile canisters on the TEL. It is believed that a new TEL vehicle has been developed specifically to carry the S-400 missiles, and that this is a wheeled vehicle carrying six to eight missiles. The 9M96 missile has a length of 4.75 m, a body diameter of 0.24 m, a launch weight of 333 kg, and a 24 kg HE warhead. Guidance is inertial with command updates and an active radar terminal seeker. The missile has a two-stage solid propellant motor system, with a maximum range of 40 km. The second stage has lateral thrust motors to improve manoeuvrability in the terminal phase, similar to the US PAC-3 design. It can intercept targets from 5 m up to 20 km altitude. The 9M96/2 missile has a length of 5.65 m, a body diameter of 0.24 m, and a launch weight of 420 kg. The two missiles share the same separating second stage, but have different boost motors. The 9M96/2 missile has a maximum range of 120 km, and can intercept targets from 5 m up to 30 km altitude. The 40N6 version

The Hunting for Loch Ness, PLAN style

Photos of the LR7 Rescue sub has arrived in China and it being installed on the new ocean-going

"There is, what someone described to me, as something of an underwater space race going on. One which presumably the Chinese now are leading, but the Koreans and Singaporeans are not far behind."

I don't think it is proper to call rescue operations and capabilities a "race" There is no loser in it and the world does not need another Kursh incident.

'Most advanced' rescue sub tested
Rescue vessel

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7607972.stm


The rescue sub can operate in depths of up to 300 metres.




The world's most advanced rescue submarine, commissioned by the Chinese Navy, is undergoing trials at an underwater centre in Fort William.

Capable of operating in depths of more than 300 metres, its size means it can rescue up to 18 people at once.

The trials are taking place in Loch Linnhe, where water depths are up to 150 metres.

The vessel could deal with incidents such as Russia's Kursk disaster 2000, in which 118 sailors died.

Once the first phase of tests are completed, the LR7 will take part in a simulated rescue.

The final phase of trials, part of an extensive testing and design process, will include pilot training.

The vessel was designed and developed by Perry Slingsby Systems, part of the Aberdeen-based Triton Group.



BBC reporter Ben Geoghan described the experience of going down in the submarine as "quite comfortable". He said the main advantage of the LR7 is its large size.

He added: "There is, what someone described to me, as something of an underwater space race going on. One which presumably the Chinese now are leading, but the Koreans and Singaporeans are not far behind.

"The real test will come when we do get another accident at sea involving a sub to see which vessel is deployed and whether they do manage to bring back survivors."

The rescue submarine itself has a relatively quick turnaround time and can stay underwater for up to four days.

Martin Anderson, chief executive of Triton Group, said it was an "extremely exciting development".

After the trial is complete, the LR7 will undergo further checks and be fitted with ancillary equipment before being delivered to China for sea trials.

They are also be tained at SETT

China conduct Pressurised Escape Training at SETT

http://www.subescapetraining.org/Chinese.html

A Chinese delegation attended SETT in July 2008, two of the delegation were the first students from China to conduct Pressurised Escape Training.

The course was the first of its kind for China and highlighted the importance of Pressurised Escape Training not only for UK submariners but for every submariner all over the world.
Many more countries throughout the world are introducing Pressurised Escape Training because they are aware of the risks and dangers that face submariners and believe it is the only way to prepare for the unthinkable. As well as successfully conducting Pressurised Escape Training the delegation were also given presentations on the role of SPAG by Lt Andy Sharpe and Rescue Assets by Cdr Charlie Neve.

The students completed unpressurised elements of the course involving Surface Survival drills, Rush Escape and various modules in the classroom including Survival in the DISSUB.



Furthur discussion was also provided with subject matter expert Mr Brian Wood (right) on the operation and manning of the Submarine Escape Training Tank.



This visit was important for the SETT in that it identifies that Submariners all over the world from varying cultures look to the UK for leadership and guidance with regards to preparing submariners to escape successfully from a distressed Submarine. This unique type of training can only be achieved using the equipment in a PRESSURISED enviroment.

My apology for not updating the blog recently, I was busy working OverTime at the yard.

China: Maritime Talks With U.S.

I waited a few days before posting this follow up on the recent Sino-US maritime disputes; as I expected, pundits are interested in puffing-and-buffing but when it came to actually seating-down and trying to address issues in a professional manner, major news outlets do not seems to care, only NYT gave it a news-brief.

China: Maritime Talks With U.S.
By EDWARD WONG
Published: May 15, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/16/world/asia/16briefs-China.html

Senior Chinese and American military officials have held high-level talks to resolve maritime disputes, China Daily, the main state-run, English-language newspaper, reported Friday. The newspaper, citing an unidentified official, said that the two militaries still disagreed on how to interpret international maritime law, but that the sides “have expressed their views candidly in the latest round of military exchange.” The exchange between Adm. Gary Roughead, the United States chief of naval operations, and Adm. Wu Shengli, the Chinese naval chief, took place in Qingdao last month, China Daily reported.

When can I drive it home?

News released from Shanfei's company website (www.shanfei.com) today; a Pakistan delegation stopped by discuss status of their AWAC order. Americans should thank China for providing commands system to Pakistan "deferred payment basis". Bomb now, pay later.




Come, my friend, I have a good AWAC for you.

Pakistan to buy Chinese AWACS to boost air defence - report
Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:12pm IST

http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-37090320081218

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan is to buy an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) from China to boost its air defences, a Pakistani newspaper reported on Thursday.

The News newspaper said a $278 million agreement had been struck for Pakistan to get the Chinese system within four years, on a deferred payment basis.

Pakistani defence procurement officials were not immediately available for comment.

The report comes as relations between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India have been severely strained by last month's militant attacks in Mumbai, which India has blamed on "elements" within Pakistan.

Pakistan would be the first country to buy the Chinese AWACS system which China only started producing in 2004, the News said.

Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding with China in November 2006 for long-term collaboration in defence production including development of an airborne early warning surveillance system.

China and Pakistan have been allies for years and China is Pakistan's biggest supplier of defence equipment.

Last month, Pakistan was granted a $7.6 billion loan by the International Monetary Fund to avert a balance of payments crisis and prevent the government defaulting on its international debt obligations.

HQ-9 SAM to Iran?

I don't need to close my eyes to imagine the political firestorm if (that is a HUGE if) China decided to sell HQ-9 to Iran. The likelihood of Iran getting HQ-9 or any air defense system from China or Russia is very low; to no surprise, the report by the Jerusalem Post suggests otherwise; consider after years of trying; China is now a member of the Iranian nuclear talk.

If the sales of HQ-9 are confirmed, it will have a huge negative for China's role as a possible mediator, since China is one of the few nations did not push for hasher sanction on Iran, and to some analyst, its flourishing trade relation with Iran which stands at 25 Billion dollar a years, actually has some leverage. Also, Israel did not bring up the issue of a possible SAM sale during China’s Foreign Minster Yang Jiechi’s visit to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue on April 23rd. The whole affair seems somewhat questionable.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1241773221488&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



Iran will turn to China instead of Russia to acquire an advanced air defense system after relations between Iran and Russia hit rock bottom, the official Iranian news agency PressTV reported.


For years Iran has been trying to purchase the S-300 anti-aircraft missile, which is considered to one of the most advanced systems available on the market and would dramatically increase Iran's air defense capabilities against any attacks on its nuclear installations.

The S-300 surface-to-air missile system, which can track targets and fire at aircraft 75 miles away, features high jamming immunity making it harder to incapacitate the system electronically, and is able to engage up to 100 targets simultaneously.

Teheran will now turn to China for the HongQi-9/FD-2000 system which reportedly combines elements "borrowed" from the Russian S-300 and the American MIM-104 Patriot system, according to the Iranian news agency.
RELATED


The negotiations between Teheran and Moscow began in 2007, but neither side has ever issued an official confirmation of the deal.

The Russian sale of arms to Iran is a thorn in Moscow's relationship with Washington, which opposes Iran's quest for nuclear weapons and labels it "a sponsor of state terrorism," according the United States State Department.



In addition to American pressure on Russia not to sell weapons to Iran, Israel is also trying to persuade Russia not to export the system.

It is believed that when Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu meets with US President Barack Obama in Washington on May 18 that Iran's nuclear program will top the agenda.

In April, London's Times reported that Israeli military forces were in the final stages of preparation for launching a "massive aerial raid" on Iranian nuclear facilities "within days of being given the go-ahead by its new government."

The paper cites the acquisition of three AWACs (early warning system) platforms and planned civil defense drills in support of its theory. The Times quoted an unnamed Israeli defense official as saying that Israel's "message to Iran is that the threat is not just words."

However, an airstrike against Iran's nuclear installations will be much tougher than the bombing raid that Israel launched in 1981 to destroys Iraq's nuclear reactor in Osirak, since the Iranian installations are not only further away from Israel but also spread out all over Iran in addition to being heavily fortified.













05/10/09 Bookmark and Share
Russia 'losing to China on Iran S-300 quest'

http://www.payvand.com/news/09/may/1109.html

Iran is reportedly seeking to buy a Chinese-made air defense system which is a variant of the Russian S-300.
Press TV - In its quest for an advanced air defense system, Iran has reportedly shifted its hopes from Russia to China which owns a replica of the controversial Russian S-300.

As Iran's quest for the advanced Russian-made S-300 air defense system is believed to have hit rock bottom, a report by RIA Novosti said Tehran is eying a Chinese-made HQ-9 surface-to-air missile under the name FD-2000 -- recently put on the export market.

The HongQi-9/FD-2000 reportedly combines elements "borrowed" from Russia's S-300 and America's MIM-104 Patriot.

It uses elements of the Russian system's "solid rocket, aerodynamic layout, gas-dynamic spoilers, and launcher technologies, as well as some search and guidance systems."

The missile has a range of 7-125 kilometers for airborne targets -- a range much lower than the 150-kilometer range of the Russian S-300 PMU1.

The Chinese system's range for missile targets, or air-to-ground missiles, is 7-50 kilometers, with a firing altitude of 1-18 kilometers. Its range for cruise missiles is 7-15 kilometers, at a firing altitude of 0.025 kilometers.

The range for ballistic missiles is 7-25 kilometers at a firing altitude of 2-15 kilometers.

Iran has been negotiating a deal with Russia to obtain the sophisticated defense system since 2007. However, neither side has so far issued an official confirmation on the delivery of the S-300 to Iran.

Later media reports claimed that Russia's plan to turn a "new page" in its ties with the United States is likely to prompt Moscow to shelve the delivery of the S-300 system to Iran.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Mahdi Safari, however, said in April that the contract to buy Russia's S-300 advance missile system is still effective.

"There are no problems with this [S-300] contract," RIA Novosti quoted Safari as saying at the end of his visit to Moscow.

"After all, these are purely defensive weapons, and any country has the right to buy them. I believe this could only worry those states that have plans to attack others," he said.

Following an escalation in Israeli rhetoric, Iran has moved to upgrade its defenses and has reportedly opted to acquire the S-300 system -- which, according to Western experts, would rule out the possibility of an Israeli airstrike on Iranian nuclear sites.

"If Tehran obtained the S-300, it would be a game-changer in military thinking for tackling Iran," says long-time Pentagon advisor Dan Goure.

The S-300 surface-to-air missile system, which can track targets and fire at aircraft 120 km (75 miles) away, features high jamming immunity and is able to simultaneously engage up to 100 targets.

Iran's move to equip itself with the Chinese air defense system comes as an earlier report by the Jerusalem Post revealed that Israeli missile operators have begun weekly drills to hone their skills for a war on Iran.

According to the report, Israeli Air Force (IAF) reservists who operate the ballistic missile destroyer, the Arrow, and the surface-to-air missile, Patriot, have been called up by the Defense Ministry to spend one day a week on duty to prepare for a possible conflict with Iran.

The weekly military drills come on top of another report revealing that Israel is set to mobilize its army to hold the largest military exercise in its history on June 2.

One of the missions of the nationwide military drill is to psych up the public for the breaking out of war and to convince the people that in the event of a war the entire country could "become a front without warning".

Stupid PR Photos from March edition of PLAAF Monthly.

Stupid PR Photos from March edition of PLAAF Monthly.

They equipped helicopter door gunners with a shotgun, yeah, that is right, a shotgun.

I'd like those cool sun glass

A sad end of a Type 59 in Pakistan.

TV captures of a knock-out Al Zarrar MBT (updated Norinco Type 59) during the recent fighting in Pakistan’s Swat valley.

Apparently, Pakistan Army did not take the lessons learned by the US army in Iraq and Sri Lankan Army’s operation against Tarmil Tigers by protecting its AFV with an anti-RPG layer of metal-frame such as US Army’s Strykers’s "slat armor" implementation. Metal-frame provides some protections against HEAT projectiles as these would detonate away from the main body.

Since most of Pakistan army’s equipments have Chinese origins, it will be interesting to see how well they perform in combat.


Strykers with Metal-frame gearing as extras for the next Mad-max movie.




British Bull dog with its more professional looking and less Mad-max looking Metal-frame





Sri Lanka Army's Norinco Type89 APC with its "K-mart" Metal-frame

FC-1 Thunder fully loaded for long-range A2G missions.

While the following two PR photos of FC-1 prototype number 4 might look impressive; with its enlarged engine air intake (SDI), extended wingroot and tailfin RWR. However, PLAAF still refuses to commit to this joint Sino-Pakistan project puts a damper on this bird's future even as its production line finally opened at Kamra's Pakistan Aeronautical Complex on January 22nd 2008.

For Pakistan, the FC-1 project can be seen as a great leap forward, but that is not the case for PLAAF, whom already commissioned at lease four regiments of the much more capable J-10s. Thus, possible sales to nations such as Egypt, Iran, and Bangladesh have became more critical for FC-1 to outgrow its reputation as a niche system.