China Military Watch - August 9, 2014

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 19 Jan 2015 05:36

VinodTK wrote:CHINESE PILOTS IN RUSSIA TO TRAIN ON SU-35
The arrival of Chinese pilots at a Russian Air Force training center to train to fly the Su-35 fighter indicates that Russia and China have reached a consensus about when the aircraft will be turned over to the PLA Air Force, reports the state-run Global Times.

Beijing and Moscow are likely to sign the final agreement regarding the sale of 24 Su-35 fighters to China on May. 19, according to a report from Zvezda, a television network run by the Russian military. Turning over possession of the Su-35 fighters will begin in 2016. In addition to the aircraft, the engines and missiles designed for the fighter will be provided to China under another deal. China requested Russia to begin the shipment of the engines and missiles ahead of the aircraft.

Since the year of 2012, China signed two major contracts with Russia to purchase advanced weapon systems. The first contract allows China to spend US$1.3 billion to purchase 52 Mi-171 helicopters and 130 AL-31F engines. Russia then provided 10 used Il-76 cargo planes to China under the second contract. China's purchase of Su-35 from Russia is just another product of close military ties between the two nations, according to the report.

The biggest mystery is how they expect to deploy and sustain a force of so few Su-35's unless they expect to grow it with plenty of follow on orders. This must be surprising to the Russians as well unless they are aware of more detailed, long term plans.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 19 Jan 2015 06:11

The biggest mystery is how they expect to deploy and sustain a force of so few Su-35's unless they expect to grow it with plenty of follow on orders. This must be surprising to the Russians as well unless they are aware of more detailed, long term plans

China requested Russia to begin the shipment of the engines and missiles ahead of the aircraft.

Purpose of this purchase:

ginreenigne esreveR

vasu raya · Post by **vasu raya** » 19 Jan 2015 22:13

China steps up drive to integrate Africa with Maritime Silk Road

China has accelerated its drive to draw Africa into the Maritime Silk Road — Beijing’s ambitious transcontinental initiative - following the visit to the continent by Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Among the several themes that were covered during Mr. Wang’s five-nation visit, the push for speedy construction of a modern standard-gauge rail link between Nairobi and Mombasa was one of the star highlights.

The project to linkup the capital of Kenya and the country’s well-established port has much larger implications. Once it is through, the rail corridor will help connect the vast hinterland of East Africa with the Indian Ocean, making it a salient strategic project, which will add one more layer to the realisation of President Xi Jinping’s dream of establishing a 21st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR).

If plans materialise, Mombasa would be eventually linked with Malaba in west Kenya and then Kampala, Kigali and Juba - capitals of Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.

The Chinese undertook the project, clearly aware of the larger regional opportunities that it presented. Symbolically, this was evident when the leaders from Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan stood aside with visiting Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqian in Nairobi, along with representatives from Tanzania, Burundi and the African Development Bank, to sign a deal on the project.

As concrete steps are taken on ground, it has become apparent that Africa is becoming one the pillars of the MSR project. Apart from building railroads, highways and airports, the Chinese are developing 12 deep water ports, seven of which are along the African coastline.

These are Djibouti, Dares Salaam, Maputo, Libreville (Gabon), Tema (Ghana), Dakar (Senegal), Bizerte (Tunisia).

In turn, these ports connect with the MSR, as they are meant to serve large commercial ships coming from Asia, laden with food and industrial products, and return with raw materials from Africa.

Africa connects well with one of the major spurs of the MSR — the Chinese province of Yunnan, which shares borders with Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos, with Thailand further to the south.

Hoping to avoid the vulnerable Malacca strait, the Chinese are building rail corridors from Kunming, Yunnan’s capital, to Myanmar and Thailand via landlocked Laos. China has signed an agreement to build a rail corridor that will connect Yunnan with Myanmar’s port city of Kyaukphyu on the Bay of Bengal, thus bypassing Malacca straits. Kyaukphyu is also the starting point of the China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline, and enters China at the city of Ruili.

With Laos, the China-Vientiane railroad project is expected to be completed by 2018. China has recently approved a 23 billion dollar project, which includes a high-speed link between Chaing Khong, just south of the Laos’ capital Vientiane, with Ban Phachi in Thailand.

Some analysts are of the view that China and Thailand are taking the lead in building the MSR’s connection with Africa. The website East by Southeast reported that in 2014, Chinese and Thai officials have formed investment vehicles for the construction of the seven strategic ports on the African coastlines.

Thai rice exporters are likely to be one of the main beneficiaries of the Asia-Africa link under the MSR plan. Already 60 per cent of Thai rice exports in 2013 headed for Africa, and consumption trend was even higher in 2014.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 19 Jan 2015 23:17

^^^^^^

Vision.

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 20 Jan 2015 13:55

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-nev ... nance.html

The Chinese businessman who bought an unfinished Soviet-era vessel that became his country's first aircraft carrier was never paid back the $120 million it cost him by Beijing, he was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Entrepreneur Xu Zengping paid Ukraine a $20 million fee for the Varyag, which was eventually commissioned into the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy as the Liaoning, but the price ballooned once towing it to China -- a process that was delayed for years -- and other costs were included.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 20 Jan 2015 17:41

It's going to make the Chinese maritime traffic even more vulnerable to Indian interdiction in a crisis.The PLAN will try and support its maritime fleet with its subs as it will not be able to send in large task forces which will be extremely vulnerable to land based Indian strike aircraft apart from the IN's IOR assets. Chinese maritime traffic will have to round Sri Lanka as well .What the IN has to do with full-fledged support from the GOI is to hugely increase the number and capability of its sub fleet.The IN needs at least 36 subs,12 N-boats,SSBNs and SSGNs,plus 24 conventional subs most with an AIP system.

[quoteHuanggang frigate, China's latest anti-submarine weapon
Staff Reporter 2015-01-20 ][/quote]
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subc ... 0&cid=1101

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 20 Jan 2015 17:46

No doubt that the engines will go into the prototype J-20's and will be used for developing local engines for it. Thats why they want the engines ahead and the missiles for developing their 5th gen aircraft.

The Russians are again playing with fire.

member_28756 · Post by **member_28756** » 20 Jan 2015 19:58

Aditya_V wrote:No doubt that the engines will go into the prototype J-20's and will be used for developing local engines for it. Thats why they want the engines ahead and the missiles for developing their 5th gen aircraft.

The Russians are again playing with fire.

The problem is the Russians seems to be OK with it. Its not like its the first time this reverse engineering is happening to them. Especially now that Russia and China needs each other more than ever.

http://rbth.com/news/2015/01/13/half_of ... 42828.html

Half of Russians stand for developing relations with China - poll
12:56 January 13, 2015 Interfax

Nearly half of Russians (47 percent) believe that the country's foreign policy should center on stronger relations with China in the long-term period, Levada Center told Interfax.

CIS countries ranked second (12 percent), Western Europe came third (8 percent) and the United States (4 percent) and Islamic countries (1 percent) followed in a poll of 1,600 respondents in 134 populated localities on December 19-22.

The opinions have undergone a major transformation: only 21 percent of respondents prioritized Beijing as Russia's partner a year ago while 28 percent and 20 percent chose CIS countries and Europe respectively. Nine percent of Russians wished to befriend the United States and 3 percent chose Islamic countries.

In addition, most respondents (57 percent vs. 50 percent in 2012) said that Western criticism of Russia should be ignored. The opposite opinion was expressed by less than a third of respondents (27 percent vs. 38 percent in 2012) and 16 percent were undecided.

The respondents choosing to disregard Western criticism of Moscow say "the West does not wish Russia well and the criticism is hostile" (43 percent) and "the West sees Russia as a rival and tries to weaken it" (40 percent).

An overwhelming number of Russians (87 percent) believe that the West is holding a hostile policy towards Russia and only 8 percent disagree. Seven percent are unable to answer the question.

AdityaM · Post by **AdityaM** » 21 Jan 2015 18:10

China's Island Factory

New islands are being made in the disputed South China Sea by the might of the Chinese state. But a group of marooned Filipinos on a rusting wreck is trying to stand in the way.

The inside story of the Liaoning: how Xu Zengping sealed deal for China's first aircraft carrier

n the mid-1990s, the former PLA basketball star was contacted by officers within the PLA Navy with a secretive mission: go to Ukraine and buy the Soviet-built carrier

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 30 Jan 2015 04:15

China to deploy range of naval ships in Indian Ocean

BEIJING: Riled by reports of the US sharing intelligence with India over movements of Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean, China today said it would deploy "different kinds of naval ships" depending on requirements of operations and other nations "need not read too much into it".

Asked about reports that US is providing intelligence to India about movement of Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean, Chinese military spokesman Col Yang Yujin told a media briefing here that China is deploying its naval fleet on escort missions in anti-piracy operations in Gulf of Aden and Somalia under UN resolution of 2008.

The reports of sharing submarine intelligence coincided with the recent visit of US President Barack Obama to India.
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member_23370 · Post by **member_23370** » 30 Jan 2015 05:05

LoL someone in wetting themselves. Next they will need a brown salwars when IN deploys regularly to SCS.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 30 Jan 2015 05:19

From the report posted above:

"By doing so Chinese navy is providing more international service helping with peace and stability in the open seas," he said.

China is taking quotes from India? Glad they agree on SCS.

member_28756 · Post by **member_28756** » 03 Feb 2015 04:26

http://www.janes.com/article/48512/chin ... s-opv-deal

China, Argentina set for defence collaboration, Malvinas-class OPV deal

Richard D Fisher Jr, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

01 February 2015

Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is expected to sign agreements with China to increase military co-operation, including construction of new warships for the Argentine Navy, during a visit to Beijing on 3-5 February, according to media reports.

The expanded level of Argentine-Chinese military co-operation, which has been about a year in preparation, follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 29 October 2014 by an Argentine-Chinese Joint Committee on Co-operation in the Field of Defence Technology and Industry. The actual joint development programmes were finalised during a visit by a Chinese defence trade delegation to Buenos Aires in late January.

Argentine reports indicate the agreement to be signed in Beijing could cover co-production in Argentina of the Norinco VN1 wheeled armoured personnel carrier (APC) and co-operation in building a new ice-breaker, naval tugboats, mobile hospitals, and new warships for the Argentine Navy.

In late 2014 the Argentine government reportedly accepted a Chinese offer to meet its long-standing requirement for a new class of offshore patrol vessel. Over the last decade Argentina has considered purchasing designs from Brazil, Germany, and Spain, but China has reportedly succeeded in selling a more capable warship: a version of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation's (CSIC) P18 export corvette.

Somewhat controversially, this vessel will be known as the Malvinas class, after the Argentine name for the Falkland Islands: a UK sovereign territory that Argentine forces invaded in April 1982 before being defeated by a British task force in a conflict that claimed 907 lives.

Two P18N corvettes were sold to Nigeria in 2012 for USD42 million each.

According to Brazilian web magazine Naval Power , an initial Argentine contract may include two ships built in China and three co-produced in Argentina. An Argentine source noted the price for the ships could be USD50 million each.

The P18 corvette displaces 1,800 tonnes, is 95 m long, 12 m wide, and is powered by two German-designed MTU 20V 4000M diesel engines to achieve a speed of 25 kt. It can be armed with a 76 mm main gun, two 30 mm cannons, up to eight anti-ship missiles, two triple torpedo launchers, and can carry one medium-sized helicopter.

Naval Power reported that Argentina has requested a larger flight deck to handle its 10-tonne Sea King helicopters and a towed sonar to increase its anti-submarine capability.

Delivery of the Argentine P18s could start in 2017.

Reports from mid-2014 indicate the Argentine Army evaluated the Norinco VN1 8x8 amphibious APC, considering its 21-tonne infantry fighting vehicle variant along with 105 mm gun- and 120 mm mortar-armed versions. Argentina could acquire up to 110 VN1s, according to Naval Power .

Venezuela's marines took delivery of the region's first VN1s at the end of December 2014.

ANALYSIS
If concluded, this defence agreement could mark a major step in Argentina's long-standing effort to revive its military capabilities and would constitute a major success for China's 15-year endeavour to expand its military influence and market share in Latin America.

Since the 1982 Falklands War, China has expressed its support for Argentina's continued claims over the islands, which Beijing compares to its claim over Taiwan. However, China's willingness to accept commodity payments to finance initial loans that fund military sales has been key to its military sales success in Argentina.

In 2011 the Fábrica Argentina de Aviones (Argentine Aircraft Factory: FAdeA) reached an agreement to start co-producing China's Changhe Z-11 light helicopter. Then, in June 2013, FAdeA sources told IHS Jane's that talks over co-production of the Chengdu FC-1 lightweight jet fighter had occurred over the previous two years. This option appears to have been lost as Argentina has tried and failed to purchase retired Dassault Mirage F1 fighters from Spain, then refurbished Israeli Aircraft Industry Kfir fighters and, in late 2014, Saab Gripen fighters co-produced in Brazil.

However, the new Argentine-Chinese defence agreement could revive prospects for combat aircraft co-operation. In addition to the FC-1 fighter, China could offer low-cost combat-capable supersonic lead-in trainers like the Guizhou JL-9G/FTC-2000G or the Hongdu L-15

dinesha · Post by **dinesha** » 05 Feb 2015 08:50

PLA's Type 091 nuclear submarine 'based on US toys'
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subc ... 9&cid=1101

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 07 Feb 2015 06:26

Experts: Chinese '4th Fleet' Appears Unlikely

AIPEI — Despite reports that China is planning a fourth fleet for the Indian Ocean, India doesn't appear to be losing any sleep over it.

Unconfirmed reports from Chinese-language articles and Western defense industry reports suggest China would build a fleet command headquarters at Sanya on Hainan Island.

Yet the main obstacles to such a strategy include diplomacy, logistics, and reliability, despite conducting successful, but limited, anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia, experts say.

The reports of the fourth fleet are "overstated speculation" and lack "credibility," said Ching Chang, a research fellow at Taiwan's ROC Society for Strategic Studies and a former Taiwan naval officer.

"Without any diplomatically credible, militarily reliable, and logistically functional forward base in the Indian Ocean area, it is impossible for the [Chinese Navy] to establish any long-lasting military organization there, though certain ad hoc arrangements such as dispatch forces, task forces and exercise maneuvering units may appear in the Indian Ocean from time to time," he said.

The Chinese Navy has three fleet commands: the North Sea Fleet in the Yellow Sea, East Sea Fleet in the East China Sea, and the South Sea Fleet in the South China Sea.

Hainan Island, the would-be headquarters for the fourth fleet, is only 200 nautical direct miles from the South Sea Fleet's base at Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province.

Forward deployment of a Chinese Navy ships in the Indian Ocean would be diplomatically difficult. James Holmes, co-author of the book, "Red Star Over the Pacific" and a US Naval War College professor, said forward basing arrangements with Sri Lanka or Pakistan would "set off warning bells in places like New Delhi," and "I would expect a renewal of 'string-of-pearls' talk in India should that happen, and with some cause."

The "string-of-pearls" strategy refers to a suspected Chinese naval plan to build a network of base agreements with countries along the sea lines of communication (SLOC) from Hainan Island to Africa: Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Many of the countries listed are Third World and incapable of providing the type of logistics support that US naval fleets enjoy in places like Singapore.

Other problems for the Chinese Navy would be overcoming choke points in straits along the SLOC — Mandeb, Malacca, Hormuz, Lombok, and Singapore — places that US forces and allies can control in a conflict.

"From a geographical standpoint, establishing such a fleet would concentrate even more attention on the chokepoints where shipping accesses the Indian Ocean from East Asia," Holmes said. "If Beijing bases a fleet on Hainan and doesn't forward deploy it, the fleet's ships could be cut off and stranded in South Asia by some access-denier operating in the vicinity of the Strait of Malacca or the Lombok or Sunda straits."

Another problem with the fourth fleet speculation in the media, particularly Chinese-language media, is that China's armed forces normally stay within their assigned military regions. The three naval fleets are attached to three adjacent military regions accordingly. Hainan Island is part of the Guangzhou Military Region, making the creation of a fourth fleet at that location unnecessary and untraditional, Chang said.

"Neither the actual practices of the present military organization may have any space to accommodate such an organization of the fourth fleet," he said. "Please remember that all three existing fleets are named by the territorial seas. This is a basic rule hardly to be changed in near term."

Regarding the media reports, "many commentaries appeared in the overseas Chinese electronic medias might only reflect some aspirations of the military fans in China or overseas Chinese community," he said.

This does not mean that China is not sending ships and submarines into the Indian Ocean.New Delhi has complained about Chinese naval activities in the area, including three submarines over the past year.

China's presence suggests Beijing has ambitions beyond its near-seas, particularly with the more than 300 million tons of oil being transported through the Indian Ocean, said Srikanth Kondapalli, a China specialist at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

In 2014, two Chinese submarines made their first port calls in Sri Lanka, unnerving New Delhi. Kondapalli said the submarine visits to Sri Lanka are key to preparing the groundwork for a bigger presence in the Indian Ocean.

"The crucial issue is the number of naval platforms," he said. "Once China produces these — after the three fleets are fully equipped — we could possibly see the fourth fleet."

Holmes suggests the Chinese Navy may be creating the organization for an Indian Ocean fleet without assigning many, or any, assets to that fleet permanently.

"That would resemble the US Navy's 6th Fleet, which has only a command ship and shore facilities," he said. "Ships 'chop' to 6th Fleet temporarily, meaning they put themselves under tactical control of the fleet commander. China may be thinking about a similar arrangement for now, and perhaps permanently. Navies exist to give commanders and political leaders options. This may fall into that category."

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Feb 2015 07:56

I would certainly expect

- more nuclear submarine activity
- more spy ships
both shadowing indian naval units and monitoring our missile tests.

- ocean research ships..they will be sneaky and operate alone
gathering data for their nuclear subs to use

- attempts to mine resources from the deep sea international waters
not to gather any treasure but just to harass, FUD, shake things up, show a 'presence' in our backyard

- govt sponsored fishing fleets pushing south and hanging out in bay of bengal and in maldives-mauritius belt
again just to show a presence and increase headaches for CG

- periodic large scale exercises with the saudi, UAE, sri lankan and pakistani navies to needle us
starting with heavy DDG units and submarines and followed in due course by the carriers.

- a couple of choreographed piracy incidents in which neutral ships are taken over by pirates
but rescued swiftly by strong silent chinese special forces staging off PLAN ships in vicinity, with a good photo crew embedded

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 07 Feb 2015 09:00

India should never sign on to the "Silk" stuff (Road and Sea routes). It is a pearl in another form.

India should also oppose any thought of a canal through Thailand just south of Myanmar.

However, with the US Pivot, Indian Act East and recent UK + France filling the void in the ME, IF India can win the countries around her, the job to keep China out should be much easier.

Also, the quad grouping with Japan and Australia - IF it matures - should make a huge diff.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Feb 2015 14:22

China may add three more aircraft carriers to arsenal - Atul Aneja, The Hindu

China could induct three more aircraft carriers to its arsenal to beef up its deterrent to counter the accumulation of forces in the Asia-Pacific under the Obama-administration’s “Pivot to Asia” doctrine.

The People’s Daily is quoting Cao Weidong, a military specialist, as saying that “China pursues a defensive national defence policy and four aircraft carriers are appropriate”.

So far, China only has Liaoning, as its sole aircraft carrier. The Soviet-era warship, called Varyag earlier, was purchased from Ukraine, and commissioned in 2012.

The Chinese have so far refrained from officially declaring the exact number of aircraft carriers that they wish to induct in their arsenal.

However, during a briefing in August 2013, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun observed that while the Liaoning is China’s first aircraft carrier, it certainly will not be the last.

Mr. Cao pointed out that aircraft carriers are typically required for training, maintenance and duty. “If China has four aircraft carriers, with two in the South China Sea and two in northern China, they can better accomplish their missions,” he observed.

Regarding the size of the carrier, which largely determines it aerial punch, he recommended that China should build 60,000-80,000 tonne ships.

A typical 60,000 tonne ship can board 30-40 fighter jets, nearly half of the 70-80 planes that can board the 100,000 tonne aircraft carriers of the United States, in order to exercise “sea control”. In comparison, India’s aircraft carrier, Vikramaditya has a displacement of around 40,000 tonnes.

A relative latecomer, China established its first carrier-based air force only in May 2013. However, analysts say that Beijing now appears focused on developing these “floating airfields,” with urgency following the U.S. Pivot to Asia and the simmering disputes in the South China Sea.

Nearly 3, 60,000 personnel are deployed in the Asia-Pacific theatre under the U.S. Pacific Command, fuelling China’s anxieties.

Besides, PACOM has positioned 200 ships, which include five aircraft carrier strike groups, in ocean-space, which has China and North Korea as their prime concern.

As the numbers game is debated, the Global Times , affiliated to the Communist Party of China, is reporting that the construction of China’s second aircraft carrier maybe imminent.

kit · Post by **kit** » 07 Feb 2015 15:30

http://www.janes.com/article/48738/chin ... -destroyer

128 vertically launched missiles arranged in two grids of 64 cells, one forward and one aft

a game changer ?!

the "universal" cells can reportedly fire any type of missile

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Feb 2015 16:34

more importantly we need to track the development of their ship board radar systems and fleet wide networking and targeting systems. these 'soft' things determine the lethality of the weapons.
amirka has a lot more MALDs and HWTs to throw at the problem than 128, so just the number of cells is not scary.

member_28756 · Post by **member_28756** » 07 Feb 2015 18:29

I am also concern at the rate the are building ships. They will soon have 14 type 52C and 52D phase array destroyers mostly built in the last few years before going on to type 55. They also built 24 type 056 corvette pretty quickly with about 40 more to go. That's not even mentioning their Type 54 - 57 Frigates programs. The PLAN have grown substantially and No one else is building ships at this rate.

kit · Post by **kit** » 07 Feb 2015 19:18

kit wrote:http://www.janes.com/article/48738/chin ... -destroyer

128 vertically launched missiles arranged in two grids of 64 cells, one forward and one aft

a game changer ?!

the "universal" cells can reportedly fire any type of missile

Singha , i was wondering at the assets the IN need to throw at a possible chinese aircraft carrier group , if say a couple of the Type 55 are there in one group ..at present IN doesn't have an air capability that can provide saturation attacks against such a system ..the Mig 29K might not be enough...the 40K aircraft carriers with 20 odd strike group may not ..

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Feb 2015 19:22

nuclear submarines armed with sub launched brahmos is the best bet. PLAN ships are pretty weak in ASW assets, most do not have 2 helicopters in favour of packing in more SAMs.
the USN mostly depended on sub launched harpoons from n-subs for soviet surface assets.

Manny K, yes they are churning out big warships like nobody else and will soon match the number of DDG hulls of USN (~60) perhaps within a decade.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 07 Feb 2015 19:26

more importantly we need to track the development of their ship board radar systems and fleet wide networking and targeting systems

Obama was in town. You should have asked.

asprinzl · Post by **asprinzl** » 07 Feb 2015 21:52

It would be short sighted to assume that China will always be India's enemy and the USA will always be friendly towards India. Thus it would be unwise for India to not join the Silk road enterprise................

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 07 Feb 2015 21:57

NRao wrote:
more importantly we need to track the development of their ship board radar systems and fleet wide networking and targeting systems
Obama was in town. You should have asked.

Just when Indians are making good progress on RADAR tech. Sure.

vaibhav.n · Post by **vaibhav.n** » 08 Feb 2015 16:11

Big changes in China’s top military brass, the PLA made a rare move by announcing the investigation of 16 senior military officials.

The high-ranking officials of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently underwent a new round of position adjustments. As of now, official coverage and reports have confirmed position adjustments in four General Headquarters and Departments, PLA Navy, the Second Artillery Force, Military Area Commands and military scientific research institutes.

Links:
Global Times

Chengdu Military Area Command

Second Artillery Force

There is opinion that the guys are primarily from the Air Force, Navy& 2nd Arty, Army Generals have been ignored this time around by Xi & CMC for the General Staff Headquarters.

In the Meantime;

Source:Xinhua
Published: 2015-2-6
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) finished a two-day drill on Friday testing final application of Beidou Navigation Satellite System in combat in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the military announced.

The system was used by the troops for precise positioning and navigating, real-time location reporting and data transmission over long distances. It said that Beidou has allowed the Army to be more precise in command, weapon firing and logistics and that the technology has "been integrated into the PLA's modern command system and weapon platform". Currently, Beidou owns 20 satellites.

Viv S · Post by **Viv S** » 08 Feb 2015 17:21

asprinzl wrote:It would be short sighted to assume that China will always be India's enemy and the USA will always be friendly towards India. Thus it would be unwise for India to not join the Silk road enterprise................

That sort of pragmatism would be more productive if China wasn't still claiming thousands of sq. km of Indian territory, if its troops weren't aggressively probing and pushing on the LAC, if it didn't have workers and engineers deployed in PoK, if the PLAN wasn't harassing (perfectly legal) Indian commercial and naval operations in the SCS while its own ships and submarines dock in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. And for all the ups and downs in our relationship with the US, the fact is we have no core disputes with them aside from the aid to Pakistan, which in turn has a (fast approaching) expiry date.

vishvak wrote:
NRao wrote:Obama was in town. You should have asked.
Just when Indians are making good progress on RADAR tech. Sure.

Read it again. He was responding to Singha's post about Chinese radars and networking. The US runs operations to gather operational and technical intelligence on the Chinese military. Which is significant in light of intelligence sharing between India and the US which is reportedly being upgraded well beyond the erstwhile focus on non-state terrorism. See here and here.

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 08 Feb 2015 19:25

Merchant ships could be used as cover to move PLA subs into open sea

Chinese merchant vessels could be used as cover to allow PLA ballistic missile submarines to penetrate the "First Island Chain," extending from Alaska to the Philippines, during peace time, according to Chinese Rear Admiral Yin Zhuo, cited by state-run People's Daily.

Vincent R. Stewart, the director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) said that Chinese nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines will begin routine patrol missions in open sea this year, during a hearing held by the House Committee on Armed Services held on Feb. 3.

Yin said that the PLA Navy could use two methods to penetrate through the "First Island Chain," which China believes was established by the United States to contain China.

During peace time, a Chinese merchant fleet could be used as cover for Chinese submarines to move into open water through the island chain, according to Yin. As for the second method, Yin suggested that Chinese submarines could also penetrate the First Island Chain with cover provided by PLA surface combat vessels. However, he said that the second method can be used only during wartime.

Stewart's statement suggests that China's ability to send its submarines into open sea is recognized by the United States, according to Cao Weidong, a Chinese military hawk. The United States, Japan and India are likely to exchange information on PLA submarine movements between the East China Sea and the Indian Ocean, according to Cao. He suggested that Chinese submarines dive deeper in the future to prevent detection from these nations in future operations.

member_28756 · Post by **member_28756** » 08 Feb 2015 19:42

http://china-defense.blogspot.ca/2015/0 ... -lift.html

The Sino-Russian 20+ ton Heavy-lift Helicopter Project, confirmed

Mikheyev said that the model is evolved from the M-26T helicopter, its take-off weight and carrying capacity are all smaller than those of the M-26 helicopter, but it is equipped with the M-26's D-136 engine, and therefore is superior to the M-26 helicopter in terms of thrust-weight ratio and mobility.

　　 The latest coverage of the Russian media, however, described the helicopter as "with a take-off weight of 38 tons and a carrying capacity of less than 15 tons, it can be used on plateaus under thermal climate conditions", which is not a copy and simple improvement of the M-26 helicopter.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 08 Feb 2015 20:58

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subc ... 0204000066

China achieves breakthrough in pulse weapons technology

Staff Reporter 2015-02-04 12:24 (GMT+8)
Directed-energy weapons are said to be the future of advanced technological warfare. (Internet photo)
Directed-energy weapons are said to be the future of advanced technological warfare. (Internet photo)

China has achieved a technological breakthrough that could help introduce pulse weapons to the People's Liberation Army's arsenal, reports the Global Times, a tabloid under the auspices of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily.

According to the report, the Xian Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully developed a third-generation X-ray pulsar simulation source. The technology, which can create an X-ray pulsar source in X-ray tubes to generate arbitrary waveform pulses, officially passed evaluation tests on Jan. 17.

The evaluation committee found that the creation's performance indicators were at an advanced international level and concluded that it is an advanced technology with original and practical applications that could lead to important economic and social benefits.

An X-ray pulsar consists of a magnetized neutron star in orbit with a normal stellar companion and is a type of binary star system. They are a class of astronomical objects that are X-ray sources displaying strict periodic variations in X-ray intensity with ranges that can vary from microseconds to several minutes.

As a natural beacon, X-ray pulsars have important applications in aerospace, astronomy, science and engineering. In terms of military applications, simulated X-ray pulsars may help China develop new weapons that can challenge America's dominance in the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons sphere.

Traditional non-nuclear EMPs weapons produce a short burst of electromagnetic energy to disrupt or damage electronic equipment. Nuclear EMP weapons, which have been dubbed "the second atomic bomb," have a much wider range of impact as they produce an abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation resulting from a nuclear explosion. The electromagnetic pulse from non-nuclear EMP weapons come from within the weapon, while nuclear weapons generate EMP as a secondary effect. In terms of military applications, a nuclear EMP would be delivered via a nuclear warhead detonated hundreds of kilometers above the Earth's surface.

EMP weapons have begun to find more practical applications in top militaries around the world. During the 1991 Gulf War, the US carried and used EMP weapons on its E-8 Joint Stars aircraft to disrupt electronic command systems, which international analysts believe was one of the main advantages the US had over its enemy. In July 1992, high-powered microwave weapons were named as one of six key future arms technologies by the US Congress, with the US Navy, Army and Air Force each putting forth a high-powered microwave weapons development plan.

In March 1999, the US used microwave weapons during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, causing communication in certain areas to be disrupted for more than three hours. EMP weapons were then used to sever Iraqi state television broadcast signals in March 2003 during the Iraq War.

Apart from the US and Russia, countries developing high-powered microwave weapons include England, France, Germany and Japan.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 08 Feb 2015 21:50

asprinzl wrote:It would be short sighted to assume that China will always be India's enemy and the USA will always be friendly towards India. Thus it would be unwise for India to not join the Silk road enterprise................

Two reasons why India should *not* join China on this project:

* This "silk" stuff (land and sea) is another form of the String of Pearls. China will use "commerce" to make advances on the military front. No two ways about that and no brownie points for it either
* More importantly India-Australia have a similar effort (I cannot recall the name of it as i type) within IOR. Absolutely no need for China to propose an alternative

* With recent development India-Australia-Japan need to build a system. The problem is that for all this China is the financier!!!! Even in NaMo model he has tagged China as the source for funds (during the Chinese Prez visit he/India were expecting $100 billion from China, China pledged $20 billion - games for you).

vishvak wrote: Just when Indians are making good progress on RADAR tech. Sure.
Read it again. He was responding to Singha's post about Chinese radars and networking. The US runs operations to gather operational and technical intelligence on the Chinese military. Which is significant in light of intelligence sharing between India and the US which is reportedly being upgraded well beyond the erstwhile focus on non-state terrorism. See here and here.

Design Pattern: Colored glass syndrome.

In addition to what you mention, China - I bet - has used stolen technologies to build all this. So, my logic was why should India waste time+funds "tracking"? Just go to the source from where China stole and ask them how can India counter what China stole. Much like the UK asking France for the keys to the missile France provided to Argentina. IF India gets some advice then India saves time/money.

member_28756 · Post by **member_28756** » 09 Feb 2015 02:18

http://www.janes.com/article/48726/arge ... king-group

Argentina and China agree fighter aircraft working group
Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
05 February 2015

Argentina and China are to form a working group to look at the possible introduction into Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina - FAA) service of a new Chinese fighter type, it was disclosed on 5 February.

The working group, which was discussed during a visit by between Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to Beijing from 2 to 5 February, will look at the possible transfer of a range of military equipment to Buenos Aries. Chief among this equipment is either the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) FC-1/JF-17 or the CAC J-10 fighter aircraft.

member_28756 · Post by **member_28756** » 16 Feb 2015 19:00

This is a bad idea in the event of war both systems will have to be neutralized.

http://sputniknews.com/science/20150211/1018118855.html

Russia, China Discuss Technological Compatibility of Satellite Systems © Sputnik/ Maksim Bogodvid
TECH 17:59 11.02.2015(updated 18:39 11.02.2015)
Glonass' Vice-President of Strategic Development Evgeniy Belyanko says Russia and China are currently discussing the question of technological compatibility of BeiDou and Glonass.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia and China are discussing the compatibility of their satellite navigation systems, Glonass and BeiDou, Glonass' Vice-President of Strategic Development Evgeniy Belyanko told Sputnik China on Wednesday.

"At the moment we are discussing the question of technological compatibility of BeiDou and Glonass. This, essentially, will form a unified compatible security system along the China-Europe transport corridor," Belyanko said.
He said that the systems did not have to be identical but it was important that they adhered to the same technical standards, while many elements of the systems could be specific to a particular country.

Belyanko said that the precise number of joint monitoring stations for the systems is currently being discussed and will be determined on technical grounds, but the amount of these stations had to be sufficient to expand the areas of monitoring in both Russia and China.

On Tuesday, a Russian space agency Roscosmos spokesperson told RIA Novosti that the two countries had signed a cooperation agreement in the field of satellite navigation.

Russia and China have their own satellite navigation systems, Glonass and BeiDou respectively, that serve as an alternative to US-made GPS.

Russia's Glonass has been developed since 1976 and now consists of 28 satellites, including 24 operational. China's BeiDou plans to have 35 satellites in operation by 2020.

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 17 Feb 2015 05:13

Under Xi, China's defense budget seen defying economic slowdown

BEIJING (Reuters) - President Xi Jinping is expected to authorize robust defense spending for this year despite China's slowing economy, determined to strengthen the country's armed capabilities amid growing unease in Beijing at Washington's renewed focus on Asia.

While China keeps the details of its military spending secret, experts said additional funding would likely go toward beefing up the navy with anti-submarine ships and developing more aircraft carriers beyond the sole vessel in operation.

The military budget will be announced at the start of the annual meeting of China's parliament on March 5. Last year, defense spending rose 12.2 percent to $130 billion, second only to the United States.

That continued a nearly unbroken two-decade run of double-digit budget increases, although many experts think China's real defense outlays are much larger.

China's leaders have routinely sought to justify the country's military modernization by linking defense spending to rapid GDP growth. But growth of 7.4 percent last year was the slowest in 24 years, and a further slowdown to around 7 percent is expected in 2015.

Other factors would now keep defense spending high, from the U.S. military and diplomatic "rebalancing" to Asia to Xi's crackdown on corruption in the People's Liberation Army, which has caused some disquiet in the ranks, military experts said.

"Xi has put a premium on the 'dream of a strong military' as part of his grand strategy for China's rise, perhaps more than any other modern (Chinese) leader," said Zhang Baohui, a security specialist at Hong Kong's Lingnan University.

"This greater emphasis on the military is very significant."

Indeed, troops are rehearsing for a major parade in September where the PLA is expected to unveil new homegrown weapons in the first of a series of public displays of military might planned during Xi's tenure, sources have told Reuters.

U.S. ALLIANCES RANKLE

At the forefront of the minds of China's strategic military planners is the U.S. rebalancing, which among other things calls for 60 percent of U.S. warships to be based in the Asia Pacific by 2020, up from about 50 percent.

"The adjustment in the U.S. strategy towards the Asia Pacific has brought enormous external pressures to bear on China," said a recent commentary by the Study Times paper, published by the Central Party School, which trains rising officials.

It pointed in particular to U.S. efforts to bolster alliances with countries such as Japan and the Philippines.

China is involved in bitter disputes over sea boundaries with both nations, as well as Vietnam, which has sought to strengthen ties with Washington.

"Higher Chinese spending, coupled with increasingly aggressive actions and assertive language, is likely to further push countries into the U.S. nominal embrace," said Richard Bitzinger, a military analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

Many Asian countries are also getting out their chequebooks.

Japan approved a record $42 billion military budget last month. India boosted defense spending by 12 percent for 2014-15 to $38.35 billion and military expenditure is seen rising to $40 billion in Southeast Asia in 2016.

While Chinese leaders would be aware of the regional optics of announcing a big budget for the 2.3-million strong PLA at a time of lower projected fiscal revenue growth, diplomats said they believed Xi wants to also placate military leaders and ordinary soldiers feeling the heat from an anti-graft campaign.

China's top military decision-making body, the Central Military Commission, which Xi chairs, has investigated several generals as part of a scandal into the selling of PLA positions.

It has also targeted the second artillery corps, which controls China's nuclear missiles, as well as the navy and the air force.

"It is inconceivable Xi could make cuts now given the enemies he's got internally," one Western diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

MONEY FOR ANTI-SUB SHIPS, DRONES

Despite the massive sums spent over the past two decades, a recent report by the U.S.-based RAND Corp think tank said the PLA suffered from potentially serious weaknesses that could limit its ability to win future wars.

The report, commissioned by a U.S. Congressional committee, said China faced shortcomings stemming from outdated command structures, quality of personnel and corruption, as well as weakness in combat capabilities such as anti-submarine warfare.

Aware of some of these gaps, experts said the PLA would continue strengthening its naval presence in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, a region dominated by the United States and its allies, and through which four-fifths of China's oil imports pass.

"The navy is still seriously lagging behind in anti-submarine capabilities," said a military expert at a Chinese government think tank who declined to be identified.

Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Australian National University, said he expected more funding for military drones and maritime surveillance aircraft.

"Pro-defense spending actors within China can easily say China is expanding its global role to justify spending on submarines, amphibious ships and aircraft carriers," he said.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 17 Feb 2015 05:25

Weakness in asw is obvious and well known.
They are obsessed with sam and aaw.
Even their large ddgs have one heli in favour of more sams

And no proper lrmp assets.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 17 Feb 2015 10:14

The silk road idea is not a bad one -- commerce works as a "vehicle" both ways. China is invading commercially anyway, and it would be shortsighted to assume lack of this one route would impede it. On the other hand, it might actually expose inefficiencies in india that would otherwise be left unattended. And it might push indian industry to actually respond.

There is really nothing to be gained from cutting off from a multilateral initiative.

SKrishna · Post by **SKrishna** » 18 Feb 2015 17:35

Chinese-Generated Report Details Country’s Aircraft Technology Progress

...
“Manufacturing of a variety of titanium and large and complex key metal parts directly through laser [forming] has been applied to new fighters, large transport aircraft” and the Comac C919 narrowbody airliner, it says. The “new” fighters are not named. China’s main current-production fighter is the J-10, with the large J-20 in development. Both are from Avic’s Chengdu works, while the Shenyang operation is promoting the J-31 as an export product.

The Chinese-language Report on Advances in Aeronautical Science and Technology, published in 2014, reviews the state of the industry in 2012-13. Frequent mentions of “breakthroughs” show where the industry is making the most important progress—but allowance must be made for the positive spin that Chinese officialdom habitually includes in public documents.

Basic research into electron-beam welding of thick titanium pieces is underway, the report says. Other research, apparently beyond basic, is looking into using the technique with titanium-alloy load-bearing frames, beams, rails, tail structure, fan cases, combustion chamber cases and the structural parts of drive trains.

Research into linear vibration welding is focused on titanium alloys used in engines. This work involves blisks and single-crystal components.

As to more conventional fabrication techniques, “in recent years, all Chinese aeronautics enterprises have added numerically controlled machining equipment of large sizes and high speeds and with multi-axis operation,” the report states. “Numerically controlled machining capability has increased greatly.” Breakthroughs have been made in research into high-speed machining chatter, the optimization of operation parameters, the prediction and control of deformation, and working on difficult materials. According to the report, this know-how is already being used in producing detail parts. Tolerances of 0.1-0.3 mm (0.004-0.012 in.) have been achieved for large aircraft structural components, and 0.01 mm for engines.

Aluminum alloy milling speeds have reached 1,000 meters (3,300 ft. per min. and material removal 25-30 kg (55-66 lb.) per hr. Large aircraft parts 1.5-2 mm thick are being precisely milled on both sides. For titanium, the milling speed has reached 60-80 meters per min.

There has been breakthrough progress in shot-peen forming of large fuselage panels, creep forming, superplastic forming of engine blades and diffusion bonding. Some of these technologies have gone into production use, such as numerically controlled shot-peen forming of large supercritical wings for regional aircraft—presumably, the Comac ARJ21 regional jet. Superplastic forming and diffusion bonding is being used on panels, while the process, combined with diffusion bonding, has been applied to engine vanes.

“The use of resin-based composites in Chinese aeronautics is rising rapidly,” states the report. “For small- and medium-size aircraft, composites have reached 30% of the structural weight. For large aircraft it is about 15%.” For small and medium aircraft, the industry is widely using prepreg tape, automatic cutting, laser-assisted positioning, manual lay-up and autoclave curing.

Co-curing has been applied to the load-bearing structure of main and tail planes. The more advanced techniques of resin transfer infusion, resin film infusion and vacuum-assisted resin infusion are being used for canards—presumably of the Chengdu J-10 multirole fighter—and for beams, cabin doors, and aft pressure bulkheads.

Research is ongoing for applying such technology for complex shapes such as engine disks and large blades. Automatic tape laying is being used in research projects. And development work has begun for key technologies of automatic fiber placement.

The industry has engineered carbon-carbon composite technology for application in brakes equipment and heat-protection for (unnamed) high-speed aircraft. Critical technology for ceramic-based composites has been acquired.

Significant insight into Chinese advances in processes and technology. Not surprising though as being the factory of the world lot of high tech know has come to china from the Western companies for manufacture of their products. Now the its seeping in to the Chinese MIC.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 18 Feb 2015 18:03

The silk road idea is not a bad one -- commerce works as a "vehicle" both ways.

Commerce is good , "Silk" is unacceptable.

Indian Ocean is good, China Sea not.

member_28756 · Post by **member_28756** » 21 Feb 2015 01:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/ ... W220150219

Turkey eyes deal with China on missile defense despite NATO concern

By Tulay Karadeniz

ANKARA Thu Feb 19, 2015 3:25pm EST

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's defense minister said on Thursday the country does not plan to integrate a new missile defense system with NATO infrastructure and officials said a $3.4 billion deal with China was still under consideration.

NATO member Turkey chose China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp as a preferred bidder in 2013, prompting U.S. and Western concern about security and the compatibility of the weaponry with NATO systems.

Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, in a written response to a parliamentary question, indicated Ankara planned to go ahead with the Chinese system, saying the evaluation of bids had been completed and no new offers received.

"The system in question will be integrated with the national system for Turkey's defense and will be used without integrating with NATO," Yilmaz said.

However, other government officials later made clear that did not mean a final decision had yet been reached.

"We are continuing discussions with all the bidders," the undersecretariat for defense industries said in a statement.

U.S. and NATO officials are unhappy with Turkey's choice of the China Precision Machinery, which has been under U.S. sanctions for selling items to Iran, Syria or North Korea that are banned under U.S. laws to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Eurosam, which is owned by Franco-Italian missile maker MBDA and France's Thales, came second in the tender. U.S.-listed Raytheon Co also put in an offer with its Patriot missile defense system, which is now operated by 13 countries around the world.

Tim Glaeser, vice president with Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business, said that Turkey had recently asked for additional clarifications about Raytheon's proposal.

"It's our understanding that they are continuing to evaluate proposals from the French and the United States," Glaeser said. "There's renewed interest. We're still in the game."