Defense-Technology News: J-10/FC-20 Fighter

Showing posts with label J-10/FC-20 Fighter. Show all posts

Friday, June 29, 2012

DTN News - DISPUTED ISLANDS: China Sends 'Combat Ready' Patrols To Spratlys

DTN News - DISPUTED ISLANDS: China Sends 'Combat Ready' Patrols To Spratlys
*China starts "combat ready" patrols in disputed seas ~ Reuters

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Jojo Malig, ABS-CBNnews.com

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 29, 2012: "Combat ready" Chinese naval and aerial patrols have been deployed to the disputed Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea to protect Beijing's interests, the Chinese Defense Ministry said Thursday.

Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said China will "resolutely oppose any militarily provocative behavior" from other countries also claiming ownership of the Spratlys.

"In order to protect national sovereignty and our security and development interests, the Chinese military has already set up a normal, combat-ready patrol system in seas under our control," he said.

"The Chinese military's resolve and will to defend territorial sovereignty and protect our maritime rights and interests is firm and unshakeable," Geng added.

Vietnam has launched regular air patrols over the Spratly Islands.

Four aircraft, including two Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets, were deployed to the area on June 15, according to Vietnam's Thanh Nien News.

The Philippine Air Force, meanwhile, has deployed reconnaissance aircraft to Scarborough shoal just off Zambales that China is also claiming.

China is involved in a long-running dispute with Vietnam and the Philippines about ownership of islands and atolls in the West Philippine Sea. Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei also have claims.

The simmering tension between China and the Philippines over Scarborough has eased in recent weeks but Chinese vessels were spotted again at Scarborough shoal this week, prompting concern that the dispute may flare up again.

The Chinese Defense Ministry also announced Thursday that the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) top officials are considering establishing a "presence" in the new city of Sansha (City of Three Sands), which was set up to govern the Nansha (Spratlys), Xisha (Paracels), and Zhongsha (Macclesfield Bank) islands.

Geng said in press conference that China may set up local military command organs in the islands, state news agency Xinhua said.

The State Council, or China's Cabinet, has approved the establishment of the prefectural-level city of Sansha to administer the Spratlys, the Paracels, and Macclesfield Bank, with the government seat to be stationed on Yongxing Island in the Paracels, a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs said.

At stake is control over what are believed to be significant reserves of oil and gas.

CNOOC, China's offshore oil specialist, said on its website last weekend that it would invite foreign partners to explore jointly and develop nine blocks just off Vietnam this year.

On Tuesday, Vietnam said CNOOC's plan was "illegal" and the blocks encroached its territorial waters.

At a regular briefing on Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, insisted that the tenders were in accord with Chinese and international law and urged Vietnam not to escalate the dispute.

PLA among '9 dragons stirring up the sea' (Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon Multi-Role Combat Aircraft)

According to a recent analysis made by the International Crisis Group, the PLA is just one of the many Chinese government agencies involved in an internal power struggle over the Spratlys and the West Philippine Sea.

"China is one of its own worst enemies in the South China Sea as its local governments and agencies struggle for power and money, inflaming tensions with its neighbors, illustrated by Beijing’s latest standoff with the Philippines," the Crisis Group said in a study published in April this year.

“Some agencies are acting assertively to compete for a slice of the budget pie, while others such as local governments are focused on economic growth, leading them to expand their activities into disputed waters," said Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, the Crisis Group’s North East Asia Project Director. “Their motivations are domestic in nature, but the impact of their actions is increasingly international."

The study said the Chinese Foreign Ministry should be the lead body coordinating Beijing's policy in the sea.

"But the ministry lacks the power and authority to control the agencies, including five law enforcement bodies, local governments and private sector actors," it explained.

This has resulted in law enforcement and paramilitary ships independently plying the disputed waters just west of the Philippines.

According to the study, the top "dragons" claiming a piece of the Spratlys pie are the Bureau of Fisheries Administration, the China Marine Surveillance, the local governments, the Foreign Ministry, and the PLA Navy.

The other agencies include China's energy companies, the National Tourism Administration, the environmental protection ministry, the Coast Guard, the Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau, and the Maritime Safety Administration.

The Defense Ministry's announcement Thursday may indicate that Chinese leaders have chosen the PLA Navy as the lead "dragon" in the country's bid to claim the Spratlys. - with a report from Reuters

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Jojo Malig, ABS-CBNnews.com

*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Military Has Taiwan In Its Sights

DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Military Has Taiwan In Its Sights

**PENTAGON REPORT: Taiwan is the focus of China’s military, which is on track to become fully modernized by 2020 — much earlier than the US’ best estimate

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By William Lowther / Staff Reporter in Washington - Taipei Times

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 29, 2011: A major new Pentagon report on the Chinese military says China is on track to build a modern military by 2020 and that despite improvements in relations across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan remains the principal focus of the Chinese military.

Fueled by its booming economy, China’s military growth in the past decade has exceeded most US forecasts.

Its aircraft carrier program, cyber warfare capabilities and anti-satellite missiles have alarmed neighbors and Washington, the long-delayed comprehensive 84-page report says.

While the report contains nothing that is startlingly new, it is dominated by references to Taiwan. And it comes just weeks before the administration of US President Barack Obama has promised to provide an answer to Taipei’s request to buy 66 advanced F-16C/D aircraft.

This potential arms sale is not mentioned, but without actually spelling it out the study makes it abundantly clear that Taiwan is in desperate need of new weapons.

Titled Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2011, the annual report to Congress from the US Department of Defense makes chilling reading.

The Obama administration continues to deny that a decision has yet been made on whether or not to sell the F-16s, but unofficial sources in both Taipei and Washington are signaling that Obama will bow to Chinese pressure and not allow the sale. Instead, he seems likely to offer to modernize Taiwan’s dated F-16A/B aircraft — a move that is less objectionable to Beijing.

China’s rise as a major international actor will stand out as a defining feature of the strategic landscape of the early 21st century, the report says.

And China’s modernized military could be used in ways that increase Beijing’s ability to gain diplomatic advantage or resolve disputes in its favor, the report says.

Nowhere is that more the case, the report makes obvious, than in Beijing’s dealings with Taiwan.

“The PLA [People’s Liberation Army] seeks the capability to deter Taiwan independence and influence Taiwan to settle the dispute on Beijing’s terms,” it says.

“In pursuit of this objective, Beijing is developing capabilities intended to deter, delay, or deny possible US support for the island in the event of conflict,” it says.

“The balance of cross-Strait military forces and capabilities continues to shift in the mainland’s [China’s] favor,” it says.

Despite the warming cross-strait ties under President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), the report says, China has continued to build its forces in a way that threatens Taiwan.

“In the current decade to 2020, the PLA is likely to steadily expand its military options for Taiwan,” it says.

“Consistent with a near-term focus on preparing for Taiwan Strait contingencies, China continues to base many of its most advanced systems in the military regions opposite Taiwan,” it says.

On top of the huge numbers of ballistic and cruise missiles aimed at Taiwan, the report says China bases 490 combat aircraft within operational range of Taiwan and has the airfield capacity to expand that number by hundreds, as well as about 400,000 of its 1.25 million soldiers based in three military regions opposite Taiwan.

“The possibility of a military conflict with Taiwan, including US military intervention, remains a pressing, long-term focus for the PLA,” the report says.

“In the absence of a peaceful cross-Strait resolution or long-term non-aggression pact, the Taiwan mission will likely continue to dominate PLA modernization and operational planning,” it says.

Although the Chinese military probably lacks the necessary military power to successfully conduct a full-scale amphibious invasion of Taiwan, the report says, it is working to close the gaps in its capabilities.

“Furthermore, Taiwan’s relatively modest defense spending has failed to keep pace with ambitious military developments on the mainland,” it says.

The report says Beijing seeks to deter Taiwanese moves toward independence and seeks to achieve unification with a carrot and stick approach.

“The PRC [People’s Republic of China] strives to integrate the two economies while advancing cultural and historic ties. Politically, China has sought to expand ties with the [Chinese Nationalist Party] KMT Party on Taiwan while attempting to isolate political entities with more overtly pro-independence leanings,” it says.

“The PRC employs economic enticement, propaganda, and political engagement in pursuit of these objectives,” it says.

According to the report, the military component of China’s strategy is intended to create an impression on Taiwan that accommodation with Beijing is ultimately in Taiwan’s best interest.

“Beijing appears prepared to defer the use of force as long as it believes long-term reunification [sic] remains possible and the costs of conflict outweigh the benefits,” it says.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia Michael Schiffer told a Pentagon press briefing on the report that the pace and scope of China’s sustained military investments had allowed Beijing to pursue capabilities that “we believe are potentially destabilizing to regional military balances, increase the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation, and may contribute to regional tensions and anxieties.”

He said the report pointed to cross-strait trends that created a very challenging military and security environment.

The US was committed to working with Taiwan, to meet its -commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and to ensure that Taipei had the self-defense capabilities that it needed, Schiffer said.

Asked directly about the possible sale of F-16C/Ds, Schiffer said: “There have been no decisions that have been made on arms sales to Taiwan.”

“This is an issue that we continue to work with on a daily basis and consistent with our obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States will provide to Taiwan the self-defense capabilities that it requires,” he said.

“It’s a challenging security environment across a number of different dimensions,” he said when pressed on the possible sale.

There was no “silver bullet that will all of a sudden change everything,” he said.

In Taipei, the Ministry of National Defense again urged the US government to speed up the sale of defensive weapons to Taiwan.

Ministry spokesman David Lo (羅紹和) said the report again highlighted the cross-strait military imbalance.

Based on this reasoning, Ma has repeatedly called on the US to supply defensive arms to Taiwan in accordance with the TRA, Lo said.

He said the ministry has continued in its efforts to persuade Washington to provide F-16C/D aircraft, F-16A/B upgrades and diesel-electric submarines.

The Chinese government has yet to give its official response to the report, but Xinhua news agency fired the first shot in an English-language commentary yesterday, condemning the report as an alarmist “cock-and-bull story” that was “based on a wild guess and illogical reasoning.”

“China, which has adhered to a defensive military policy, with its rising economic clout and sprawling commercial and strategic interests around the world, has every right to build a competent military,” it said.

Xinhua called the Pentagon’s conclusions “much ado about nothing,” and said Chinese people thought it “baffling” that the US could criticize China when its own military spending was 40 percent of the world’s total last year.

Additional reporting by Reuters and CNA

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Pentagon Report By William Lowther / Staff Reporter in Washington - Taipei Times

*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News
Contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

Monday, August 01, 2011

DTN News - PAKISTAN DEFENSE NEWS: Pakistan US Relations Downhill - China Relation Uphill

DTN News - PAKISTAN DEFENSE NEWS: Pakistan US Relations Downhill - China Relation Uphill

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 1, 2011:
U.S. being preoccupied with its debt crisis during entire month of July, 2011 was unable to entertain ISI Head, Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha’s US visit and withheld $800 million economy and military aid with some exceptions.

The U.S. decision to defer nearly $800 million in counterterrorism funding to Pakistan in recent weeks was a necessary step, given the ejection of U.S. military trainers from Pakistan, ongoing concerns over the misuse of U.S. aid dollars, and mounting evidence of Pakistani complicity with insurgent groups.

It is believed on
General Ahmad Shuja Pasha's return from U.S.,
and unable regain the flow of U.S. aid with Washington, the Pakistani
were
displeased and
took some retaliatory actions against Obama
administration with immediate effect for CIA to close shop and imposed restrictions on American embassy staff
travel
movements in Pakistan. The top US military chief warned that US-Pakistan military-to-military ties were at a “very difficult” crossroads, allowing that a path to progress on that front was not yet clear.

In the interim, China consoled Pakistan with an offer to provide a squadron of the advanced J-10B fighter aircraft, a media report said. According to reliable sources, China's cost per J-10 fighter aircraft is RMB 190 million or US$ 27.84 million and for a squadron of 16 aircrafts, the tag price would be US$ 500 million.

The offer was made by senior Chinese military leaders to visiting Pakistan Army's Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Waheed Arshad, the Urdu daily Jang reported on Saturday, quoting defence sources.

The J-10B fighters are equipped with the latest weapons and Pakistan will be the first country, after China, to have these advanced aircraft, it said.
The J-10B fighter aircrafts are the crossroad between US and Pakistan relations which will take it's course in conjunction with Afghanistan, it is times to be seen by the pundits further downgrading US relations since Obama ordered the raid at Osama's Abbottabad in Pakistan.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith DTN News

*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News
Contact: dtnnews@ymail.com
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Monday, November 22, 2010

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Chengdu J-10 Next Variant Developing

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Chengdu J-10 Next Variant Developing

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Reuben F. Johnson ZHUHAI, China - Aviation Week

(NSI News Source Info) ZHUHAI, China - November 22, 2010: Chengdu Aerospace’s most famous product, the J-10 fighter aircraft, made its inaugural appearance at Zhuhai’s Air Show China in 2008, offering one of the most remarkable flight displays of the event. In the intervening two years, the program has made notable progress.

The J-10’s evolution mirrors that of another famous single-engine fighter aircraft, the Lockheed Martin F-16 in more than one respect.

One of the F-16’s major developmental milestones was the introduction of a second, alternate engine, the F110-GE-100, which at the time produced 6,000 lbs more thrust than the F-100-PW-100/220 that was the aircraft’s original power plant. In the same vein, Chinese industry has been hard at work to complete testing and development of the Liming Aeroengine Manufacturing Corporation (LMAC) WS-10A engine.

According to Chinese news reports, the WS-10A has been flying on board prototype aircraft of the J-10’s next block-series development, which has been designated as J-10B. The WS-10A will replace the Salyut AL-31FN engine, which was the aircraft’s original power plant.

Included as part of the J-10B’s configuration is an entirely new design for the engine inlet, which has changed from the rectangular configuration developed for the AL-31FN to an oval-shaped inlet. This again parallels the F-16’s development in which a “big mouth” inlet was developed for the aircraft to provide an increase in air flow for the enhanced thrust of the GE F110 engine.

In the modern day, however, what makes the major difference in combat aircraft performance is the capability of the on-board electronic systems. Chinese industry officials told Aviation Weel that a new line of products is in development to replace some of the major pod container systems in use now on the J-10 and other aircraft.

Most notable here is the CETC KG300G electronic warfare pod, which will be redesigned in a new variant that expands the frequency bandwidths it can cover. Also in development is a new-generation active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that would replace the aircraft’s current mechanically-steered array. “AESA radars are a major improvement for any fighter aircraft,” said one Chinese designer, “in that it provides a significant increase in reliability and radar performance.”