ASIAN DEFENCE

The Russian Air Force ( VVS ) will have received 55 Sukhoi PAK-FA (T-50) fighter aircraft by 2020, according to Vladislav Goncharenko, the deputy director of the United Aircraft Corporation's ( UAC's ) combat aircraft department. The first PAK-FA deliveries are scheduled for 2016.     Sukhoi PAK-FA (T-50) fighter aircraft  

NEW DELHI- The strength of Indian Air Force combat fleet is down to 25 squadrons, the Parliamentary panel observed. "With regard to the existing squadron strength, we are down to 25 squadrons today while Pakistan Air Force has 26 squadrons of operational combat fleet ," the committee pointed out. The standing committee on defence in its report observed that the national security was being compromised. Pakistan Air Force According to the committee, one of the reasons for the plight of their combatant strength in the skies is the considerable delay in procurement of various platforms. The 33-member panel said, "Our capability in contrast to our neighbors is eroding quickly ." The committee members were concerned to know about the strategy being pursued to fill the huge gaps in sanctioned and existing trainer aircrafts.

Russia’s newest RS-26 missile system , dubbed the ‘ anti-missile defense killer ’, will join the ranks of the country’s defenses in less than two years, Russia’s Strategic Missile Force commander said. “We are continuing the test program for RS-26 and plan to finish it next year, with the missile to be put on combat duty in 2016,” Lt. Gen.Sergey Karakayev said. Currently, there is hardly any information available about the new missile system because it was developed in secrecy. Reportedly, the RS-26 is a solid-fuel missile with an advanced splitting warhead , which is launched from a mobile platform. It was designed at the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology , apparently under the codenames Rubezh (Frontier), or Avangard (Vanguard). Previously, the Russian deputy prime minister in charge of defense,Dmitry Rogozin, referred to the RS-26 as “ the ABM killer .” “Neither modern nor prospective American missile defenses will be able to prevent this missile from being a...

Russia has approved an updated version of the country’s military doctrine which considers NATO military buildup as a major foreign threat against its national security. The new doctrine, which was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, also lists the American Prompt Global Strike (PGS) concept among the top security threats to the country, Russia Today reported. The PGS is an effort by the US military to develop a system which would allow the Pentagon to deliver precision strikes with conventional weapons at any target in the world in one hour. The core of the new military doctrine remains unchanged as the Russian army is still a defensive tool, which Moscow has vowed to use only as a last resort. The principles of the use of nuclear weapons have not changed since their primary goal is to deter potential attacks on Russia. However, the country would use them to protect itself in the face of the military assaults that could threaten its existence. Th...

This was a particularly eventful year for PLAAF when one looks at the progress of the various new projects. The most noticeable of which is J-20 , but this most will look at various other projects too. Coming into this year, the J-20 project seemed to be a little behind schedule compared to PAK-FA . There were a lot of questions about when the 3rd flying prototypes will come out. Earlier on, we saw the appearance of a heavily modified prototype No. 2011 which first flew in March. As previously discussed, this prototype really transitioned the project from the concept/demonstration phase to pre-production engineering phase. The next prototype No. 2012 appeared in July and had its maiden flight near the end of the month. Most recently, prototype No. 2013 and 2015 appeared in quick succession in the past month and had their first flights. These 2 prototypes have their pitot tubes removed. Speculations have been that No. 2016 and 2017 will also appear soon to join...

Recently declassified documents obtained by the National Security Archive reveal that the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations were considering military action to prevent or delay China from building nuclear weapons — even if that meant working with Moscow to stage an accidental bombing. The pertinent document is the June 21, 1963 entry in the journal of Glenn Seaborg, who was chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission from 1961 to 1971. Seaborg describes a White House meeting on the nuclear test ban negotiations with the Soviet Union. The discussion then turned to China — which had refused to support a test ban treaty — when President Kennedy asked how the U.S. might handle the issue in the Moscow talks. William C. Foster, the director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, confidently observed, "if we could get together with the USSR, the Chinese could be handled even if it required an accidental drop on their facilities." As the National Security Arch...

Russia “has signed a contract” to deliver the S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to China, Vedomosti daily reported on Wednesday, citing its sources. The contract between Russia’s Rosoboronexport and China’s Defense Ministry on the delivery of at least six divisions of the S-400 systems for more than $3 billion was concluded at the beginning of autumn, according to the sources. Russia’s defense concern Almaz-Antey has not commented on the report. The talks between the two states on the issue have been continuing for several years.

A gang of advanced missiles and a bleeding-edge radar unveiled at a Chinese air show could mean big trouble for the Pentagon’s best fighters. A useful lesson to bear in mind at last month’s Zhuhai air show—China’s only domestic air and defense trade show, held once every other year.It was the Shenyang J-31 stealth fighter , which resembles a twin-engine version of America’s newest stealth jet, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. But the real tricks lay in Beijing’s growing family of advanced missiles and radars .  The J-31 prototype was hidden except when it was flying, and not much detail was available. But the display was notable for the eruptions of smoke from the engines, most likely Russian RD-93s. That is important, because until China builds its own fighter engines it cannot build stealth fighters without approval from Vladimir Putin’s desk. That includes the Chengdu J-10B , China’s most modern, in-production fighter, or its bootleg versions of Russia’s Suk...

Footage of what appeared to be China's YJ-18 anti-ship missile , rumored to be in development, was shown recently in a news report on state broadcaster China Central Television.If reports about the missile are accurate, it will be China's first combination subsonic and supersonic anti-ship missile. 　　 According to an unnamed source cited by a military affairs column on Chinese news web portal Sina, the YJ-18 will be the basis for a series of models that will be adapted for launch from warships, submarines and from the coast and will likely replace current anti-ship missiles, given its versatility. The People's Liberation Army Navy currently employs several different models of anti-ship missile, which requires a great deal of logistics and maintenance planning. The six series of anti-ship missiles the PLA Navy uses include the HY series developed from the Soviet-era P-15, the YJ-8/YJ-83 series developed from the YJ-8, the YJ-62 series developed from t...

China is moving ahead to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter after it finishes the fifth-generation J-20 and J-31 , Igor Korotchenko, head of the Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade, has told Voice of Russia. The United States is the first nation to forge plans for the design of a sixth-generation fighter . Several artist renditions have already been revealed by Lockheed Martin and Boeing. In an official statement, the US Navy claimed that a sixth-generation fighter — called FAXX — will replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growler by 2030. A source from the US military said that the Department of Defense has already prepared a budget for the development of FAXX in 2015. Russia has recently gotten on board with its own next generation fighter program , said Andrei Grigoryev, the head of the Foundation for Advanced Military Research. The real "secondnd place," however, has to go to China in the race, said Korotchenko. A research ...

China has installed an indigenous engine in its Xian JH-7B fighter bomber . The plane has been designed to be difficult to detect, reports Huanqiu. A Xian JH-7B that has carried out test flights has been powered by the LM6 turbofan engine designed specifically for the aircraft which boasts more powerful thrust than the country's latest WS-10A engine . The LM6's air intake has been designed to be less visible and its exterior is coated with materials that can absorb electromagnetic waves. The engine is undergoing fine-tuning in preparation for mass production and the fighter bomber will be installed with new avionics and may use an active phased array radar .  Xian JH-7B fighter bomber The development of the plane began as early as 1974 after a battle against Vietnam in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. The incident prompted Beijing to decide to develop a supersonic all-weather aircraft that could be used by both the navy and air force. ...

China's mysterious " Dark Sword " combat drone could become the world's first supersonic unmanned aviation vehicle , reports the website of the country's national broadcaster CCTV. The Dark Sword — known in Chinese as "Anjian" — made quite a stir in 2006 when a conceptual model of the unusually shaped triangular aircraft made its debut at the Zhuhai Airshow in southern China's Guangdong province. The model was subsequently exhibited at the Paris Air Show but has disappeared from future airshows, with no official word on the development of the UAV . Some claim the project has already been scrapped due to insufficient funding or other reasons, while others believe the development of the drone is now being kept secret as it is undergoing further research and testing.   China's Dark Sword Drone Chinese aviation expert Fu Qianshao told CCTV that while he does not know the status of the Dark Sword project, the drone could...

Formerly designated as MBT-3000 , the tank features superb mobility and strong firepower as well as a cutting-edge data exchange network. According to Western military publications , the VT-4 is equipped with an electronic-controlled diesel engine with 1,200 horsepower, giving the tank a cruise speed of 68 kilo-meters per hour. Its main gun is a 125-mm smoothbore that can fire various shells, including a kinetic energy penetrator and high explosive anti-tank warhead. In addition, it can also fire anti-tank missiles with a maximum range of 5,000meters. "It has an advanced fire-control system, a new-type active protection system and a state-of-the-art fully automatic transmission device," he said. "In addition, the inter-unit network connects commanders of tanks and armored vehicles under a combat group, enabling them to share battlefield data in real time." The VT-4 can compete with any first-class tank used by Western militaries such ...

Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain have through their Eurofighter project signed a 1 billion euro (0.83 billion pound) contract to provide their jointly backed Typhoon jet with a new sort of radar, in an effort to secure new orders. The fighter is produced by Eurofighter partner companies BAE Systems , Airbus and Finmeccanica , and BAE said it signed a contract worth 365 million pounds ($572 million) to integrate the new radar onto the jets. Under the deal signed in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Wednesday the Typhoon jet will in future be available with the " Captor E-Scan radar ". Eurofighter Typhoon The four countries, which had already funded the initial development of the advanced radar, believe that the new radar will help the fighter jet secure new orders from other countries. "This will give Eurofighter Typhoon one of the most advanced radar systems in the world providing a wider field of regard than any other combat aircraft. Other benefit...

Russia is ready to wait for the delivery of the first French Mistral helicopter carrier till the end of November. If France does not meet obligations under the contract, Moscow will present a significant financial claim, RIA Novosti reports with reference to a high-ranking source in Moscow. "We get ready for different variants. We will wait till the end of the month and then we will bring serious claims," the agency's source said. He noted that experts currently analyze amounts of possible losses, should France fail to execute the contract accordingly. "This amount will not be a secret," assured the source. French Mistral Helicopter Carrier At the same time, a military and diplomatic source told that Russia may bring penalties against France for non-delivery of Mistral vessels as early as in February 2015. "Under the terms of the contract, France has the right to prolong the term of the delivery of the ship to the customer for th...

China recently demonstrated its second fifth-generation stealth fighter , the J-31 , for the 10th Zhuhai Airshow held in Guangdong from Nov. 11-16. Dave Majumdar, an American defense expert, thus suggests in Washington's National Interest that the US must put the F-35 into service or develop new fighters to face this challenge . China has come to realize that fourth-generation fighters such as the J-10 , J-11 , Su-27 and Su-30 will be obsolete when facing American fifth-generation stealth fighters like the F-22 and F-35 , an official from the Pentagon said. "The price of admission for a fifth-gen war is a fifth-gen airplane and they get that," the official was quoted as saying. Many US aviators believe that the J-31 was built based on stolen F-22 and F-35 technologies and will eventually be as powerful as the two American fighters .   J-31 "I think they'll eventually be on par with our fifth-gen jets because industrial espio...

After China's CX-1 supersonic cruise missile , displayed at the recent Zhuhai Airshow , was noted to resemble India's BrahMos missile , the Beijing-based Sina Military Network undertook a comparison between the Chinese and Indian missile. The Chaoxun-1 missile designed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has earned the nickname Cahoxi 1 ("Copy 1" in English) because of its uncanny similarity to the BrahMos missile jointly developed by Russia and India. However, Wang Hongpo, the chief designer of the missile, said the CX-1 is a completely new design. Wang said it has different wings, aerodynamic guidance and jet vane. Under the restrictions of the Missile Technology Control Regime , the attacking range of cruise missiles like the CX-1 and BrahMos can not exceed 300 kilometers. Wang said this is the main reason the CX-1 shares many similar characteristics with the BrahMos . Sina Military Network noted that the CX-1 flies f...

After Turkey decided in 2006 to procure a long-range air and anti-missile defense system known as T-Loramids, a long and a hot contest pitched the  US PAC-3 Patriot , Russian S-400 , French/Italian SAMP/T and Chinese HQ-9 models . Raytheon-Lockheed Martin of the US and European Eurosam companies made particular efforts to win Ankara’s favor. While everyone was expecting one of these two companies to win the contract, in September 2013 a bombshell hit the agenda when Turkey decided on China’s state-owned Precision Machinery Import-Export Corp (CPMIEC), which was on the US sanctions list on charges of violating the embargo on Iran. The contract was awarded for the FD-2000 model , the export derivative of HQ-9 system manufactured by the company.   According to some columnists, the decision was based purely on CPMIEC’s low price bid and its unconditional agreement with Turkey’s contractual conditions. Columnists claimed that the Chinese c...

China raised the thorny subject of U.S. military spy flights during talks that led to agreements this week on reducing friction between the two militaries, but was told U.S. missions in international airspace and waters would continue, the Pentagon said. The closed-door conversations underscore China's sensitivity to surveillance by U.S. P-8 Poseidon spy planes and other aircraft, especially off Hainan Island, home to a major Chinese submarine base . A Chinese intercept of a P-8 plane in international airspace off Hainan in August was described as dangerous by Washington.  U.S. President Barack Obama announced the military agreements on Wednesday after meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing. They require each country to notify the other of major military activities, including exercises, as well as cover rules of behavior for air and maritime encounters. Guidelines on encounters between naval surface vessels had been drawn up, the White Hous...

Without a Fifth Generational Aero-Engine , the J-31 , China's second fifth-generation fighter designed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation , is unable to compete against Lockheed Martin's F-35 , according to the Guancha Syndicate based in Shanghai. The J-31 is currently equipped with two RD-93 engines imported from Russia. However, the Russian engine was designed for fourth-generation fighters such as the MiG-29 . The thrust of two RD-93 combined cannot match a single F-135 engine on an F-35 fighter, according to the report. When compared with the two F-119 engines of F-22 Raptors, the gap is even wider. In addition, the Russian-built engines also shortened the range of the J-31. FC-31 Pointing out that the J-31 was unable to fly directly from Shenyang in northeastern China to Guangdong province in the south for the Zhuhai Airshow, the Guancha Syndicate said that the range of the aircraft is estimated at no more than 2,000km. This is only half...

An unidentified Middle Eastern country is in “advanced” talks to make the first foreign purchase of JF-17 fighter jet jointly developed by Pakistan and China.  The joint sales team from the Pakistan Air Force and China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation also known as CATIC , are in advanced talks with 10 other countries to sell the JF-17 Thunder, said PAF Air Commodore Khalid Mahmood, who heads sales and marketing for the fighter jet.  “We are in advanced negotiations with a Middle Eastern country, but the political situation over there has delayed the deal,” said Mahmood in an interview at the Zhuhai Air Show yesterday, declining to give more details. “But we still expect them to be our first foreign client.”  JF-17 Thunder The JF-17 Thunder fighter jet is among several aircraft China is seeking to export, after designating its domestic aerospace sector as a key national strategic industry. The single-engine jet was jointly design...

In the Zhuhai Airshow 2014   China will give flight show of its formerly confidential heavy transport Y-20 and display a physical Y-9 , its new medium-sized transport. In addition there will be the model of Y-30 transport , a new medium-sized transport it is developing. Y-9 , the improved version of China’s Y-8 old transport, uses China-made 5,000 hp turbo-propeller engines with six-blade propellers of synthetic materials to increase its takeoff load, cruise speed and climbing ability, but its size is not large enough to carry modern tank with heavy armor and equipment or modern heavy attack helicopter. Y-30 Transport Aircraft Y-30 Transport Aircraft Y-30 Transport Aircraft China has to transport its heavy tanks and helicopters by train, which is not only time consuming but wastes precious flight time of helicopters. Y-30 is being developed precisely to meet the need for carrying heavy tanks and helicopters.

JY-26 Phased Array Radar One of the highlights at the Zhuhai Airshow 2014 will be a new phased array radar designed to detect and track stealth aircraft such as America's F-22 fighter jet , reports Huanqiu. The JY-26 phased array radar , co-developed by the Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology , also known as the 14th Institute, will be on display at the 10th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai commencing Tuesday. Other top attractions at China's largest airshow will include the J-31 fifth-generation jet and the Y-20 large military transport aircraft. The JY-26, which is said to have an unusual appearance featuring small cylindrical columns, will be primarily used for remote air surveillance missions. The newly designed VHF/UHF radar has a detection distance of 500 kilometers and high accuracy capabilities, earning comparisons to the KJ-2000 Chinese Airborne Early Warning and Control system . A researcher...

China and the US could be on the verge of a new arms race, as both countries appear to be developing fifth-generation stealth aircraft that can launch from aircraft carriers.  David Axe, at War is Boring, notes China has placed a full-scale model of its fifth-generation J-31 stealth prototype aboard a mock-up of China's single aircraft carrier . China frequently tests new additions to its military arsenal by building these kinds of model prototypes first — although the J-31 also underwent its first test-flights this past June.   If China is actually planning on deploying its J-31 fighter aboard its Liaoning aircraft carrier, the J-31 would be a direct competitor to the US's troubled F-35C . The F-35C, which is meant to deploy to the US's carrier fleet by 2018, would be the first stealth plane that can be deployed from sea.  China's aspirations towards such advanced military capabilities come at a time that the US is attempting to pivot much ...

The Changhe Aircraft WZ-10 attack helicopter is based on a Russian design commissioned by the Chinese, Kamov's chief design engineer says. In 1995, Kamov developed a preliminary design in the 6t weight class under a contract with the Chinese government, says Sergey Mikheev, Kamov's chief design engineer. "Due to understandable reasons, this information was kept secret," he says. The Project 941 design was not based on any Soviet-era attack helicopter project and was strictly designed for China's unique requirements, Mikheev says. "They gave us the desired weight, we discussed preliminary performance parameters, then we signed a contract and we fulfilled the contract," he says.   Kamov Designed WZ-10 Attack Helicopter After Kamov completed the design, the Russian design bureau verified the design via testing. Kamov then delivered the design to China and the Project 941 concept was accepted by that country's government for fu...

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