China's Dark Sword Could Become World's First Supersonic Drone

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 become the world's first supersonic UAV if it proves a success. He said he would not be surprised if the project is still ongoing in secret as a lack of transparency is nothing new for the aviation industry and is an approach commonly taken by the Americans.

Fu believes even conceptual models of aircraft can reveal something about a country's technology and the quality of its research and development, adding that analyzing models at Zhuhai can allow experts to gauge the pulse of China's aviation industry and pick up data that may be more valuable than what the developers are leaking out to the public.
Fu said he was excited by the appearance of the US Air Force's C-17 Globemaster III large military transport aircraft at Zhuhai this year because it demonstrates that China's aviation industry has reached a certain level.

China's battle tank, VT-4 (formerly MBT-3000) Is Camparable to Its Westen Counterparts

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 as the United States' M1A2 Abrams and Germany's Leopard 2A6,  adding that Russia's T-90 is no match for the Chinese tank in terms of technology.

Other weapons Norinco highlighted at the show included the PLZ-52, a new-generation, 155 mm self-propelled howitzer whose predecessor sold well in the Middle East, and the HJ-12 anti-tank missile, which has fire-and-forget capability and can even hit a helicopter flying at slow speed.

"Many of our products were specifically designed for the overseas market. Their capabilities are as good as those of Western weapons, but the prices are much more competitive," Liu said.

Eurofighter Typhoon Jet To Get New Captor-E Radar

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 benefits include increased detection and tracking ranges, advanced air-to-surface capability and enhanced electronic protection measures," BAE said in a statement.

Eurofighter lost out on a $20 billion deal to sell 126 jets to India in 2012. While Saudi Arabia and Oman have ordered Typhoons, Eurofighter suffered a major blow last year when United Arab Emirates quit talks over a possible 6 billion pound order.
Royal Bank of Canada analysts said a new radar for Typhoon would "close a performance gap against most other western-made fighter jets".

Russia Loses Patience Because of French Indecision Over French Mistral helicopter carrier

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 three months. During this period, Russia can not present any penalties to French shipbuilders," he explained.

"There is every reason to believe that in this period of time, France will deliver the helicopter carrier to the Russian Navy." "If it does not do it, then, in addition to aggravated social situation at French shipyards, Paris will have another problem: what to do with this ship. Selling it to a third country is unlikely, as the vessel has been adapted to requirements of the Russian Navy," the source added.

US Needs New Stealth Fighters To Combat China's J-31

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 espionage is alive and well," an F-35 test pilot told the US Naval Institute. A senior official from the US Air Force said that an F-22 has a 30-to-one kill ratio versus a Su-30 or J-11 outside of a surface-to-air missile environment. When the J-20 and J-31 enter service with the PLA, even a three-to-one kill ratio advantage becomes costly.

Facing this new challenge, the official suggested those who question the need for the F-35 to rethink their logic. "They may be complex, expensive and still immature, but they are a quantum leap over every other fighter in our arsenal," said he. Believing that China will eventually make the J-20 and J-31 into perfect stealth fighters, the official suggested the United States to learn from China's commitment to upgrading its military technology.

Chinese CX-1 Cruise Missile Better Than Indo-Russian BrahMos

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 faster than the Indian missile. It is capable of reaching a speed of Mach 3 at 17,000 meters, whereas the BrahMos can only reach Mach 2.6 at an altitude of 14,000 meters.

 

CX-1 Cruise Missile

CX-1 Cruise Missile

Launched against targets in low altitude, the speed of the CX-1 is Mach 2.3., while the Russian-built P-800 Oniks on which the BrahMos is designed can only reach Mach 2. Sina Military Network said the CX-1's ramjet engine may be better than the solid rocket motor of the P-800. However, it pointed out that the attack range of CX-1 can be reduced to 40 kilometers at low trajectories while the Russian missile can travel 120 kilometers.

Since the BrahMos is designed to conduct attacks below an altitude of 500 meters, the Sina Military Network said the Indian missile is unsuitable for actual combat situations. Though India plans to produce 2,000 BrahMos, only 200 of them have been produced, the report said, adding that the proof of the CX-1's superiority will rest in how many nations wish to purchase it.

Will Turkey Stick With Chinese Missile defense Deal?

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 company overcame the competition with its offer of 50% joint production and technology transfer.

 

FD-2000

According to some other writers, political motives — not just economic and technology-transfer ones — played a part. For example, economics writer Suleyman Yasar of the pro-government daily Sabah said the world’s economic and political focus was shifting to Asia. As Turkey is rapidly progressing toward becoming a global actor, it wanted to shape its security policy in line with economic opportunities.

From a commercial viewpoint, China's bid was significantly lower when compared with US-Russian-EU missile systems. Strategically speaking, the Chinese bid was offering a flexible system that is conducive to technology transfer, joint production and resales to third countries as well as opening the gates of Asia to Turkey.

According to a defense official in Ankara who didn’t want to be identified, Western countries, instead of trying to understand Turkey’s demands, simply say, “Trust us, we are your ally.” The same official noted that the persistent US and European disregard of Turkey’s requests for transfer of nuclear and space technology spurs Turkey to work with Russia in nuclear energy and with China in space activities. The understanding in Ankara is that the United States and Europe want to keep the reins on Turkey in these two fields. The official believes that the real culprits are the United States and Europe, which leave Turkey in the dark in these fields and do not behave as true allies. It is not wrong to say that a vast majority of the military and civilian security bureaucracy in Ankara subscribe to the same view.

China raised issue of U.S. spy flights during military talks: Pentagon

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 House said, adding similar guidelines governing air-to-air encounters would be formulated.

U.S P-8 Poseidon spy plane

At one point during the discussions, Chinese officials had raised the matter of U.S. military spy flights that, in Beijing's view, have come too close to Hainan, said Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Pool, a Pentagon spokesman.

"China did raise the issue of restricting U.S. operations in international airspace and both sides discussed their positions," Pool told Reuters.

"We have consistently opposed any Chinese proposals that would limit U.S. operations in the air or sea beyond the territorial limits of coastal states, place U.S. alliances at risk (or) constrain activities with U.S. allies or partners."

The Chinese Defence Ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters on this issue.
However, the ministry said in a statement that the military agreements were the result of more than 10 rounds of "deep consultations" and an important step in increasing understanding of each other's strategic intentions.

"China is willing to work with the United States and take this opportunity to continue deepening military exchanges, trust, cooperation and the appropriate handling of differences," it said.

China sees the airspace around Hainan as part of its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, which, in its view, ought to be restricted. The U.S. military says it has the right to fly any kind of mission it chooses in international airspace, which begins 12 nautical miles from a country's coastline.

J-31 Stealth Jet Still Needs Fifth Generation Engine To Compete With Rivals

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 the range of the J-11 fourth-generation fighter, designed based on the Russian Su-27. It then indicated that this is why several modifications had been revealed for the J-31, also designated the FC-31, at the Zhuhai Airshow.

China-Pakistan JF-17 Fighter Jet Nears First Foreign Deal

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 designed and manufactured by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of state-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China, also known as AVIC. 

The partners are in “advanced talks” with clients in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America for jet sales, Mahmood said. He declined to identify any of them. Prospective orders will be for the third block of 50 planes, with the Pakistan Air Force having ordered the first two blocks of 50. 

China’s New Y-30 Medium-sized Transport Aircraft

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 to Detect F-22 Feature at Zhuhai Airshow 2014

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 at the 14th Institute told Huanqiu that the JY-26 has three main characteristics: a large data transfer rate, super high speed and excellent flexibility, as the direction of the radar beam can be changed according to need.

China And US In A Race To Develop The World's First Aircraft Carrier-Borne Stealth Fighter

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 of its military and diplomatic efforts to the Asian Pacific region. China believes it stands to lose from this possible gain in American power in Asia, and Beijing is seeking to counterbalance any increase in US influence in its backyard. 

J-31 Stealth Fighter

The ability to launch fifth-generation fighters from the open ocean would be a huge boon to both the US and China, and it's a capability that could dramatically shift the balance of power in the Pacific. Tensions have continued to rise between China and its neighbors in the South China Sea to the south and Japan to the east; a carrier-borne fifth-generation fighter could hypothetically give China greater first-strike capability in the event of a war. 

Russian Kamov Designed Chinese WZ-10 Attack Helicopter - Russian Engineer

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 further development, he says. Kamov did not participate in any further developmental work on the WZ-10, he insists.


Thereafter, to the country's credit, Mikheev says, the Chinese handled the rest of the developmental work. That includes the developmental prototypes and the operational aircraft that is currently in production for the Chinese military.
"So I wish success to the helicopter," Mikheev says.

Russian Air Force Su-35 in Zhuhai Airshow 2014

Russian Su-35 in Zhuhai Airshow 2014

Russian Su-35 in Zhuhai Airshow 2014

Russian Su-35 in Zhuhai Airshow 2014

China's Pterodactyl B CH-4 Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV)

China's Pterodactyl B CH-4

China's Pterodactyl B CH-4

China's Pterodactyl B CH-4

Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder at Zhuhai Airshow 2014

Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder

Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder

Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder

UAE AL Fursan Team Arrives At in Zhuhai Air Show 2014

UAE AL Fursan At Zhuhai Air Show 2014

UAE AL Fursan At Zhuhai Air Show 2014

J-31 Can Beat American Jets In Dogfight Says US Pilot

The J-31, China's second fifth-generation stealth fighter designed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, is capable of outperforming all US fourth-generation fighters in aerial combat, according to a US fighter pilot cited in newspaper Want Daily.

With its appearance similar to the US F-22 and F-35 fighters, the J-31 was developed based on US technology stolen by Chinese spies, the US pilot claimed. He gave his view that all US fourth-generation fighters including the AV-8, F-15 and F/A-18 would be unable to go head to head against the J-31 in a dogfight. The plane will be the perfect fighter for the People's Liberation Army to carry out anti-access and area-denial strategies in the Western Pacific, he said.

J-31 Fighter Jet

The Chinese fighter will also present a challenge to the F-35 in the overseas export market, the pilot predicted. It may not be as advanced as the F-35, but it is much cheaper than its US counterpart. Putting the J-31 on display during the Zhuhai Airshow may signal that China is trying to attract attention from potential buyers, the pilot said. It will certainly be more popular among developing nations, he added.

WZ-10 Could Be As Good as Apache: Chinese Expert

Chinese military expert told the People's Daily, that the WZ-10 attack helicopter designed by Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation could be as good as the US Army's AH-64 Apache helicopter.

The WZ-10 helicopter began its service with the PLA back in 2012. It is capable of carrying seven tons of munitions and stay operational for three hours. In addition, Chen said that the combat radius of a WZ-10 is 300km. Like the AH-64D Longbow Apache, the WZ-10 is a very powerful helicopter, Chen said. At the Zhuhai Air Show, the WZ-10 displayed its ability to carry air-to-surface missiles, bombs, and rockets. 

WZ-10 attack helicopter

The WZ-10 is a perfect candidate to provide close air support for ground forces. Chen said that another advantage the WZ-10 has is its speed. The maxium speed of the attack helicopter is 300km an hour. Preparing for a future conflict, Chen Hong told the People's Daily that good coordination between attack helicopters and ground fighting units will be crucial for the PLA to defeat its enemy on the battlefield.

Unlike J-20 and J-31 fifth-generation stealth fighters, WZ-10 did not attract much attention from the international community, a report from the Jamestown Foundation said. However, the report pointed out that the PLA has actually been increasing its number of powerful attack helicopters in recent years. 

Brazil Chooses Swedish Gripen NG Fighters Over Rafale and F-18

Brazil awarded a $4.5 billion contract to  Swedish Saab  to replace its aging fleet of fighter jets, a surprise coup for the Swedish company after news of U.S. spying on Brazilians helped derail Boeing's chances for the deal.

The contract, negotiated over the course of three presidencies, will supply Brazil's air force with 36 new Gripen NG fighters by 2020. Aside from the cost of the jets themselves, the agreement is expected to generate billions of additional dollars in future supply and service contracts.

Saab did not immediately comment on the purchase. In addition to Chicago-based Boeing Co With its F-18 Offer and France's Dassault Aviation SA with its Rafale was a contender for the contract.

The timing of the announcement, after more than a decade of off-and-on negotiations, appeared to catch the companies involved by surprise. Even Juniti Saito, Brazil's top air force commander, said on Wednesday that he only heard of the decision a day earlier in a meeting with President Dilma Rousseff.

Brazilian officials said the deal, one of the most coveted emerging-market defense contracts, went to Saab because it provided the most affordable option for the new jets, as well as the best conditions for technology transfer to local partners.

The choice, Defense Minister Celso Amorim said, "took into account performance, the effective transfer of technology and costs - not just of acquisition but of maintenance."
Until earlier this year, Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet had been considered the front runner. But revelations of spying by the U.S. National Security Agency in Brazil, including personal communication by Rousseff, led Brazil to believe it could not trust a U.S. company.
"The NSA problem ruined it for the Americans," a Brazilian government source said on condition of anonymity.

Y-30 Model At Zhuhai Air Show 2014

China's Aviation Industry is going to present a lot of  new concepts in Zhuhai Air Show 2014. AVIC is developing Y-20 Transport Aircraft for the PLA(People Liberation Army).Y-30 is a new concept design of Transport Aircraft like US C-130.  

Y-30 Model At Zhuhai Air Show 2014

At Last F-35Cs Make First Carrier Landings on USS Nimitz

The first pair of Lockheed Martin F-35Cs successfully completed arrested landings on the carrier USS Nimitz off the California coast on Nov. 3, marking the start of the at-sea developmental test phase for the Joint Strike Fighter and the shipborne debut of the Navy's first piloted stealth aircraft.
 
The first F-35C to land, CF-03 from Navy Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-23, touched down after flying out to the carrier from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. Flown by Navy test pilot Cmdr. Tony 'Brick' Wilson, the aircraft first made a low approach and overshoot, followed by a touch-and-go with the tailhook retracted. Finally, with an F/A-18F acting as chase, Wilson brought the F-35C in for the first arrested landing. A second aircraft, CF-05, arrived less than an hour later and landed successfully at  flown by Lt. Cmdr. Ted 'Dutch' Dyckman.

 

F-35C on  USS Nimitz

Both aircraft made highly stable approaches, and trapped firmly on the third of the Nimitz's four arrestor wires. The touchdown spot between the second and third wires is considered the optimum for carrier landings. The landing was also key test for the F-35C's arresting hook system, which had to be redesigned with additional stiffness, a modified hold-down damper and revised shaping after poor performance in tests three years ago at Naval Air Warfare Center Lakehurst, N.J. Having delayed the start of carrier trials, the performance of the redesigned hook was a significant watch item. "It's a little bit different of a design, and obviously it works," says U.S. Pacific Fleet, Naval Air Forces Commander, Vice Admiral David Buss.

Although calm seas and light winds from the northwest contributed to the benign conditions and resulting trouble-free landings, both pilots partly attributed the precision touchdowns and stable approaches to the F-35C's integrated direct lift control feature. Embedded in the flight control software for all three JSF variants, test pilot Wilson says direct lift is particularly useful for the F-35C because it provides greatly improved glide slope control.
Unlike conventional carrier aircraft in which the pilot approaches the carrier with flaps set at a fixed position and adjusts power and pitch attitude to stay on the glideslope, the F-35 system controls power through an 'auto-thrust' function and alters the position of the trailing edge flap in response to the pilot's inputs. "So the stick becomes my glideslope controller," notes Dyckman. "If I pull back the flap adds lift, if I push forward it commands a steeper approach," he says. As nominal flap position for a carrier approach is 15 degrees, or half-flap, this provides ample margin for additional flap movement to add or reduce lift. Wilson says the effect is to "change the 'heave' of the aircraft, rather than the pitch."

Japan Set to Launch Its First Fighter Jet Since World War II to Counter China

The Advanced Technology Demonstrator-X (ATD – X), a stealth jet fighter, which has been in the making for four years, is expected to take to the skies for the first time in January next year, according to the sources of ASIAN DEFENCE NEWS.
Japan's World War II defence manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is currently undertaking a final ground test of the prototype fighter also referred to as 'Shinshin', which it will deliver to Japan's Defence Ministry in April next year.

Mitsubishi ATD-X Fighter

The government is expected to conduct further tests to verify the jet's capabilities before it decides on production of the aircraft's in 2018.

Russia, China Continue Negotiations for Su-35S Fighters

Ongoing changes in the political and military landscape have prompted Russia and China into a stronger military and industrial alliance. Both countries feel increasingly isolated by the U.S. and its allies. Yet while the expansion of ties between the Russian Armed Forces and China’s People’s Liberation Army comes as no surprise, it has proven slow to materialize.

Russia started negotiations to sell the Chinese on a batch of 24 Su-35S single-seat multirole fighters in 2012. Speaking to the media recently, an official with Russia’s arms export agency Rosoboronexport acknowledged that the talks have seen only limited progress. “The matter is at the stage of the reconciliation procedure,” said Sergei Ladygin, Rosoboronexport deputy director general, who headed the company’s delegation to the Euronaval 2014 conference in Paris. “Russia and China continue discussions on the matter of the Su-35S. The process of preparing mutually agreeable documents goes on,” Ladygin stated.

 

Russia, China Continue Negotiations for Su-35S Fighters

Among other issues, Ladygin attributed the slow pace of the negotiations to recent procedural changes in sale of equipment to China. “In the past, we signed contract first and then spent a couple of years awaiting various approvals from the government. Today, we do the reconciliation procedure first, and then sign a contract.”

Similar issues are apparently delaying long-expected contracts for Almaz-Antei S-400 Triumph long-range surface-to-air missiles and Amur-1650 diesel-electric submarines. The “coming” sales of the three aforementioned weapon systems were announced about two years ago.

China To Launch Hack-Proof Quantum Communication Network in 2016

China will complete and put into service the world's longest quantum communication network stretching 2,000km from Beijing to Shanghai by 2016, say scientists leading the project.
The quantum network is considered "unhackable" and will provide the most secure encryption technology to users.

By 2030, the Chinese network would be extended worldwide, Xinhua reported.
China is the first major power to come up with a detailed schedule to put the technology into extensive, large-scale use. The South China Morning Post earlier reported that Beijing would launch the world's first quantum communication satellite in 2016.

Xinhua said the network would be used by the central government, military and critical business institutions like banks.

The ambitious targets were revealed by Professor Pan Jianwei, a quantum physicist with the University of Science and Technology of China and a lead scientist of the national quantum communication project, during an international conference on quantum communication in Hebei yesterday, Xinhua reported.

"China's quantum information science and technology is developing very fast and China leads in some areas in this field," he was quoted as saying. "Any city in China, as long they want to, can start to build the quantum communication network now."

Quantum communication network

Chen Yuxiang , USTC quantum physicist and chief engineer for the construction of the Beijing-Shanghai link, said the key infrastructure would be completed between the end of the year and next summer.
Then the link would be built and activated, with the inclusion of existing quantum networks in other cities such as Hefei and Jinan .

Edward Snowden's revelations last year that the US was targeting "network backbones", through which huge amounts of data are transmitted, convinced Chinese leaders that developing the next generation of internet infrastructure was a priority.