India might hit Pakistan, warns US Defence Intelligence Agency Chief

WASHINGTON: India might strike Pakistan in order to teach him a lesson over the increasing cross border attacks, Head of the US Defence Intelligence Agency has informed the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

A senior intelligence official from the United States has warned that India is considering punitive actions against Pakistan.

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READ MORE: Pakistan Foreign Office reacts strongly to Indian Defence Minister provocative statement
“India has sought and continues to move to isolate Pakistan diplomatically and is considering punitive options to raise the cost to Islamabad for its alleged support to cross-border terrorism,” US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

The Indian army claimed yesterday (Tuesday) that it had destroyed several Pakistani posts across the LoC. However, the Pakistan Army has rubbished Indian claims.

http://www.asiandefenceforum.com/threads/india-might-hit-pakistan-warns-us-defence-intelligence-agency-chief.54/

China Needs To Improve Jet Engine Technology To Make J-31 Competitive With US F-35

China flew an improved version of its Shenyang J-31 Gyrfalcon stealth fighter. Compared to the previous prototype, the new version features a host of refinements and has started to resemble a genuine fifth-generation stealth aircraft in many ways. The J-31 is intended for military export markets.

It is expected to be priced around $70 million. This is half of the F-35 stealth fighter price. The fourth-generation Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale fighter jets are priced at about $100 million.

 J-31

The J-31 is believed to be powered by a pair of Russian-made Klimov RD-93 afterburning turbofans each developing roughly 18,000lb of thrust at maximum power. The Chinese hope to replace those engines with a pair of indigenous WS-13E turbofans, which are expected to develop roughly 22,000lbs of thrust.

China began development of the Taishan in 2000 to replace the Klimov RD-93 turbofan, which had been selected in the 1990s to power the JF-17 light-weight fighter. It is designed to have a life span of 2,200 hours and an improved version, providing around 100 kN (22,450 lb) of thrust with afterburner, is under development.

China developing H-20 Stealth Bomber for 2025 that will match the US B-2

The Xian H-20 is a subsonic stealth bomber design of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, due to enter service in the future. It is a "strategic project" for china. The aircraft will feature a wing design similar to that of the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, with components already being manufactured. Analysts note that the bomber may enter service by 2025, and will seek to replace China's existing fleet of Xian H-6K bombers.

Admiral Yin said the H-20 stealth bomber will certainly be on par with the United States' Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit. He noted China has gained some experience in stealth technology from the development of Chengdu J-20 and the Shenyang J-31 stealth fighters, so the material and design isn't a big problem.

The US B-2 entered service in 1997 as the second aircraft designed to have advanced stealth technology after the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk attack aircraft.

H-20 Stealth Bomber

The US Northrop B-2 is capable of all-altitude attack missions up to 50,000 feet (15,000 m), with a range of more than 6,000 nautical miles (6,900 mi; 11,000 km) on internal fuel and over 10,000 nautical miles (12,000 mi; 19,000 km) with one midair refueling.

According to the China Daily, Chinese military officials have made clear intentions to develop a strategic bomber capable of striking targets beyond the second island chain without aerial refueling, while carrying a payload of at least 10 tons.

China's first stealth bomber will be developed and produced by Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation, the same firm that makes the H-6K.

US Navy is not Buying the Cheaper and Deadlier AIP Stealth Submarines

The threat of super-stealthy diesel submarines being deployed around the world has been present for decades. Still, newer boats are coming armed with advanced anti-ship weapons and are being combined with new air-independent propulsion systems (AIP) making them near impossible to find in the ocean's depths.

In 2005, The HMS Gotland, a modern AIP submarine serving in the Swedish Navy created havoc in war games exercise. The Gotland virtually ‘sunk’ many U.S. nuclear fast attack subs, destroyers, frigates, cruisers and even made it into the 'red zone' beyond the last ring of anti-submarine defenses within a carrier strike group. Although it was rumored she got many simulated shots off on various U.S. super-carriers, one large-scale training exercise in particular with the then brand new USS Ronald Reagan ended with the little sub making multiple attack runs on the super-carrier, before slithering away without ever being detected.

The 1600 ton displacement Gotland Class was the first operational Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) submarines in the world.

Gotland Class Submarine

AIP system can utilize advanced batteries that are charged by 75kw generators. The Gotland has generators run by a pair of diesel and liquid oxygen fueled Stirling Engines. The result of this unique, yet remarkably simple system is two weeks of submerged air independent propulsion while traveling at about 6mph. Kockums' AIP system is virtually silent, even in comparison to multi-billion dollar nuclear powered boats that still have to pump high-volumes coolant to their reactors.

The mall and quiet sub is even more deadly with a state of the art combat management system. It features an incredible user friendly interface. During a single attack, the system can guide multiple torpedoes at once, which can result in more than a mission kill for even very large naval combatants like aircraft carriers, with each torpedo striking in a different section of the hull if ordered to do so.

Maneuverability was a key factor in the Gotland Class design and this manifests itself in the boat's "X" shaped tailplane structure. This unique design provides four independent maneuvering surfaces at its stern and is tied to another two planes mounted on the boat's sail. These control surfaces, combined with the sub's advanced and highly automated control system, allows for incredibly tight turns, dives and ascensions even in very close quarters, such as in shallow littoral environments. Due to the boat's size, automation and maneuverability, the Gotland Class has been described as the F-16 Viper of the undersea combat world.

China May Be Close to Deploying Mach 10 Hypersonic WU-14 Missile

China this week carried out another test of a new high-tech hypersonic glide vehicle, an ultra high-speed missile designed to deliver nuclear weapons and avoid defenses.

The latest test of what the Pentagon calls the Wu-14 hypersonic glide vehicle was carried out from the Wuzhai missile test range in central China. The test was judged successful, according to defense officials familiar with details of the event.

Current U.S. defenses are designed to track missiles that travel in predictable flight paths and are unable to counter maneuvering warheads and glide vehicles.

The latest Wu-14 test took place Wednesday.

WU-14 Hypersonic Missile

It was the fifth test of the glide vehicle and the second since June.

China has had two successful hypersonic missile tests in a span of two months.

The weapon is launched as the last stage of a missile that reaches speeds of around Mach 10, or 10 times the speed of sound—around 7,680 miles per hour.

Military analysts said the Chinese test schedule indicates that China may be close to deploying the high priority weapon.

A defense official, however, said the Wu-14 is viewed as a serious emerging strategic threat that could complicate U.S. nuclear deterrent efforts.

US Army testing self driving supply trucks

US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, or TARDEC, has been testing robotic trucks for the Army in Michigan and Michigan will be the main location for developing autonomous technology for commercial trucks.

TARDEC is developing its vehicle-to-infrastructure capabilities to increase safety, reduce distracting tasks and carry supplies for soldiers, he said.

Autonomous trucks USA Army

In June, the four-vehicle convoy of tractor-trailers on Interstate 69, about 40 miles east of Flint, Mich., showed the trucks’ ability to communicate with roadside units set up by the Michigan Department of Transportation. The so-called vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) connectivity is a crucial step toward building a network of autonomous commercial trucks and passenger vehicles.

Eventually, V2I will be able to send vehicles information about traffic signals and relay information about collisions on the road, among other data.

Russia May Be Hacking USA More Than China

In a rare bit of good cyber security news, Chinese hacking thefts of American corporate secrets have plummeted in the 13 months since China signed an agreement with the Obama administration to curb economic espionage, U.S. officials and outside experts say.

Analysts say the success may hold lessons for how the U.S. should deal with Russia, which at the same time has stepped up a different sort of hacking campaign that officials says is aimed at undermining confidence in the American election.

The change in China's behavior "has been the biggest success we've had in this arena in 30 years," said Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of Crowdstrike, a cyber security firm that tracks computer network intrusions.

"And it wasn't anything we did in cyber space -- it was the threat of sanctions and the impact on their economy."

Alperovitch said his firm has observed a 90 percent drop in commercial hacking against U.S. firms attributable to Chinese government actors. U.S, intelligence agencies also have reported a sharp falloff, according to officials briefed on the matter.

To be sure, Alperovitch and others say, Chinese intelligence agencies are still hacking to steal national U.S. security secrets, including attacking defense firms. But those attacks are considered commonplace, because they are exactly what the National Security Agency does to China and other U.S. adversaries.

At issue in the agreement President Obama signed with President Xi Jinping in September 2015 was hacking to steal corporate intellectual property to benefit Chinese firms. The U.S. says it doesn't do that, but China did it with impunity for years, in what a former NSA director called the biggest transfer of wealth in modern history.

After years of pressure, Obama elevated the issue and threatened sanctions on China. The U.S. also indicted five members of the People's Liberation Army in 2014, accusing them of commercial hacking.

In the agreement, China essentially promised to stop doing it.

US F/A-18 Jets Painted in Russian Colors Why?

US  F/A-18 Jets

America says China’s fifth-generation jet fighter J-31 stolen from its F-35

American experts have accused China of stealing the US design in its first indigenously developed fifth-generation fighter jet, which was displayed at Dubai Airshow on Sunday, raising doubts over the achievement of the country which has stolen a march over India in developing the aircraft.

US defence and strategic affairs experts alleged that the design of the FC-31 "Gyrfalcon" or J-31, which was showcased for the first time abroad according to a Chinese military run portal, was stolen from the US-made F-35 in April 2009 when Chinese hackers entered the networks of American defence equipment maker Lockheed Martin.

The FC-31's airframe is similar to that of the F-35. The FC-31 also has two internal weapons bays that can carry guided and unguided weapons, just like the F-35.

FC-31

"The similarity includes the use of two tracking mirrors and a flat-facetted optical window, with bottom fuselage placement just aft the radar radome," IHS Jane's Defence Weekly said.

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is trying to sell FC-31 as an alternative to Lockheed Martin's F-35 joint strike fighter. Besides Chinese Air Force, Iran and Pakistan are understood to have shown some interest in this fighter jet.

AVIC officials present at the Dubai Airshow hailed the aircraft's "outstanding situational awareness" and said that the FC-31 is designed for "the demands of future battlefield environments".

Pakistan has Built low-yield Nuclear Weapons to Counter Indian Aggression

Pakistan has made low-yield nuclear weapons in response to India’s actions under its cold-start doctrine, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhary told a news briefing here on Tuesday.

This is the first concrete explanation from a senior Pakistani official on how Islamabad plans to deal with India’s so called cold-start doctrine, now re-named the pro-active strategy.

It is also a rare explanation of Pakistan’s decision to make tactical nuclear weapons to deal with the possible threat of Indian aggression.

Briefing the Pakistani media on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Washington, Chaudhary also said that Pakistan would not sign any nuclear deal with the United States during the visit.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reaffirmed that Pakistan’s national interests will be prioritised during his upcoming visit to the United States (US).

The premier was speaking to media personnel in London, en route the US.

“We will protect the national interests of Pakistan during my meetings with US leadership,” said the prime minister.

While responding to a question on recent reports in US media regarding Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, and plans to limit it, the premier said: “We should not forget who the prime minister was in 1999 when we became a nuclear power.”

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also stated that concrete evidence regarding India’s sponsoring of terrorism has been forwarded to relevant people and organisations, and expressed hope that Pakistan’s concerns would be addressed.

The premier will arrive in the US on Tuesday and will likely be asked to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, days after Washington said it was delaying its withdrawal from Afghanistan.

US President Barack Obama last week reversed a pledge to pull troops out as he admitted Afghan forces were not ready to stand alone against the resurgent Taliban, who briefly captured a key northern city this month.

The US sees Pakistan as one of the few sources of influence over the extremists, and analysts say Washington will use the four-day trip to urge Sharif to keep pushing for a new round of talks.

Yesterday, the Foreign Office had clarified that no “deal” is being discussed between Pakistan and the United States.

Saudi Arabia Set to Buy Four Lockheed Martin Freedom-Class Variants in $11.25B Deal

Four Lockheed Martin Freedom-class ship variants are set to form the backbone of the Royal Saudi Navy’s Eastern Fleet as part of a $11.25 billion foreign military sales case presented to Congress on Monday.

The ships and the subsequent systems, weapons and munitions are the centerpiece of the long awaited Saudi Naval Expansion Program II (SNEP II) — the estimated $20 billon program to refresh the aging U.S.-built Saudi fleet operating in the Persian Gulf, according to a State Department notification issued on Tuesday morning.

“This acquisition will enhance the stability and maritime security in the sea areas around the Arabian Peninsula and support strategic objectives of the United States,” read the notification. “The proposed sale will provide Saudi Arabia with an increased ability to meet current and future maritime threats from enemy weapon systems. The Multi-Mission Surface Combatant ships will provide protection-in- depth for critical industrial infrastructure and for the sea lines of communication.”

Lockheed Martin Freedom-Class

Unlike the Freedom Flight 0 Littoral Combat Ships, the Saudi ships do not appear to have the modular mission package ability and will be rather a more traditional multi-mission model.

“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to provide the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with four multi-mission surface combatants (MMSC), based on the Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship,” read a Lockheed Martin statement provided to USNI News.
“We look forward to working with both navies in developing a low-risk, cost effective approach that delivers value back to the customers.”

Lockheed as presented several sizes of the Freedom for foreign sales and is yet unclear what the final tonnage of the Saudi variant will be.

Concept of F-15J Stealth Fighter

F-15J Stealth Fighter

F-15J Stealth Fighter

The concept of stealth fighter F-15J for the Japanese Air Force. The aircraft features many advanced technologies and systems including semi- stealth capability, conformal fuel tanks, and enclosed weapons pods.

China may have conducted test flight of world's fastest aircraft

China may have recently conducted a successful test of the fastest hypersonic aircraft in the world, reports Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao.

According to a report released Friday on the official website of state-owned aerospace and defense giant Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), one of its test flight centers has completed an initial test flight on an unspecified high-altitude, super-fast aircraft with a "unique flying style."

Though the report was deleted shortly after, military analysts believe it is likely that China is developing a new hypersonic aircraft that can travel at five times the speed of sound.

US SR-71 Blackbird strategic Reconnaissance Aircraft

The Shanghai-based Guancha Syndicate said that while the AVIC report did not divulge the model of the plane or what missions it can carry out, it is clear from reading between the lines that the aircraft is a hypersonic demonstrator that can travel at record speeds. This means an aircraft that can travel faster than Mach 5, or 6,125 kilometers per hour.

From the descriptions, it does not appear to be a WU-14 hypersonic glide vehicle but rather a new large-sized reconnaissance jet that can that can reach hypersonic speeds on its own, Guancha added.

Hong Kong's Phoenix Television also said that the AVIC report referred to "test pilots," but since the term can also be used to describe drone pilots, it is impossible to confirm at this stage whether the aircraft is manned or unmanned.

The Pentagon's research and development agency wants to design a fleet of drones that could self-launch from a larger plane before swarming enemy aircraft and returning to their mothership after a mission.

These "gremlins," as the researchers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have dubbed them, would be cheaper than standard drones and have a lifespan of about 20 flights.

DARPA envisions the gremlins as a middle ground between missile-like weapons, which can be used just once, and platforms like piloted aircraft, which are expensive, complex and long-lasting.

DARPA's Next Generation Drone

"We wouldn't be discarding the entire airframe, engine, avionics and payload with every mission, as is done with missiles, but we also wouldn't have to carry the maintainability and operational cost burdens of today's reusable systems, which are meant to stay in service for decades," the agency said in a statement.
To launch these gremlins, the military wants to turn large C-130 cargo planes into makeshift aircraft carriers.

Boeing Jet Engine Powered By Lasers and Nuclear Explosions

Future aircraft could be powered by lasers and nuclear explosions if Boeing has its way. The aerospace firm claims a new-type of engine could produce energy-efficient thrust by firing lasers at radioactive material, such as deuterium and tritium. The technology could mean that planes and spaceships will require only a fraction of the power to operate, according to a recent patent filed by the company.

The engine outlined in the patent would work by using high-powered lasers to vaporize the radioactive material producing a fusion reaction.
'At least one laser is positioned to vaporizer the propellant with at least one laser-beam into a thrust producing flow,' the company wrote in the document.

The by-products of the process would be hydrogen or helium, which would leave the back-end of the plane creating thrust.

Meanwhile, the inside wall of the engine's thrust-er chamber will react with the neutrons created by the nuclear reaction.

Boeing Nuclear Laser Engine

The resulting heat can then be harnessed by placing a coolant on the sides of the combustion chamber.
The idea is to use this heat to produce electricity that can then drive the engine’s lasers.
Other than the radioactive material, the engine requires very little in terms of external energy.

Boeing’s Dreamliner is currently driven by turbofan engines that compress air and ignite fuel to create thrust.
But it's expensive. The 787-8 Dreamliner. for instance, uses roughly $24.53 (£15.97) worth of fuel per nautical mile flown
The latest application, approved by the US Patent and Trademark Office last week, was filed by Boeing's Robert Budica, James Herzberg, and Frank Chandler.
It is unclear when, if ever, Boeing plans to create a prototype of the engine.

US deployment of B-2 bomber to Guam

After the Global Strike Command of the United States Air Force deployed three B-2 stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Anderson Air Force Base in Guam, China's state-run Global Times said that China has already adopted countermeasures against the US strategic bomber on Aug. 12.

With the ability to launch a nuclear strike, the B-2 poses a serious threat to the national security of China, according to the paper. The paper stated, however, that the B-2 bombers being sent to Guam are likely more to present a psychological threat to China and will be unlikely to carry out an actual aerial strike. It said that the United States aims to force China into devoting more resources to strengthening the PLA's air defense capabilities through this deployment.

B-2 bomber

If China spends too much of its limited resources on the development of new air defense systems to counter the stealth bombers, the nation will not be able to continue its expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. The paper said it is not necessary for China to do what the United States wishes it to do. What the PLA needs to do is to develop more offensive weapon systems with the ability to hit Guam which is 2,900 kilometers away from China.

The new weapon systems including the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile, the DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile, an aircraft carrier and the H-6K bombers equipped with CJ-10A cruise missiles.

Without stealth capabilities, however, it is extremely dangerous for H-6K bombers, developed based on the Soviet Union's Tu-16 bomber, to carry out such long-range attacks, the paper said. It said it is necessary for China to develop its own version of the stealth bomber in the near future.

Currency War: China Attacks the Dollar – German Newspaper

China's devaluation of the yuan could negatively affect the United States. This move by China’s authorities has caused uncertainty among US policymakers who have frequently blamed China for manipulating its national currency for a trade advantage.

A weaker yuan will increase the competitiveness of Chinese exports and might cause complaints among US manufacturers, media wrote.

China is seeking to establish its currency as an alternative currency to the US dollar in the international trade. In the future, its exports and imports are expected to be carried out not in dollars, but in the national currency.

According to DWN, China’s move is a clear sign that the country will ruthlessly enforce the interests of its export industries. It is an explicit warning to the US that it can no longer be responsible for pursuing a monetary policy independent from other states and should take into account their interests.

Currency War

The US central bank has long been preparing to raise US interest rates. This step is considered logical by many financial experts, but could have a significant effect on other countries and their currencies. This especially applies to exporters of raw materials, the prices of which would significantly react to the interest rate changes.

By devaluing its currency, Beijing demonstrates its unwillingness to accept the US rates’ increase, according to DWN. Should the interest rates rise further, China will oppose it and devaluate its currency against the dollar even further.

US Goverment Preparing for Economic Collapse

IS China's Caihong-4 (CH-4) Drone Among World Best UCAV

Shi Wen, chief engineer of the Caihong series of drone. In the interview Shi said, “Caihong-4 drone is a new unmanned aerial vehicle that has been developed on the basis of Caihong-3.

It has a maximum speed of 230 km/hour, cruise duration of 40 hours, and range of 5,000 km.

Caihong-4 or CH-4

“In addition to conventional reconnaissance, Caihong-4 can carry precision-guided weapon to conduct accurate attack at fixed and low-speed target. It can fly at the altitude between 7,000 and 8,000 meters and has functions better than US Predator-A.”

Fourth Test of Wu-14 Hypersonic Strike Vehicle

China this week carried out the fourth test of an ultra high-speed nuclear delivery vehicle that conducted what intelligence officials say were extreme maneuvers.

The test of the Wu-14 hypersonic strike vehicle was carried out Sunday, launched atop a ballistic missile fired from a test facility in western China.

It was the fourth successful test of the Wu-14 in the past 18 months and the frequency of tests is being viewed by U.S. intelligence analysts as an indicator of the high priority placed on developing the weapon by the Chinese.

Earlier tests took place last year on Jan. 9, Aug. 7, and Dec. 2. The Washington Free Beacon first reported the tests.

Wu-14 hypersonic strike vehicle

 The new strike vehicle is considered a high-technology strategic weapon capable of delivering nuclear or conventional warheads while traveling on the edge of space. One of its key features is the ability to maneuver to avoid U.S. missile defenses.
The Wu-14 was assessed as traveling up to 10 times the speed of sound, or around 7,680 miles per hour.

Unlike earlier tests, the latest test demonstrated what one official called “extreme maneuvers” that appeared to analysts designed for penetrating through missile defense systems.

Current U.S. missile defenses are limited to knocking out missiles and their warheads with predictable ballistic trajectories that can be tracked with relative ease by satellite sensors and ground and sea radar.
However, the Wu-14 threatens to neutralize U.S. strategic missile defenses with the unique capability of flying at ultra high speeds and maneuvering to avoid detection and tracking by radar and missile defense interceptors.

The Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency has repeatedly declined to comment on whether current U.S. missile defenses can defeat maneuvering targets.
A congressional China commission stated in a report published in November that China is working on hypersonic arms as “a core component of its next-generation precision strike capability.”

“Hypersonic glide vehicles could render existing U.S. missile defense systems less effective and potentially obsolete,” the report said.
In addition to the glide vehicle, China also is developing a second hypersonic weapon the uses a high-technology scramjet engine.

The Pentagon and China’s defense ministry confirmed the earlier tests. Asked about the latest test, however, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jeff Pool declined to comment on the test, citing a policy of not discussing intelligence matters.

However, specialists on China’s military buildup say the latest test is another significant milestone for Chinese long-range strike capabilities.