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4 octobre 2015 7 04 /10 /octobre /2015 07:35
Un SNLE chinois aurait effectué sa première patrouille de dissuasion

 

3 octobre 2015. Portail des Sous-marins

 

Un sous-marin nucléaire lanceur d’engins chinois Type 094, équipé de missiles nucléaires JL-2 pouvant atteindre les Etats-Unis, aurait effectué sa première patrouille opérationnelle de dissuasion.

 

Le quotidien de l’Armée Populaire de Libération a annoncé jeudi que Liu Mingli, commissaire politique de la flotte de mer de Chine méridionale, avait remis des récompenses de 1ère classe à 41 membres de l’équipage du sous-marin, à la base navale de Yalong Bay, sur l’île de Hainan. Selon un journal de Hong Kong, cela signifie que le sous-marin de la classe Jin a effectué sa première patrouille opérationnelle.

 

La Defense Intelligence Agency avait indiqué en septembre que la marine chinoise allait envoyer un SNLE en patrouille, mais sans préciser de date.

 

« La capacité de maintenir en permanence des patrouilles de dissuasion est une étape majeure pour une puissance nucléaire, » expliquait en septembre Larry Wortzel, un membre de la U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission du Cingrès. « Je pense que les Chinois l’annoncerait comme une démonstration de puissance et pour le prestige. »

 

Le missile JL-2 a une portée de 14.000 km et pourrait atteindre l’Alaska depuis le Japon, et les 50 états américains depuis Hawaï.

 

En novembre 2013, un SNLE Type-094 avait lancé des missiles JL-2.

 

Le SNLE Type 094 serait toutefois très bruyant. Il serait facilement détectable par les moyens de reconnaissance américains en mer de Chine du Sud.

 

Référence : United Press International (Etats-Unis)

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3 octobre 2015 6 03 /10 /octobre /2015 11:35
The Long March-6 carrier rocket lifts off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in north China's Shanxi Province at 7 a.m. Beijing time on September 20, 2015. Photo Xinhua

The Long March-6 carrier rocket lifts off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in north China's Shanxi Province at 7 a.m. Beijing time on September 20, 2015. Photo Xinhua

 

October 1, 2015: Strategy Page

 

On September 20 2015 China successfully tested the latest version of its Long March satellite launcher; Long March 6 (LM 6). This version is optimized for putting multiple small satellites in orbit on the same mission and on short notice. The test launch put twenty small scientific satellites into orbit. LM 6 is a 103 ton liquid fueled rocket that can put a ton of payload into a 700 kilometers high orbit. LM 6 can operate from a standard satellite launch facility or from a TEL (transporter erector launcher) vehicle (which is basically a slightly larger trailer similar to those used for hauling tanks). LM 6 was also designed to be made ready for launch quickly (six days or so) giving it a military capability. That means if China has to get a surveillance or communications satellite in orbit quickly, LM 6 is the solution. China is also developing small surveillance and communications satellites for such emergencies.

 

China's main satellite launcher, the "Long March" rocket, is based on Russian designs, meaning it is simple, cheap and reliable. This has made China a major player in the satellite launching business. China competes on price. The U.S. Space Shuttle was retired because it was the most expensive way to get stuff into orbit. Satellites sent up via the Space Shuttle cost $25 million a ton. The Russians and Chinese will do it for under $10 million a ton. But insurance can more than double that cost if there have been a number of recent failures with Russian and Chinese boosters. This keeps more reliable American and European boosters in business. The Long March has a failure rate of about five percent, which was a little higher than twice the rate for the most used Russian launcher. The Space Shuttle failure rate was two percent, as were most Western satellite launchers.

 

 The Long March 3 and 4 have been doing most of the Chinese commercial launches since the 1980s. Currently the largest Long March 3 model weighs over 400 tons and can put 12 tons in low earth orbit and 5.5 tons in a high one (geostationary transfer orbit). The Chinese took their time to perfect Long March, requiring 28 years to make the first fifty launches, and nine years for the next fifty. So far, Long March has carried out 202 successful launches.

 

While military satellites get more media attention, the real business of space, and where the Chinese put most of their efforts, is in commercial satellites. The Chinese have noted that since the 1980s space satellites have become big business. By 2012 there were about 1,000 active satellites in orbit, and nearly half of them were American. The number of satellites has been going down a bit since then because individual satellites last longer and can do more. It is expected that the number of satellites will now start to rise rapidly because of the popularity of mini-satellites (under 100 kg/220 pounds). Some of these mini-sats are much smaller (under ten kg) and still useful. In some cases dozens of mini-sats are put into orbit by one launcher.

 

About 75 percent of all satellites are non-military. Most of them are commercial, the rest government non-military birds. Since 2001 satellite industry revenues more than doubled, from $86 billion (in 2014 dollars) a year to over $200 billion now. The cost of the satellites is less than ten percent of annual satellite revenues. About four percent of the money comes from launching all those satellites and 36 percent of those launches are military. The U.S. has about a third of the launch business, mainly because of the requirement that U.S. classified satellites be launched by American rockets. About half the satellite launches (and two-thirds of the satellites) were for communications, which generates the most income (mostly for TV, followed by data). The U.S. remains the major manufacturer of commercial satellites, with over half of the market. China sees opportunity in all this and has come a long way in a short time to take advantage of it.

 

In 1957 the Russian Sputnik was the first satellite ever put in orbit. The U.S. followed in 1958. Since then, ten other nations have done the same. France launched its first satellite in 1965, Japan and China in 1970, Britain in 1971, and India in 1980. Israel launched its first satellite in 1988. Ukraine did so in 1995. Iran claims to have put a satellite in orbit recently, but there is no conclusive proof. North Korea put a dead (non-responsive) satellite up in December 2012 and South Korea followed with a successful launch of a very active satellite a month later.

 

Since 2010 China has launched about 20 satellites a year and by the end of the decade expect to have 200 satellites in orbit. This is about a fifth of the total and nearly half as many as the United States. At that point China expects to be launching 30 satellites a year and accounting for over a quarter of the worldwide launch capability. All this momentum has been the result of three decades of effort and an enormous spurt of activity since 2010. In the two decades after 1990 China carried out 30 commercial satellite launches, putting 36 satellites in orbit. Now China puts that many satellites up in 18 months.

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30 septembre 2015 3 30 /09 /septembre /2015 12:35
Warplanes: The J-31 Mystery Deepens

 

September 30, 2015: Strategy Page

 

Recently someone in China anonymously posted performance data for the new Chinese J-31 fighter. This was in the form of a sales brochure (for trade shows) that had not been distributed to the public. So far the manufacturer has been vague about J-31 performance data. This despite the fact that the J-31 has been showing up at Chinese weapons shows. But so far this promotion has been all about looking at the impressive appearance of the J-31, not crunching any numbers.

 

It gets more interesting when you realize that the recently posted data ascribes better engine performance than actual engines the Chinese have in service or access to. There were also descriptions of J-31 electronics that sounded more like a Chinese wish list than anything the Chinese have or are known to be developing. Many in the industry see this as some kind of desperate publicity stunt.  Efforts to sell the J-31 have not been very successful so far.

 

In late 2014 China quietly approached some potential customers about interest in buying its 18 ton J-31 stealth fighter. For export customers the J-31 would be called the FC-31 and it was understood that this version would not have all the best stuff the J-31 has. Pakistan expressed some interest, but then Pakistan is the largest export customer for Chinese weapons. Pakistan apparently thought it best to wait a bit because it was unclear how ready the J-31 was for active service. Since 2012 China has been testing the J-31 “Falcon Eagle” (from an inscription on the tail). While it looks like the American F-22, it’s also smaller than China’s other stealth fighter (the 35 ton J-20, which has been around longer). The J-31 was built by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (which makes the J-11, the illegal Chinese copy of the Russian Su-27). The J-31 has some characteristics of the F-35 as well and appears to be something of an “F-35” to the earlier J-20s effort to match the American F-22. The J-31 flew for the first time in October 2012 and at that point there were at least two prototypes. The designer has talked of the J-31 being able to operate off an aircraft carrier (like the U.S. F-35 and the Chinese J-15, a J-11 variant).

 

One advantage the J-31 is that it has two engines, compared to one for the 31 ton F-35. In theory this means the J-31 could carry more weapons, but this is less crucial with all the guided weapons available. Moreover the J-31 is seen using Chinese engines, which are less powerful and reliable, even when two are used, compared to the single engine in the F-35C.

 

The J-31 is further evidence that China is determined to develop its own high tech military gear. While China is eager to develop advanced military technology locally, it recognizes that this takes time and more effort than nations new to this expect. Thus, China is trying to avoid the mistakes Russia made in this area. That means having competing designs and developing necessary supporting industries as part of that. All this takes a lot of time and involves lots of little (and some major) failures. The Chinese are doing it right and are willing to wait until they get military tech that is truly world class.

 

At this point the J-31 is scheduled to be ready for service in 2019 and have ground attack as well as air-to-air capabilities.

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30 septembre 2015 3 30 /09 /septembre /2015 07:35
UCAV Burraq launching the laser-guided missile Burq

UCAV Burraq launching the laser-guided missile Burq

 

September 27, 2015: Strategy Page

 

On September 7th a Pakistani UAV used laser guided missiles to kill three Islamic terrorists in North Waziristan. This was a first for Pakistan. While Pakistan has officially condemned and opposed similar strikes by American UAVs in North Waziristan, it never banned the American use of armed UAVs in certain parts of Pakistan. The U.S. refused to sell Pakistan UAVs that could carry laser guided missiles, mainly because the Americans don’t trust Pakistan. So Pakistan went looking for other suppliers and eventually bought a similar UAV (the CH-2) from China in 2009. Pakistan was soon producing a local version, Burraq. The earliest CH-2 models were unarmed, but the latest version (CH-3A) can carry a max payload of 180 kg for six hours. China supplies two missiles similar to the American Hellfire. One of these, the laser guided AR-1, weighs 45 kg and has a range of 8,000 meters. This is said to be the one Pakistan is using.

 

Pakistan apparently won’t stop with the Burraq. There is a more advanced armed UAV being offer by China. Called the Wing Loong (that's Chinese for Pterodactyl, a Jurassic period flying dinosaur) this UAV which can be equipped to carry two BA-7 laser guided missiles (similar to the Hellfire) or two 60 kg (110 pound) GPS guided bombs (similar to the U.S. SDB). This UAV has been around for a while but it has taken time to get it working reliably when used to hit targets with laser guided missiles.   Since 2008 Chinese aircraft manufacturer (AVIC) has been showing off photos and videos of a prototype for a clone of the American MQ-1 Predator UAV that tuned out to be Wing Loong. This in 2012 one was seen in flight, over the capital of Uzbekistan, which, along with UAE (United Arab Emirates) were the first export customers. It was later revealed that development on Wing Loong began in 2005, first flight was in 2007 and Chinese troops got the first ones in 2008 for testing under more realistic conditions.

 

While Wing Loong is similar in shape to the larger American MQ-9 Reaper, in size it's almost identical to the 1.2 ton Predator. Wing Loong weighs 1.1 tons, has a 14 meter (46 feet) wingspan, and is 9 meters (28 feet) long. It has max altitude of 5,300 meters (16,400 feet) and an endurance of over 20 hours. Payload is 200 kg. The base price of Wing Loong is about a million dollars. But additional sensors and fire control equipment for one able to use laser guided missiles increases that to several million dollars. That is still about half the price of a similarly equipped Predator. Unlike the United States, which restricts the sale of armed UAVS, China will sell to anyone who can pay, no questions asked. The only problem Pakistan has is a shortage of cash. That’s why Pakistan cooperates at all with the United States; billions of dollars in military aid.

 

For several decades a growing number of Chinese commercial firms have been developing military UAVs. China is quite proud of its thriving commercial UAV industry, which produced a wide range of models. For example in mid-2014 China announced that a civilian UAV, used for mapping and land use surveys, recently stayed in the air for 30 hours, setting a record for Chinese UAVs. The previous record for Chinese UAVs was 16 hours.  This long endurance UAV was developed by a government agency (CASM, or Chinese Academy of Surveying & Mapping) and has limited military use. CASM has developed several small UAVs for survey duties. These UAVs all feature lightweight materials and tend to be under 50 kg (110 pounds) with small payloads (usually 5 kg/11 pounds). These take advantage of new lightweight and powerful cameras to economically monitor Chinese farming and natural resources. Some of these UAVs are also believed to be used by the police and security services.  Export customers are welcome.

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30 septembre 2015 3 30 /09 /septembre /2015 07:35
China Creates A Sovereign Presence

 

September 25, 2015: Strategy Page

 

Aerial and satellite photos indicate that Chinese military construction efforts on Woody Island (one of the disputed Paracel Islands) are largely complete. The garrison consists of a battalion of naval infantry (not quite marines but close) and a 2,300 meter long air strip. This is long enough to support warplanes and commercial transports as large as Boeing 737s (which China has a lot of). A school building was completed in 2013 for the 40 children of officials and their families stationed there. There is an artificial harbor that can handle ships of up to 5,000 ton displacement. This harbor is heavily used because there is no local water supply and much of the water still has to be brought in along with fuel for all the vehicle (land, sea and air) as well as the generators. While there is some recreational fishing going on, the two thousand people on the island require regular food deliveries from the mainland.

 

In addition to the military garrison there is also a civilian rescue detachment equipped with helicopters and small boats. This detachment is largely for the waters around Woody Island and a few smaller islands that amount to about 13 square kilometers of land. That is expected to increase by 10-20 percent via dredging.

 

Construction continues on facilities for the capital of Sansha, a new Chinese municipality (city). Sansha is actually Woody Island and dozens of smaller bits of land (some of them shoals that are under water all the time) in the Paracels and the Spratly Islands to the south. In fact, the new "city" lays claim to two million square kilometers of open sea (57 percent of the South China Sea). China has said it has completed similar construction projects in the South China Sea but satellite photos reveal this to be untrue.

 

China claims the South China Sea and all islands (and near islands like reefs) as Chinese property. To reinforce these claims of sovereignty China is occupying uninhabitable islands and creating new ones by dredging sand from reefs and shoals to create new uninhabitable islands. Like Woody Island, these new islands will be staffed with troops and government employees and be supplied, at great expensive, from the mainland.

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30 septembre 2015 3 30 /09 /septembre /2015 07:35
A drone found crashed in South Korea (Photo: Korean Ministry of Defense)

A drone found crashed in South Korea (Photo: Korean Ministry of Defense)

 

September 29, 2015: Strategy Page

 

The growing availability of small, inexpensive UAVs that can (and are) used by criminals and Islamic terrorists has led to the development of several Anti-UAV Defense Systems (AUDS). These systems consist of multiple sensors (visual, heat, radar) to detect the small UAVs and a focused radio signal jammer to cut the UAV off from its controller and prevent (in most cases) the UAV from completing its mission. The detection range of AUDS is usually 10 kilometers or more and jamming range varies from a few kilometers to about eight.

 

AUDS can be defeated. For example a user can send a small UAV off on a pre-programmed mission. This can be to take photos or deliver a small explosive. No one has tried, at least successfully, using armed micro-UAVs yet but North Korea has been caught using small recon UAVs flying under automatic control.

 

If these UAVs are still detected they have to be destroyed via ground or air-to-air fire. This the South Koreans and Israelis have had to do several times. The Israelis were dealing with Palestinian Islamic terrorist groups using small UAVs, often Iranian models. South Korea and Israel has responded by adding more sensor systems, especially new radars that can detect the smallest UAVs moving at any speed and altitude. An American firm has demonstrated a high-powered laser that can take down small UAVs several kilometers away.

 

North Korea had been interested in UAVs since the 1970s but had never bought or built a lot of them. In the late 1980s North Korea acquired some of China’s first generation UAVs (ASN-104s). These were 140 kg (304 pound) aircraft with a 30 kg (66 pound) payload and endurance of two hours. Very crude by today’s standards but it took real time video and higher resolution still photos. In the 1990s the North Koreans produced some ASN-104s, apparently by just copying the Chinese ones they had. In the 1990s North Korea got some Russian DR-3 jet powered UAVs. These were faster but less useful than the ASN-104s. Attempts to use the DR-3 as the basis for a cruise missile design failed. In the 1990s North Korea also got some Russian Pchela-1T UAVs. These were very similar to the ASN-104s and that means not very useful at all. The Chinese and Russians used these first generation UAVs mainly for correcting artillery fire and this is what North Korea was seen doing with them, particularly North Korean coastal artillery.

 

In 2014 South Korea was alarmed to discover three North Korean UAVs that had crashed in South Korea. It was soon discovered that North Korea was using modified versions of the commercial Chinese SKY-09P UAV. North Korea gave the SKY-09Ps a new paint job (to make it harder to spot), a muffler (to make it less detectable) and installed a different camera. The SKY-09P was used via its robotic mode, where the SKY-09P flew to pre-programmed GPS coordinates, taking digital photos over selected areas and returned with those photos stored on a memory card. The SKY-09Ps found in South Korea had GPS coordinates in their guidance system showing they originated and were to return to a location in North Korea. The memory cards showed pictures of South Korean government (mainly military) facilities.

 

Thus the most successful UAV the North Koreans ever used turned out to be a Chinese commercial model, the SKY-09P. This is a 12 kg (26 pound) delta wing aircraft with a wingspan of 1.92 meters (6.25 feet), propeller in the front and a payload of three kg (6.6 pounds). It is launched via a catapult and lands via a parachute. Endurance is 90 minutes and cruising speed is 90 kilometers an hour. When controlled from the ground it can go no farther than 40 kilometers from the controller. But when placed on automatic it can go about 60 kilometers into South Korea and return with photos. These things cost the North Koreans a few thousand dollars each. While South Korea says they detected two of the three crashed North Korea UAVs no other details were provided. The Chinese manufacturer denied selling anything to North Korea, but the North Koreans typically use a third party for purchases like this.  

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20 septembre 2015 7 20 /09 /septembre /2015 16:35
Washington et Pékin négocient un accord de non-agression dans le cyberespace

 

20.09.2015 lemonde.fr

 

Les Etats-Unis et la Chine seraient en pleine négociation en vue de ce qui pourrait devenir le premier accord de non-agression dans le cyberespace, selon le New York Times. Une annonce est problable en fin de semaine prochaine, lors de la visite du président chinois Xi Jinping, qui arrive jeudi pour une visite d’Etat à Washington. Les pourparlers se sont donc accélérés ces dernières semaines, selon des officiels engagés dans les discussions qui indiquent que chacune des parties devrait s’engager à ne pas attaquer les infrastructures stratégiques de l’autre.

 

Mercredi déjà, le président Obama suggérait des négociations, évoquant que les cyberattaques en augmentation seraient « probablement un des sujets principaux » du sommet à venir. Un officiel de son administration a précisé qu’une déclaration commune des deux dirigeants pourrait ne pas contenir de « mention spécifique et détaillée » d’une telle interdiction d’attaque mais pourrait plutôt prendre la forme d’une acception du code de conduite récemment adopté par un groupe de travail des Nations unies. Il s’agirait donc pour les négociateurs américains d’encourager les dirigeants chinois à respecter les principes de ce code, par le biais d’un accord bilatéral.

 

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20 septembre 2015 7 20 /09 /septembre /2015 11:35
Countering terrorism: an area for EU-China cooperation?

 

Ever since the release of the 2013 ‘EU-China 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation’, counter-terrorism officially features in bilateral meetings. The section on peace and security, for instance, states the need to ‘hold special consultations on issues of anti-terrorism at an appropriate time’– and talks were indeed held at the October 2014 ASEM meeting. The EU statement released after that summit declared that China and the EU ‘reviewed the situation in the Middle East, northern Africa and the Sahel […] and agreed to increase cooperation to counter the common threat of extremism and terrorism in these regions’.

Despite such statements, however, no concrete roadmap for bilateral cooperation in this area has yet materialised. Although normative differences continue to represent a serious obstacle to greater cooperation, they are not insurmountable given the common

 

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18 septembre 2015 5 18 /09 /septembre /2015 22:35
Attack Copters Wipe Out Chinese Tanks in Simulated Battle

 

September 18, 2015 by Robert Beckhusen - War is boring

 

War game underlines armor's weakness

 

Recently, a Chinese tank company with the Nanjing Military Region went on the attack. The mission — punch through an enemy defense, press forward and eliminate any resistance along the way.

This was, of course, an exercise. And the exercise was going well. The armored beasts busted through their objective … when two enemy helicopters armed with anti-tank missiles arrived.

Within moments, the helicopters effectively “destroyed” the whole company, according to a July 25 article in the Chinese military newspaper Jiefangjun Bao Online. The paper noted the helicopter counter-attack “set off an uproar in the brigade.”

The U.S. Army’s Foreign Military Studies Office took note of the exercise in its monthly journal OE Watch. “It was … apparent that commanders were not staying abreast of recent changes in warfare,” the journal stated.

 

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17 septembre 2015 4 17 /09 /septembre /2015 16:35
Japon: les lois de défense adoptées en commission après des échauffourées entre sénateurs

 

17 septembre 2015 Romandie.com (AFP)

 

Tokyo - Des sénateurs en sont venus aux mains jeudi au Parlement japonais avant l'adoption en commission de nouvelles lois de défense autorisant l'envoi de militaires à l'étranger pour aider un allié en difficulté, une première depuis la guerre.

 

La voie est désormais ouverte pour un vote en session plénière au Sénat, procédure qui entérinerait les textes et qui doit intervenir dans les heures ou jours à venir, malgré une opposition farouche.

 

Jeudi à deux reprises, devant le Premier ministre Shinzo Abe impassible, des membres de l'opposition et de la coalition au pouvoir ont encerclé le président d'une commission spéciale et se sont bousculés et empoignés vigoureusement.

 

Le parlementaire d'opposition Tetsuro Fukuyama a ensuite prononcé un discours enflammé expliquant pourquoi son parti avait déposé une motion pour tenter d'empêcher l'adoption de cette réinterprétation de la Constitution pacifiste du Japon.

 

Le parti au pouvoir écoute-t-il les voix du public ? Vous pouvez faire tout ce que vous voulez parce que vous avez la majorité. Est-ce bien cela que vous pensez ?, a-t-il lancé au bord des larmes.

 

La tension est montée d'heure en heure et l'adoption des textes en commission a été reportée à plusieurs reprises, les parlementaires bloquant les portes et encombrant les couloirs en signe de protestation.

 

Selon les médias japonais, 13 personnes ont été arrêtées mercredi soir pour entrave à agent de police pendant une manifestation qui a rassemblé quelque 13.000 personnes devant le Parlement.

 

Ces dernières semaines, des milliers de Japonais ont défilé dans les rues presque quotidiennement, dans un pays où les manifestations sont rares.

 

Bien que la Constitution actuelle, qui empêche les soldats japonais de prendre part à des combats en dehors de l'auto-défense, ait été imposée par l'occupant américain, nombre de Japonais y sont attachés et estiment que tout changement remettrait en cause le caractère pacifiste de leur pays. Ils craignent que le Japon ne soit entraîné dans un conflit lointain aux côtés des Américains.

 

Mais selon le Premier ministre Abe, une évolution des lois est nécessaire pour faire face à des menaces grandissantes venant de Chine et de Corée du Nord.

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16 septembre 2015 3 16 /09 /septembre /2015 11:35
 PLA upgrades ELINT capability with Y-9JB reconnaissance plane

 

14.09.2015 Pacific Sentinel
 

The People's Liberation Army's new electronic intelligence (ELINT) gathering aircraft, the Y-9JB, is a major upgrade on its predecessors and reflects the emphasis China is placing on electronic reconnaissance capabilities, says the Beijing-based Sina Military Network.

 

The Y-9JB, also known as the GX-8 — which literally means the "High New 8" — is the ELINT variant of the Shaanxi Y-9 mid-sized transport aircraft. It is said to possess significant advancements over China's first-generation electronic reconnaissance planes, the Y-8DZ or GX-2 and the Y-8G or GX-3.

 

According to the report, China has been developing electronic warfare aircraft for decades with the aim of improving the PLA's ability to gather and analyze operational and tactical electronic intelligence, and therefore its strategic decision-making.

 

Read the full story at Want China Times

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16 septembre 2015 3 16 /09 /septembre /2015 11:35
Un modèle de forteresse navale en chantier - CESM

Un modèle de forteresse navale en chantier - CESM

 

13 septembre 2015 Par Olivier Fourt - RFI

 

On les appelle les « forteresses navales ». La Chine en train d'équiper militairement plusieurs îles (dont certaines ont été annexées) pour construire un réseau de bases en haute mer, destiné à élargir son influence économique et militaire dans la région.

 

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16 septembre 2015 3 16 /09 /septembre /2015 11:35
Z-19 at Third China Helicopter Expo

Z-19 at Third China Helicopter Expo

 

15.09.2015 Pacific Sentinel

 

China has begun to develop a fourth-generation attack helicopter which will have stealth capabilities and expects to deliver it to the People's Liberation Army by around 2020, according to a report by the English-language China Daily.

 

Aviation Industry Corp of China, an aircraft manufacturer and supplier to the PLA, has been given the responsibility of researching and developing the helicopter, Cankaoxiaoxi.com website reported Sunday, citing Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster.

 

The company disclosed the information in a media brochure distributed to domestic journalists taking part in the Third China Helicopter Expo, which opened on Wednesday in Tianjin, according to the China Daily report published Friday.

 

The company gave no further details but according to the report, it was the first time that China has confirmed it is developing a new-generation combat helicopter.

 

Read the full story at Want China Times

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16 septembre 2015 3 16 /09 /septembre /2015 11:35
Haijing 2901 - China's heavily armed patrol boat may provoke escalation


15.09.2015 Pacific Sentinel
 

China is deploying its largest maritime patrol vessel, the Haijing 2901 to the eastern island of Zhoushan for a potential war of attrition with Japan over the disputed East China Sea, according to the Tokyo-based Sankei Shimbun on Sept. 13.

 

It has been Japan's policy to deploy its coast guard vessels instead of warships to prevent its territorial conflict with China over the Diaoyutai islands (Diaoyu to China, Senkaku to Japan, which controls them), from escalating into a full-scale war. The deployment of the Haijing 2901, which is also the world's largest maritime patrol vessel with a greater displacement than the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers of the United States, will eventually challenge this policy since Japan's coast guard has no vessel that can counter it.

 

Read the full story at Want China Times

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16 septembre 2015 3 16 /09 /septembre /2015 11:20
USS Halsey (DDG 97) - photo US Navy

USS Halsey (DDG 97) - photo US Navy


14.09.2015 Pacific Sentinel
 

The United States is upgrading its Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to counter China's new DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile with their ability to sink medium-sized warships, Harry J Kazianis, the executive editor of National Interest magazine, writes in a piece published on Sept. 9.

 

At a press conference on Sept. 4, Lockheed Martin announced a new contract worth US$428 million to modernize the US Navy Aegis Combat System's hardware and software over the next 10 years. Just a day prior to the announcement, China used the military parade in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II to display its DF-26 missiles to the public for the first time.

 

Read the full story at Want China Times

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16 septembre 2015 3 16 /09 /septembre /2015 07:35
Editorial: Chinese Admiral - South China Sea ‘Belongs to China’

 

16 September 2015 By Franz-Stefan Gady – Pacific Sentinel

 

At a recent naval conference a Chinese Vice Admiral did not mince words.

 

Speaking at this year’s First Sea Lord/RUSI International Sea Power Conference in London, Chinese Vice Admiral Yuan Yubai, commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) North Sea Fleet, did not shy away from controversy. He emphatically stated that the South China Sea belongs to China.

 

“The South China Sea, as the name indicates, is a sea area that belongs to China. And the sea from the Han dynasty a long time ago where the Chinese people have been working and producing from the sea,” he said through an interpreter, according to Defense News.

 

Yubai was sitting on a panel with the U.S. Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations Rear Adm. Jeff Harley and the President of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Command and Staff College, Vice Admiral Umio Otsuka, discussing the role of naval power in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

 

Yubai’s statement came in response to Otsuka criticizing the land reclamation activities of “certain state actors” in the region. “Land reclamation conducted by some countries has been a problem in the South China Sea (and) we have to admit that the rule of law is at risk in this region. The JMSDF will secure the credibility of a deterrence capability and seek a multilateral framework in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.

 

Read the full story at The Diplomat

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16 septembre 2015 3 16 /09 /septembre /2015 07:35
source Alert5 blog

source Alert5 blog

 

Sept 14, 2015 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Alert5 blog; posted Sept 13, 2015)

 

The Shenyang J-11BS fighter made its first public flying demonstration during the Air Force public day in Changchun, Jiling province on Sept. 11. The J-11BS is the two-seat indigenous copy of the Su-27. The aircraft is powered by the WS-10 engine.

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15 septembre 2015 2 15 /09 /septembre /2015 16:35
Long March 3B carrier rocket

Long March 3B carrier rocket

 

Sept 13, 2015 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: NASA Space Flight blog; posted Sept 12, 2015)



A super-secretive satellite was launched by China from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Saturday. Launch of the unknown spacecraft – unofficially claimed to be the Communications Engineering Test Satellite -1 (TXJSSY-1) – took place at 15:40 UTC using a Long March-3B (Chang Zheng-3B) rocket, as the Chinese continue their build up in space.

There is very little information regarding the satellite, with no announcement provided in the Chinese media, despite the media heavily controlled by the Chinese government.

However, rumors circling on specialized Chinese space forums point to this launch involving the first Great Wall (Changcheng) satellite – a new series of Chinese satellites dedicated to early warning similar to the American Space Based Infra-Red Sensor satellites. One unofficial source claimed the spacecraft is the Communications Engineering Test Satellite -1 (TXJSSY-1)

Recently, Japan’s Kyodo News reported that China was building a missile defense system to detect a ballistic missile attack. The report was based on Chinese military documents that referred the development of an experimental early warning satellite program.

Additionally the report pointed out that China had started the development of an X-band radar system as part of a ground-based interceptor system. (end of excerpt)

Click here for the full story, on the NASAspaceflight blog

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15 septembre 2015 2 15 /09 /septembre /2015 11:35
J-20 J-31 F-22 F-35.jpg

J-20 J-31 F-22 F-35.jpg

 

14.09.2015 sputniknews.com

 

L'équipement électronique du chasseur fonctionne aussi bien que celui du F-35 américain, indique Defense World.

 

La Chine a entamé les exercices du septième et dernier prototype du chasseur Chengdu J-20, rapporte Defense World, se référant à l'édition chinoise Duowei News. "Si les exercices se déroulent avec succès, la production d'un petit nombre de J-20 pour la Force aérienne chinoise pourra commencer", indique l'édition. D'après la source, l'équipement électronique de ce chasseur fonctionne aussi bien que celui du F-35 américain. Le Chengdu J-20, souvent nommé Black Eagle ("l'aigle noir", ndlr), est un avion de chasse furtif de 5ème génération. Des experts militaires remarquent de forte ressemblances avec le prototype de chasseur russe Mikoyan Project 1.44/1.42 et les chasseurs américains de 5ème génération F-22 et F-35. Quant aux désavantages, les experts notent le manque de puissance de son système propulsif pour effectuer des vols à vitesse supersonique, l’imperfection de son radar ainsi que de la technologie "Stealth", permettant de réduire sa signature radar. En outre, la Chine a l'intention d'élaborer un nouveau chasseur de 5ème génération, le J-31.

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12 septembre 2015 6 12 /09 /septembre /2015 11:35
Mil MI-26T2

Mil MI-26T2

 

BEIJING, Sept. 11 (UPI)

 

A proposed program by China and Russia to jointly develop a heavy-lift helicopter could begin next year as the two near finalization of the project agreement.

"The project is progressing smoothly, and we are discussing with our Russian counterparts terms and clauses in the agreement," Wu Ximing, chief helicopter designer at Aviation Industry Corp of China, was quoted by China Daily. "The negotiations should conclude before the end of this year and the development will start next year."

China Daily, with headquarters in Beijing, reported production of the aircraft would take place in China.

China will supply avionics systems and advanced materials for the helicopter, while Russia will be responsible for the aerodynamic design, transmission gear and de-icing equipment.

According to the Aviation Industry Corp of China, the helicopter will have the capability to carry 10 tons of cargo within the cabin or more than 100 people.

It has a maximum cruising speed of about 184 miles per hour and a range of 394 miles.

The aircraft would conduct its first flight around 2020.

"Compared with Russia's Mil Mi-26, now the largest helicopter used in China, the new aircraft will be more adaptable to plateaus and tropical regions," said Huang Chuanyue, deputy chief engineer at Avicopter, AVIC's helicopter branch. "This is very important because China has vast plateau areas and mountainous terrain, as well as many islands that are difficult to access by other means."

China Daily reported that Huang said China will need at least 200 heavy-lift helicopters within the next 30 years.

Worldwide demand for heavy-lift helicopters during that period will reach about 2,000 and "we expect this helicopter will corner about 25 percent of the international market for this type," he said.

Heavy-lift helicopters in use worldwide include Boeing's CH-47 Chinook, Sikorsky's CH-53E Super Stallion and Russia's Mil Mi-26.

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8 septembre 2015 2 08 /09 /septembre /2015 16:40
Space: The Russian Aerospace Force

 

September 7, 2015: Strategy Page

 

A year after China did so in August Russia has announced the formation of an Aerospace Force by taking existing air force units, air-defense (against aircraft or missiles) units and various “space forces” that, until 2011, were united as the Space Force. The new organization is based on the idea that there should be no distinction between lower air space and orbital space. If it flies, it now belongs to the Aerospace Force. One exception is the ICBM missile forces, which will remain, as they have for decades, as the separate “Strategic Rocket Forces.” The only practical reason for the Russian Aerospace Force is that it saves money by eliminating some headquarters and duplicated support services.

 

In mid-2014 the Chinese military announced it was organizing a fifth service (in addition to army, navy, air force, strategic weapons force), the Aerospace Force. This one will concentrate on operations in space and is more like the pre-2011 Russian Space Force. The Chinese Aerospace Force controls satellites, launchers and ground based units that can jam or otherwise electronically interfere with enemy satellites and space vehicles. The United States had had discussions about forming an Aerospace Force but the Army, Navy and Air Force are very reluctant to give up any of these space oriented capabilities to what would be a new service. Currently the U.S. Air Force considers itself the aerospace force and few consider it an issue worth arguing about anymore.

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8 septembre 2015 2 08 /09 /septembre /2015 16:35
Chengdu JF-17 Xiaolong (Thunder) combat aircraft

Chengdu JF-17 Xiaolong (Thunder) combat aircraft

 

September 5, 2015: Strategy Page

 

In April, May and June of 2015 Japanese fighters had to take off and intercept intruders 173 times. Chinese aircraft were the cause 66 percent of the time otherwise they were usually Russian. During the same three months in 2014 there were 340 Japanese fighter sorties to deal with intruders and 70 percent of the time the intruders were Chinese. In 2013 Japanese aircraft went up over 300 times to confront Chinese aircraft (often recon aircraft) coming too close to Japanese air space. Thus 2013 was the first year Chinese intrusions exceeded Russian ones. This has been coming for several years. In 2011 nearly 43 percent of the sorties were for Chinese aircraft. That's almost three times as many Chinese intrusions as in 2010. Russian aerial activity has been declining for years and this is believed due to the difficulty and expense of keeping elderly Russian aircraft operational. Russia cannot afford to replace its Cold War era aircraft.

 

Although Russian warplanes continue to be a nuisance off the coast Japan considers Russian activity much less threatening. The Russian aircraft are flying more training missions in the Pacific and the Japanese have come to understand how it is nearly impossible for Russian pilots getting out to sea without showing up on a Japanese radar or coming close to Japanese air space. That’s because there is a lot of Japanese airspace off the east coast of Eurasia, so Russian warplanes out there cannot avoid passing close to Japanese air defense radars. China does not have this problem.

 

In 2011, the 355 Japanese anti-intrusion sorties were up 17 percent over the previous year, while in 2010, sorties were up 29 percent. They have continued to climb. All this should be measured against Cold War activity, which peaked in 1984 with 944 interception sorties. After the Cold War ended in 1991 (when there were 488 sorties), the number of intrusions fell through the 1990s, but since 2000 have increased.

 

These intrusions have been increasing sharply since 2008. Initially the Japanese launched many aircraft for each intrusion. For example, in 2008 a Russian Tu-95 entered Japanese airspace near an uninhabited island about 600 kilometers south of Tokyo. Although the Russian aircraft was in Japanese airspace for only about three minutes the Japanese launched 22 aircraft to intercept. This force included two AWACs aircraft and twenty fighters. No Russian aircraft entered Japanese airspace without permission again until 2013 and the Russians apologized for that one. But as the intrusions increased, the number of interceptors sent out for each incident decreased.

 

The Japanese believe that one cause for this increased activity is more electronic and maritime patrol aircraft are available to the Chinese who have a desire to gather as much information as possible about their strongest potential foe in the area. But the main reason is the dispute with China over the Senkaku Islands near Okinawa. China and Japan both claim these uninhabited islets, which are 320 kilometers southeast of the Chinese mainland, 167 kilometers northeast of Taiwan, and 426 kilometers southwest of Japan (Okinawa, which China also has claims on). The Senkaku Islands and have a total area of 6.3 square kilometers. Taiwan also claims the Senkakus, which were discovered by Chinese fishermen in the 16th century and taken over by Japan in 1879. They are valuable now because of the 380 kilometer economic zone nations can claim in their coastal waters. This includes fishing and possible underwater oil and gas fields.

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1 septembre 2015 2 01 /09 /septembre /2015 17:35
Mer de Chine : le Japon poursuit son réarmement

Face à la menace de la Chine, notamment sur les iles Senkaku, le Japon poursuit son réarmement

 

01/09/2015 par Michel Cabirol – laTribune.fr (avec agences)

 

Le Japon veut augmenter son budget de la défense pour la quatrième année consécutive. Le ministère de la Défense veut une enveloppe de près de 38 milliards d'euros.

 

Le ministère de la Défense japonais a déposé lundi pour la quatrième année de suite une demande de budget record pour l'exercice d'avril 2016 à mars 2017, dans le but d'élargir encore ses moyens dans une région où la Chine est considérée comme une menace. Le ministère souhaite une enveloppe initiale de 5.090 milliards de yens (près de 38 milliards d'euros), soit une hausse de 2,2% sur un an justifiée par la nécessité de davantage protéger les îles nippones éloignées du territoire principal de l'archipel, notamment celles du sud-ouest, à proximité de Taïwan.

Pékin et Tokyo se disputent la souveraineté de territoires inhabités en mer de Chine orientale, les îles Senkaku, contrôlées par le Japon mais revendiquées par la Chine sous l'appellation Diaoyu.

 

Suite de l'article

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30 juillet 2015 4 30 /07 /juillet /2015 11:35
photo CNS

photo CNS

 

Jul 28, 2015 Source: Xinhua News Agency

 

Beijing  - The rocket will serve the final chapter of China's three-step -- orbiting, landing and returning -- lunar program and the building of manned space stations.

 

Chinese scientists on Friday successfully tested the power system of a Long March-5 carrier rocket scheduled for flight in 2016.

 

Development of the rocket, the fifth-generation launch vehicle of the Long March family, has entered a "runoff" phase, according to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

 

The rocket will have a payload capacity of 25 tonnes to low Earth orbits, or 14 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit, about twice the current capacity. The would-be capacity will be equivalent to that of mainstream carrier rockets now in use around the world.

 

The rocket will serve the final chapter of China's three-step -- orbiting, landing and returning -- lunar program and the building of manned space stations.

 

The Long March rocket family has completed more than 200 missions since 1970, when a Long March-1 rocket sent China's first satellite, Dong Fang Hong 1, or "the East is Red", into Earth orbit.

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6 juillet 2015 1 06 /07 /juillet /2015 07:35
China's Beidou navigation system more resistant to jamming

 

Jul 01, 2015 Spacewar.com (XNA)

 

Beijing - China has made breakthroughs in the anti-jamming capability of its Beidou satellite navigation system (BDS), the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily said Thursday.

 

The new technology, developed by Wang Feixue and his team from the National University of Defense Technology, has made the satellites 1,000 times more secure, the newspaper said.

 

In March, China launched the 17th BDS satellite, the first step in expanding the regional system to a global one.

 

The first BDS satellite was launched in 2000 to provide an alternative to foreign satellite navigation systems. In December 2012, the system began to provide positioning, navigation, timing and short message services to China and some parts of the Asia Pacific.

 

The BDS global network will have 35 satellites, five of which will be in geostationary orbit. The complete network should be installed by 2020.

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