B-2 Engineer Convicted of Selling Military Secrets To China

A former B-2 stealth bomber engineer convicted of selling military secrets to China is due to be sentenced in federal court on Monday.

Noshir Gowadia, 66, faces up to life in prison for his conviction on 14 counts, including conspiracy, communicating national defence information to aid a foreign nation, and violating the arms export control act.

Chief U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway is due to issue her sentence after listening to arguments from the prosecution and defence. Gowadia, who has been in custody without bail since his 2005 arrest, is also expected to have an opportunity to make a statement.

A federal jury in August found Gowadia guilty after deliberating for six days. They had heard 39 days of evidence over nearly four months. The jury acquitted him on three counts.

Prosecutors said Gowadia helped China design a stealth cruise missile to get money to pay the $15,000-a-month mortgage on his multimillion dollar home overlooking the ocean in Haiku on Maui. They said he pocketed at least $110,000 from the sale of military secrets.

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Chinese Stealth fighter May Used US F-117 NightHawk Technology

A Chinese stealth fighter jet that could pose a significant threat to American air superiority may borrow from US technology, it has been claimed.

Balkan military officials and other experts said China may have gleaned knowledge from a US F-117 Nighthawk that was shot down over Serbia in 1999.

"At the time, our intelligence reports told of Chinese agents crisscrossing the region where the F-117 disintegrated, buying up parts of the plane from local farmers," said Admiral Davor Domazet-Loso, Croatia's military chief of staff during the Kosovo war. "We believe the Chinese used those materials to gain an insight into secret stealth technologies ... and to reverse-engineer them."

The Nighthawk was downed by a Serbian anti-aircraft missile during a bombing raid on 27 March 1999. It was the first time one of the fighters had been hit, and the Pentagon blamed clever tactics and sheer luck. The pilot ejected and was rescued.

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Japanese Stealth Fighter Mitsubishi ATD-X

The Mitsubishi ATD-X Shinshin is a Japanese aircraft being developed by the Ministry of Defense Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) for research purposes.

ATD-X is an acronym which represents “Advanced Technology Demonstrator – X”. The aircraft’s Japanese name is ?? (shin-shin) which means “one’s mind”. The main contractor is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. This aircraft will be used as a technology demonstrator and research prototype to determine whether domestic advanced technologies for a fifth generation fighter aircraft are viable. The aircraft’s first flight is scheduled for 2014. The design of the aircraft reflects those of several American fourth and fifth generation fighters, most notably the F-22.

The aircraft also features 3D thrust vectoring with 3 paddles on each engine nozzle. The nozzles on the prototype appears to be uncovered and might have a slight adverse effect on the aircraft’s stealth characteristics. Japan is set to develop its own next-generation stealth fighter jets to reduce its dependence on foreign technology and counter similar moves by China and Russia.

Japan, which wants to replace its aging fighter fleet, has also made overtures to Washington on the possibility of purchasing the U.S. F-22 Raptor stealth fighter.

However, the U.S. Congress has repeatedly banned the sale of the plane to any foreign government, in an attempt to safeguard the country’s advanced technology.

Japan’s Defense Ministry now aims to test its own prototype stealth jet, advanced control system and radar-jamming device — within five years, the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported, citing a budget plan submitted Friday by the ministry. A mock-up has already undergone preliminary ground tests in France, the report said. Friday’s decision by the ministry to push ahead with the multi billion-yen (multi million-dollar; multi million-euro) project means developers will start working toward flight tests, with production in about 10 years, it said. The reports also say that there was a possible involvement of US Lockheed Martin in the development of ATD-X.

Japan hopes that having its own domestic stealth fighter jet would mean it would not have to rely on foreign governments for key military technology, the report said. pHomegrown stealth capabilities would also likely help Japan enhance its radar systems to counter regional rivals China and Russia, which are thought to be developing their own stealth jets, the paper said. Japan’s air force has been searching for replacements for its aging fleet of F-4s. Options include three U.S.-made planes — the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-18 and advanced F-15s — as well as the Eurofighter Typhoon.

But a purchase from Washington has been hindered by its export ban of F-22s, imposed in part over reluctance to share sensitive military technology with foreign governments.

Japanese navy computers’ recent leak of data from a joint U.S.-Japan AEGIS radar system has also spurred U.S. concerns over sharing information with Tokyo. Japan and the U.S. recently signed a military data protection pact that tightens controls on the handling of classified information from one another’s militaries.

The moves come as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to bolster the country’s defense coordination with the U.S.Washington has about 50,000 troops based in Japan, its top ally in Asia, under a mutual security pact.

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The Clearest Pictures Of Chengdu J-20 J-XX Fifth Generation Stealth Fighter Jet - Latest Update

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J-20 J-XX Chinese Stealth Fighter

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Top 5 Fighter Planes Under Development

F-35:

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine stealth multirole fighters. After entering service it would be considered as the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, performing ground attack, reconnaissance, and air defense missions.

The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), integrates advanced very low observable stealth into a supersonic, highly agile 5th generation fighter. The capabilities built into the F-35 Lightning II provide the pilot with unprecedented situational awareness and unmatched lethality and survivability.

Some of its salient features are :
- Dominates all adversaries in the air or on the surface.
- Has the ability to survive and prosecute the most formidable threats expected to emerge beyond 2020.
- Conducts air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions simultaneously.
- Incorporates the most powerful and comprehensive sensor and mission avionics package ever to fly in a fighter.

Sukhoi’s T-50 PAK FA:

The Sukhoi PAK FA is a fifth-generation jet fighter being developed by Sukhoi for the Russian Air Force.The current prototype is Sukhoi’s T-50. The PAK FA, when fully developed, is intended to replace the MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-27 Flanker in the Russian inventory and serve as the basis of the Sukhoi/HAL FGFA project being developed with India. As a fifth generation jet fighter, it is designed to directly compete with Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. The T-50 performed its first flight January 29, 2010.Its second flight was on February 6 and its third on February 12. As of August 31, 2010, it made 17 flights in total.Sukhoi director Mikhail Pogosyan has projected a market for 1,000 aircraft over the next four decades, which will be produced in a joint venture with India, two hundred each for Russia and India and six hundred for other countries.He has also said that the Indian contribution would be in the form of joint work under the current agreement rather than as a joint venture. The Indian Air Force will “acquire 50 single-seater fighters of the Russian version” before the two seat FGFA is developed. The Russian Defense Ministry will purchase the first ten aircraft after 2012 and then 60 after 2016.

Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA):


The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), formerly known as the Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA), is a twin-engined 5th generation stealth multirole fighter being developed by India. It will complement the HAL Tejas, the Sukhoi/HAL FGFA, the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and the yet undecided MRCA in the Indian Air Force. The main purpose of this aircraft is to replace the aging SEPECAT Jaguar & Dassault Mirage 2000. The Medium Combat Aircraft [MCA] is envisioned as a replacement for the British Jaguar and Mirage 2000 the IAF flies, which as of 2002 were to be phased out by 2015. Development costs were expected to be over US $2 billion. At that time, India’s DRDO intended to develop a stealth Medium Combat Aircraft, a further extension of its LCA design, in order to replace the Jaguar and Mirage inventory beginning around 2010.The MCA designers plan to pursue technologies superior to anything currently on offer. India’s aeronautical designers see the MCA programme as crucial for taking forward the expertise that has been painstakingly accumulated in the Tejas LCA programme.

J-XX Stealth Fighter:


China has already launched its next generation stealth fighter aircraft programme, and Shenyang Aircraft Industry Co. (SAC) has been selected to head research and development of a new fighter for the PLA Air Force (PLAAF). According to the reports, development of the subsystems including the engine and weapon suite for the next generation fighter, which was code named by the Western intelligence as J-XX, has been underway for some time. Images of the concepts show a twin-engine aircraft sharing some design traits with Lockheed Martin’s stealth F/A-22 “Raptor” multirole fighter such as the internal carriage of its weapons.

Not too much public information about the programme is available at the moment. Sources within China’s confirmed that the SAC is looking at a twin-engine, single-seat, single vertical tale fin design, but other design proposals has yet been ruled out. As China has developed close ties with Russia’s aerospace industry and has license produced many planes of formal Soviet designs, it can be predicted that the J-XX would include some, if not many Russian technologies and designs. China has been offered a ‘joint development and production’ of a new fifth-generation fighter by Russia -LFI. Russia has been trying to sell this concept both to China and India for some time, but neither of them has committed fully yet. Stealth and thrust vectoring are two must-have features in all aircraft being designed in the 21st century. It is not clear that how much progress Chinese designers have made in these areas, and Chinese aircraft industry may have to take Western/Israeli/Russian helps to make the J-XX truly fouth-generation (or fifth-generation using the Russian standards). Once introduced, the J-12′s immediate rival will be U.S. F/A-22, JSF and India’s MCA (Medium Combat Aircraft).

JASDF Stealth Fighter ATD-X:


JASDF (Japan Air Self-Defense Forces) planners have been attempting to acquire the American F-22 Raptor jet fighter to replace their current F-15 Eagle fighter planes. The F-22 Raptor is packed with the latest avionics and stealth technology but its high tech features have the Pentagon concerned about security leaks. Even though the United States would lose out financially by not selling Japan the F-22, security issues are front & center these days and Japan is now looking to its own aircraft designers to provide a home-grown solution.

The Mitsubishi ATD-X Shinshin is a Japanese aircraft being developed by the Ministry of Defense Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) for research purposes. ATD-X is an acronym which represents “Advanced Technology Demonstrator – X”. The main contractor is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. This aircraft will be used as a technology demonstrator and research prototype to determine whether domestic advanced technologies for a fifth generation fighter aircraft are viable. The aircraft’s first flight is scheduled for 2014. The design of the aircraft reflects those of several American fourth and fifth generation fighters, most notably the F-22. Japan is set to develop its own next-generation stealth fighter jets to reduce its dependence on foreign technology and counter similar moves by China and Russia. Related tags .....

Chinese Chengdu J-10B For Export

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Chinese Fifth Generation Stealth Fighter J-20 Black Eagle

The J-20 #2001 prototype was photographed when it was preparing for high-speed taxi trial at the CAC airfield in late December 2010, wearing a distinctive dark green color scheme (RAM coating applied?). The prototype features a pair of all-moving tailfins and Russian 1.44 style ventral stabilizing fins, which shield the engine nozzles but might increase RCS.



It also features an F-22 style forward fuselage, including Caret intakes but with DSI bumps installed at the upper inner corners, as well as a one-piece frameless canopy. However the canards appear to extend slightly above the plane of the main wings and there are four large underwing actuator fairings which might not be stealth optimized. First disclosed by US Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) in 1997 as XXJ, J-20 is the 4th generation multi-role fighter to enter the service between 2015 and 2018. Since 90s both CAC/611 Institute and SAC/601 Institute had been working their own designs for a twin-engine multi-role heavy fighter with stealth capability and maneuverability comparable to American F-22.


It was speculated that 601 Institute was working on a "tri-plane" design (J-18?) based on canard/conventional layout/V-shape tailfin while 611 Institute working on a design based on canard/tailless delta wing/all moving V-shape tailfin/lateral DSI/bump inlet layout. All designs were expected to feature an internal weapon bay to reduce RCS, which has been speculated to be <0.05m2 (head-on). J-20 also incorporates an advanced FBW system fully integrated with the fire-control and the engine systems. Its fire-control radar is expected to be AESA (Type 1475/KLJ5?). The aircraft may feature a "pure" glass cockpit (a single F-35 style color LCD display and a wide-angle holographic HUD).

Many of these subsystems have been tested onboard J-10B to speed up the development (see above). The exact type of engine powering J-20 prototypes is unclear, even though a Russian turbofan engine such as 117S or 99M2 (14t class) or D-30F6 (15t class) with an axisymmetric TVC nozzle has been speculated. It was reported in November 2006 that a T/W=10 17t class turbofan (WS-15/"large thrust") is being developed and will eventually power J-20. Russian assistance was also speculated in terms of software support for calculating the RCS of various designs. The overall performance of J-20 is thought to be superior to that of Russian T-50 (maneuverability & supercruise) but still inferior to that of American F-22 (electronics & supercruise). In August 2008 it was reported that 611 Institute was selected to be the main contractor for the development of J-20 and 601 Institute as the sub-contractor. Subsequently a full-scale metal mockup was built at CAC.

One rumor in May 2010 claimed that 611 Institute started to construct the first prototype, which was expected to fly by the end of 2010, even though the full configuration model won't fly until a few years later. Currently two prototypes (#2001 & 2002) have been constructed and the first high-speed taxi trial by 2001 took place on December 22, 2010.

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Chinese J-911C Fighter Aircraft Project

Source: Chinese Thunder Dragon Magazine:

J-911C "game birds are" as the author designed a
multi-mission land-based fighter aircraft program. It uses standard
full-motion no tail x aerodynamic winglets. Head and the edge of the
smooth transition back gradually blended wing body with no apparent
boundaries of the fuselage and wings.



The wing-body fusion of the body designed to maximize interior space and
increase the availability of additional lift. Inlet tanks at the task
in front of the nose. This structure can reduce the size of the task of
enormous tanks of resistance, but also conducive to high angle of attack
when the intake efficiency. Cabin set in a high position, increasing
the driver's field of view in favor. Nozzle with all the vector control.




"Game bird person" within the main wing with a motorized fan to provide
vertical thrust, and its diameter of 7.6 meters. Vertical takeoff and
landing, and maneuvering for the increase in lift. The following are
tasks the fan compartment, the large space with 15-21 cubic meters of
volume.


Task is two sides of the engine compartment, outside the main landing
gear in the engine, placed in the inlet to move away next. Landing gear
installed in the inlet before the lower, back away. In the tail with
short-range defense / attack systems for close combat and intercept
incoming missiles. The following will be introduced one by one "game
bird who" of the performance characteristics.

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Chinese Stealth Fighter J-20 Black Eagle Makes Its Way For First SuccessFull Test Flight

Chinese Stealth Fighter J-20 Black Eagle Makes Its Way For First SuccessFull Test FlightA leading expert on the Chinese military says the country's prototype stealth fighter has made its first-known test flight.



Kanwa Asian Defense magazine editor Andrei Chang said the J-20 flew for
about 15 minutes over an airfield in the southwestern city of Chengdu
where it was spotted carrying out runway tests last week. Photos of the
plane in flight were also posted on unofficial Chinese military
websites.

The test flight comes on the second day of a visit
to China by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Chang and other
analysts say the test's timing is apparently intended to send the
message that Beijing is responding to calls from the U.S. and others to
be more transparent about its defense modernization and future
intentions.

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Indian Tejas Multi-Role Light Combat Aircraft Gets Its Operational Clearance:IOC

India has joined the select club of countries making a
fighter jet from scratch, receiving operational clearance for its first
lightweight indigenous multi-role Light Combat Aircraft.

Dubbed Tejas, the new fighter was handed over to the Indian air force this week by Defense Minister A.K. Antony.

Describing the hand-over as a "historic occasion," Antony said the
state-of-the-art aircraft would enhance national security and the
country's aspirations of buildings it own warplane capability.

The project is said to have been conceived 27 years ago as a replacement
for the air force's aging MiG-21 fleet. It was conceived and designed
by the Aeronautical Development Agency of the Defense Research and
Development Organization's and manufactured at the Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited.

"After accomplishing a series of milestones of envelope expansion,
sensor integration and weapon delivery in over 1,500 sorties, the
country is poised for a major turning point with the declaration of the
IOC," Antony said during the hand-over ceremony.

The Indian air force is expected to roll out as many as 140 Tejas aircraft by the end of the decade.

The test stage of the new fighter jet was started in January 2001 and it
has completed 1,508 flight tests using various variations, including a
two-seat trainer version.

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F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet The Most Expensive Weapons Program Ever

The F-35 fighter jet, set to replace a large part of
the US warplane fleet, has become the most expensive weapons program
ever, drawing increased scrutiny at a time of tight public finances.

Following a series of cost overruns and delays, the program is now
expected to cost a whopping 382 billion dollars, for 2,443 aircraft.



The so-called 5th generation fighter was built with features designed to
help avoid enemy radar and ensure American supremacy in the skies for
decades.

But there is now the potential for competition from China, which this
week unveiled its first radar-evading combat aircraft and fueled a sense
of a military rivalry between the two powers.

At home, the Lockheed Martin F-35 is getting increased criticism even from some at the Pentagon.

Defense officials say the original cost estimates have now doubled to make each plane's price tag reach some 92 million dollars.

At the same time, the contract awarded in 2001 had been planned to last
10 years, but has been extended to 2016 because of testing and design
issues.

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Russian Air Force Ready To Get 100 Su-35 & Su-34 By 2015

The Russian Air Force will receive up to 100 Sukhoi fighter jets by 2015, the Defense Ministry spokesman said on Sunday.

Three state contracts with the Sukhoi design bureau on the supply of the jets have been already signed, Vladimir Drik said.

Fifty advanced Su-35 Flanker-E multirole fighters, billed as "4++
generation using fifth-generation technology," more than ten advanced
Su-27SM Flanker multirole jets and five Su-30M2 Flanker-C multirole
fighters are among the aircraft to be supplied.

The Russian Air Force will also receive twenty-five new Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers in the next few years, the spokesman said.

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Chinese Fifth Generational Stealth fighter J-20 Black Eagle Goes To The Skies

China confirmed the first test flight of its highly
controversial stealth fighter, ending speculation that the secretive
aircraft had taken to the air.

Chinese President Hu Jintao told U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates

about the flight of the prototype J-20 shortly before Gates left Beijing
after a three-day visit to China intended to improve military
communications between the two countries.

Gates, who is also visiting Japan and South Korea while in the region,
said the discussion with Hu about the J-20 flight that took place this
week was short.

"I asked President Hu about it directly and he said that the test had
absolutely nothing to do with my visit and had been a pre-planned test.
And that's where we left it."

The 15-minute flight took place in Chengdu, in southwest China.

Hu, who is chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the flight
hadn't been timed to coincide with Gates's visit.

The 11-member commission issues directives to the army including senior
appointments, troop deployment and arms spending. The majority of
members are senior generals but several senior Communist party members
are on the commission, a move said to ensure that the military remains
loyal in its actions toward the government.

Defense and aviation analysts have been questioning images and video
clips of the stealth fighter seen on Chinese Web sites since last month,
showing what looks like a J-20 standing on a runway apron and then
taking off.

Many of the shots of the Chengdu J-20 appear taken by people standing a
long way from the runway, possibly outside the airport perimeter.

The aircraft was officially announced in late 2002 as being under
development through a joint design and development project by the
Chengdu Aircraft and Shenyang Aircraft companies.

But Chinese political leaders and aviation sector professionals have
been guarded about details, specifications and development progress of
the aircraft that is similar in concept to Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor
stealth fighter.

However, experts have gleaned much information over the years.

The latest shots show an elongated airframe with forward canards, a main
delta wing, outward canted fins, two small ventral fins, two under-wing
diverterless supersonic intakes and conventional jet nozzles.

It is believed to be larger than the F-22 -- the only truly stealth
plane operational -- or Russia's prototype stealth fighter, the Sukhoi
T-50, which had its first test flight in January 2010 and is expected in
service sometime after 2015.

It isn't clear what engine the J-20 is using. There was some speculation
that the Russians may have supplied the 32,000-pound thrust 117-S
engine because the Chinese-made WS-10A isn't ready.

The 117-S is an upgrade of the Saturn AL-31 turbofan engine developed by
Lyulka, now NPO Saturn, of Russia. It was originally made for the
Sukhoi Su-27 fighter.

It also remains open whether the plane uses plasma stealth technology
whereby it emits an ionized gas that surrounds the aircraft, making it
harder to detect by radar systems.

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Chinese J-20 Black Eagle a powerful competitor to American F-22 & Russian T-50

According to the Russian "Airport" website reported January 12,
China’s fifth generation fighter J-20 which completed successfully test
flight is expected to become a powerful competitor of the U.S. F-22 and
Russian T-50 . Some analysts believe that the smooth progress of this
test show that China’s military aviation industry has made great
breakthroughs in recent years, the U.S. air superiority in the region
will be seriously challenged.



In the January 11 test flight carried out, J-20 for about 15 minutes of flight.


Western media have pointed out that recently appeared in Chinese media
reports on J-20 might have been the consent of the Chinese military
leadership.


Analysts believe that, J-20′s successful flight test showed that the
modernization of China in terms of weapons far beyond the achievements
of previous estimates of foreign military experts.

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