China’s Project 022 Fast Attack Craft

The Chinese Navy's Project 022 class is, despite its innovative hull design, a classic missile-armed fast attack craft. It is designed for the sole purpose of delivering eight anti-ship missiles to a specified naval target and has virtually no capability outside that area. Its design makes it unsuitable for patrol duties, while its short operational radius limits its applicability to maritime policing work.

In military roles, it is virtually defenseless against air attack and would have to rely on speed and agility to survive in a hostile environment. Craft in this general category were once in great vogue, but experience has shown that they are not an effective military unit outside very limited and specific areas. However, the Chinese Navy happens to have one of those limited and specific areas as a primary operational requirement. Thus, in its specific geostrategic situation, the Project 022 is a viable and effective craft.

The Chinese Navy has gone to significant lengths to reduce the investment in any single Project 022 class FAC-M to a minimum. This does not just apply to equipment standards, austere though they are, but to manpower. The Project 022 has a crew of 12 to 14 sailors, less than half that of similar craft. At a unit cost of an estimated $50 million each, the Chinese could afford both the financial and manpower commitment needed to operate a very large fleet of these craft. Construction is expected to exceed 100 hulls and may well go beyond that point.

The catamaran hull form used by the Project 022 appears to be successful, and films of the class at sea show the craft handle well. This raises the possibility that variants of the design might well be evolved to handle a wider spectrum of operational requirements. Stripping out the bulky and heavy missile tubes would provide space and weight for the equipment needed to handle rigid inflatable boats and the other equipment necessary for maritime policing operations. This would allow the Chinese to offer a low-cost and effective competitor in the offshore patrol craft sector.

Over the years, the Chinese have sold large numbers of attack and patrol craft around the world. At present some 40 coastal patrol craft and 70 missile-armed fast attack craft built in China remain in service. The Project 022 would be in an excellent position to replace the latter as they begin to wear and need to be replaced. The postulated maritime patrol craft variant of the design would be well placed to replace the former group. The export market for the Project 022 and derivatives thereof certainly exists; it is up to the Chinese to turn a potential into reality.

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Ukraine reportedly helping China build aircraft carrier

Hong Kong, Jan. 25 (CNA) Ukraine has been providing China with the technics to build an aircraft carrier, according to the latest issue of the Canada-based Kanwa Asian Defense magazine.

In addition, Ukraine experts are also involved in the restoration of Varyag, an derelict carrier that China bought from Ukraine in 1999, Kanwa said.

"The restoration of Varyag has been completed, and the vessel has been equipped with Ukraine developed power systems, " the monthly said.

China bought the Kuznetsov-class Varyag, minus any power, radar or battle systems, and towed it via the Black Sea to the northern port of Dalian under the pretext of transforming it into a tourism attraction.

But many military observers believed that China is turning Varyag into a training ground for its pilots on the soon-to-be established fighter fleets on the carrier.

Andri Pinkov, founder and editor-of-chief of the monthly, said that Ukraine also helped China's Harbin boiler plant manufacture military boilers and steam machines as part of efforts to adopt the "catapult assisted take off and arrested recovery system" that is used by Russian carrier aircraft.

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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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F-117 Night Hawk Mockup in Luoyang China

The image above, captured in 2010, depicts an F-117A mockup. Normally, a mockup of the F-117A wouldn't be a very big deal, but this one is in the middle of Luoyang, China.

It is a full-scale mockup, with the wingspan matching the "real" F-117A at roughly 43 feet.

Why is there an F-117A mockup sitting inside of Luoyang? There could be a completely benign purpose, such as use in some sort of media. However, Luoyang is home to the Luoyang Electro-Optical Technology Development Center, who is responsible for developing the current air-to-air missiles fielded by the Chinese military.

A facility such as this would certainly be able to make use of an accurate model of a VLO aircraft for missile seeker evaluation, particularly in the case of seekers for active radar homing weapons like the current PL-12.

This may be a prototype of JH-8, a VTOL capable F-117A derivative using captured technology.

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Satellite Photos of Chinese Naval Port

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J-20 Black Eagle On The Front Of Different Magazines And Newspapers

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Has Pakistan Signs Deal with China to Co-produce Six Subs With The Technology that India Wants?

Even as India has announced its intent to have new generation diesel-electric submarines, Pakistan has gone ahead and signed a deal with long-standing ally China to produce submarines with the same technology that India wants.
The Pakistan Navy and China’s Ship Building Corporation signed a deal that got the seal of finality during the visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to Pakistan last December. Indian security agencies in know of the matter have cautioned the government that this could tilt the balance in favour of the Pakistan Navy in the Arabian Sea.

India is looking to spend Rs 50,000 crore to acquire six new diesel-electric submarines that will be equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP) technology to boost operational capabilities. Conventional diesel-electric submarines have to surface every couple of days for oxygen to recharge their batteries. A submarine using AIP technology can stay submerged for 12-15 days at a stretch, thus increasing its capacity to hunt down enemy warships without being detected. Nuclear powered submarines can stay underwater for even longer periods.

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Chinese J-20 Black Eagle In WireFrame

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Bolivia To Receive K-8 Karakorum Jets From China

Bolivia, Wednesday, January 19, 2011: Bolivia is set to receive 6 Chinese-made combat aircraft to be used to fight drug trafficking, the head of the Bolivian Air Force said on Tuesday.

General Tito Gandarilla, the Air Force commander, told local journalists that the K-8 Karakorum jets are scheduled to be delivered in April, at a cost of US $ 58 million (S $ 74.5 million).

The aircraft, bought through a loan from China, will be the first of their kind for Bolivia, which currently has only training and freight aircraft.

Gen Gandarilla explained that the jets 'have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years' and have the ability to intercept illegal crafts that 'in Bolivian airspace without authorisation'. The aircraft will be used mainly around Cochabamba in central Bolivia, where there is heavy production of coca plants used to make cocaine.

The Bolivian government also plans to buy 10 Russian-built cargo helicopters for use by the police.

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DF-21C Anti-ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM)

Up to 3000 km or more!

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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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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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Second Round in Future US Anti-Ship Missile Programme

The LRASM is planned to provide a stand-off strike capability in 2013

Lockheed Martin Receives Contracts Worth $218 Million for Demonstration Phase

Despite the currently improving ties between the US and China, it can be expected that China will be the determining factor in US military development during the foreseeable future. As those military operations, which urged western Armed Forces to refocus on so-called asymmetric warfare, are being considered more or less under control and probably achievable in a rather predictable time frame, other potential conflict areas that had been neglected during the past decade begin to slide back to the centre of attention. As if awakening from a nightmare of dirty wars in dusty countries, recently increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula and China’s military build-up have urged the US military leadership and defence analysts to rediscover the necessities of conventional warfare in order to sustain the United States’ superpower status in the future.* 

China is very much helping to cement this reasoning: The J-20 fifth-generation fighter aircraft made its maiden flight while US Defense Secretary Gates was in the country, and reports of China’s tangible efforts to build an aircraft carrier emerged just as Chinese President Hu Jintao prepared to meet Barack Obama in Washington ... coincidences? Further, reports of an ominous Chinese anti-ship missile, capable of sinking US aircraft carriers, spooked through the media during the past months. 

In this context, the US Navy in 2009 asked the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) to support its effort to speedily develop a next-generation stand-off anti-ship weapons system. As current systems, such as the Harpoon RGM-84, are ageing and may not meet future requirements in terms of range, lethality and resistance against defensive measures, the US Navy and DARPA established the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) programme. Within the framework of this programme, two different missile solutions will be developed and have to demonstrate their worth to be quickly introduced into service with the US Navy’s vessels.

PHASE 2 – DEMONSTRATION OF BOTH MISSILE VARIANTS

Having successfully completed Phase 1, which resulted in two preliminary system designs that will be further explored, DARPA has recently awarded contracts to Lockheed Martin for the programme’s next phase. As Lockheed Martin announced yesterday, it received two contracts worth $218 million for the demonstration of the LRASM-A and LRASM-B concepts. The second phase of the programme aims at achieving successful flight demonstrations of tactically relevant prototypes of both missiles.

Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control Strike Weapons division received a $60.3 million contract for two air-launched demonstrations of the LRASM-A, which is largely based on the company’s experience with the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) airframe. Further, under a $157.7 million contract, the Missile and Fire Control Tactical Missiles division will demonstrate the LRASM-B prototype, comprising four Vertical Launch System (VLS) launches. According to DARPA, the LRASM-B leverages Lockheed Martin’s prior ramjet development activities and a suite of supporting sensors and avionics. It is expected to provide a “supersonic cruise missile with balanced speed and stealth for robust performance.”

Despite being matched with the VLS, used on the US Navy’s destroyers and cruisers to launch state-of-the-art surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles (SAM/SSM), both missile solutions are also designed to be launched by aircraft. Thus, it will replace the air-launched Harpoon variant (AGM-84), which is deployed by various fixed-wing aircraft in the US inventory. 

BAE Systems will provide a common sensor system for all missile variants. In addition to multiple sensors, allowing the missile to autonomously select targets even in a cluttered sea lane and in a GPS-denied environment, AviationWeek predicts that the core of the sensor suite will be based on passive radio-frequency technology.

Rick Edwards, vice president of Tactical Missiles and Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, explained: “Both of our LRASM solutions will deliver extraordinary range, willful penetration of ship self-defense systems and precise lethality in denied combat environments.”

“The maturity of these weapons and technologies allows near-term transition to Navy magazines at an affordable price. These are low risk, practical options with the Navy initiating studies of anti-surface warfare capability,” Edwards continued.

A CHALLENGING UNDERTAKING – TIME, CAPABILITIES, TECHNOLOGY

As its current anti-ship capabilities are limited in the face of today’s potential conventional threats, the Navy is anxious to introduce its next-generation anti-ship missile system as soon as possible. As yet, this is expected to be achieved as early as 2013. However, many challenges remain before a truly operational system will be available.

The Navy made high demands with regard to the systems’ capabilities. Currently deployed systems require a considerable amount of planning, as well as reliable data and precision guidance, to successfully strike their targets. Thus, the Navy needs a solution that allows its vessels to engage targets well outside their striking range while also providing a significantly increased flexibility and independence. 

When the programme was initiated in 2009, Rob McHenry, programme manager in DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office, summarised the requirements as follows: “Once the missile flies that far, it has a requirement to be able to independently detect and validate the target that it was shot at. Once it finds that target, then it has to be able to penetrate the air defenses. The standard of maritime integrated air defenses has risen dramatically over the past few years.”

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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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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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