Monday, December 31, 2012

Type 052D hull number 2 launched in Shanghui

It was rumored that Type 052D  DDG  hull 2 was launched last week -- here are photos confirming it.





In the meanwhile,  the building work for fourth and fifth  hulls of Type 052C was coming along nicely, they should be ready for sea trials soon.



Photo of the day: Y-8GX6 (Y-8Q) ASW Aircraft (High New 6)

All of a sudden, really, really big chin is back in fashion.




Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Y-8GX6 Patrol/ASW Aircraft, the Chinese P-3C Surfaced.

Not one but a pair.


Note the weapon bay




Saturday, December 29, 2012

Just walk the Earth, like Caine in Kung Fu

Old habit is hard to break -- despite all those talks about mechanization, the PLA still prize their tradition of being man-portable (leg mobility).  The fact that all their crew service equipments can be broken down to pieces and carried on soldiers’ backs is very telling. 



It will not break China’s bank, if the CMC is to provide their "Marius' Mules" with a few decent pairs of boots, for Mao's sake. 















Thursday, December 27, 2012

It is offical, Y-20 it is.

China confirms it's developing large transport aircraft

(Source: Xinhua)   2012-12-28

  BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- China is developing Y-20 large transport aircraft to meet its military modernization drive, a Ministry of Defense spokesman said Thursday.

  "We are developing large transport aircraft on our own to improve the capability of air transport," spokesman Yang Yujun said at a monthly news briefing held days after photos of a Y-20 appeared online.

  The advanced long-range carrier is being developed to serve the military modernization drive, as well as to meet demands in disaster relief work and humanitarian aid in emergency situations, he added.

  The spokesman did not say when the Y-20s will be fitted out in force, only saying "the research and development of the large transport aircraft is going forward as planned."

  There will be a series of steps before the carriers are fitted out, "as the technology is complicated," he added.

Editor:Zhang Tao






China’s first 3D surveying and mapping satellite starts networking operation

China’s first 3D surveying and mapping satellite starts networking operation

(Source: China Military Online)   2012-12-27

  China’s first transmission-type three-dimensional surveying and mapping satellite, Space Mapping-I system, formally started the networking operation recently, according to the Space Mapping Satellite Application Management Center recently. This was another breakthrough after China’s successful launching of the No. 01 Satellite of the transmission-type three-dimensional surveying and mapping satellite, Space Mapping-I system, on August 24, 2010.

  The No. 01 and No. 02 Satellites of the Space Mapping-I system, China’s first satellites to achieve networking operation, can greatly improve the surveying and mapping efficiency and geometric control capability, accelerate the image-capturing speed in the target areas after seamless splicing of the images captured by the two satellites, and enhance information timeliness.

  It is a major breakthrough in China's aerospace field and boasts the milestone significance in the development of China’s surveying and mapping cause. It marks that China’s has fully mastered the key technology of the transmission-type three-dimensional surveying and mapping satellite.

  According to a person in charge of the center, the Space Mapping-I satellites are China’s first domestic new-generation transmission-type 3D surveying and mapping satellites with completely self-owned property rights.

  The Space Mapping-I satellite system has currently produced various types of satellite imaging products and geographic information products, and provided imaging as well as surveying and mapping support for tens of government bodies and institutions including the China Resources Satellite Center, the Ministry of Land and Resources and the State Forestry Administration, playing important role in the national economic construction.

  It is learned that China will continue to launch space mapping series satellites in the future so as to jointly constitute a complete aerospace surveying and mapping system together with the Space Mapping-I system and form a space-to-ground detection network with all-weather, all-time, all-factor and multi-resolution functions.

  By Yin Ming and Li Xiaoyan

Editor:Li Meng

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

9th PLA LH Brigade, 39th Group Army, Shanyang MR, the fourth confirmed Z-10 operator

The fourth Z-10 equipped PLA LH Brigade is confirmed by today's (12/26/2012) report.  In a rather short period, the PLA now boost 48 known Z-10s in 4 attack squadrons of 12 birds each in four different LH brigades. 





Here are some clear photos of the Z-10 attack squadron, 6th LH  Brigade, 42nd Group Army, Guangzhou MR.






Saturday, November 10, 2012

Zhuhai Suprise: Z-10 of the 6th LH Brigade.

Two Z-10s have just arrived at the 2012 Zhuhui airshow representing the PLA Army Aviation and they are from the 6th LH Brigade (LH96101 and LH96102) of the 42nd Group Army near by.   This revelation marks the 6th LH as the third Z-10 equipped LH units in service.













Tuesday, October 02, 2012


2nd Z-10 equipped Army Aviation Unit.

Judging from the recent PLA Daily articles and internet photo "releases", the 8th LH brigade of the 38th Group Army, Beijing MR has become the 2nd LH unit armed with the latest Z-10 attach choppers (6th squadron).   It is interesting to note that the 8th is also home to the Z-19 light attack helicopter (5th squadron).

After two years of service with the 5th LH brigade, it is clear that the CMC is now ready to expand its Z-10 footprint



This Z-10 is obviously at Baoding (8 Army Avn Bde), where 12 large hangars (for MI-17) and 9 small hangars (for Z-10), all camouflage and with round roofs, have been built by 2011. They seem to be also constructing 8 large hangars (for Z-8?).

There are also round hangars at Sanshui-Daliao (6 Army Avn Bde), but they are not camouflaged and are in two consecutive rows of 10, not separated like those at Baoding.

Since Z-8 and Z-10 appear to go together, perhaps we should expect the next Z-10 squadron to be formed in 26 GA 7 Army Avn Regt (Bde?).

--  franco-russe

Z-10 in BJ MR as reported by the PLA Daily

http://www.chinamil.com.cn/jfjbmap/content/2012-09/08/content_14139.htm

8月下旬,塞北某综合训练基地,北京军区某装甲团与航空兵、防空兵开展协同作战演练。图为装甲兵召唤航空兵提供火力支援
李东现摄 




Sunday, December 12, 2010


WZ-10 of the PLA 5th LH Regiment

It seems there are at least 8 of them already in service.