Thursday, December 31, 2015

China's second aircraft carrier "Type 001A" confirmed

No rumor this time, just an actual confirmation by the Defense Ministry


http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-12/31/c_134968258.htm

China building second aircraft carrier
English.news.cn   2015-12-31 17:17:39     [More]

BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- China is designing and building its second aircraft carrier "completely on its own" in Dalian in northeastern Liaoning Province, a Defense Ministry spokesperson confirmed Thursday.

This carrier, with a displacement of 50,000 tonnes, will be a base for J-15 fighters and other types of aircraft, Yang Yujun told a monthly press briefing.

Fixed-wing aircraft on the carrier will use a ski-jump to take off, he said.

The design and building of this second aircraft carrier has been based on experience, research and training on the first carrier, the Liaoning, he added.

China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, is a refitted Russian-made carrier delivered to the Chinese Navy on Sept. 25, 2012.

That said, for those who are following activities of the Chinese shipyards, this should comes as no surprise. really.  There are plenty of photos around the net verifying this construction project.







Tuesday, December 29, 2015

South Sea Fleet commissions three support ships in a single day.





BEIJING, Dec. 28 (ChinaMil) -- The South China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy has embraced three new vessels. A ceremony marking the beginning of military service of the three vessels, the supply ship Luguhu, the electronic reconnaissance ship Neptune and the pelagic survey vessel Qian Xuesen was held at a naval port in the South China Sea on Saturday.

These three vessels are all independently designed and built by China.

The biggest differences between the Type 904B supply ship Luguhu (Hull No. 962) and its predecessor Type 904A supply ship Fuxianhu are that, instead of the portal frame type platform, which is specific to the comprehensive supply ship, on the supply ship Luguhu, there are two davits mounted on each side in the middle section of the ship and a hangar which enhances the vertical replenishment capacity.

The ship is designed to provide material supply for the troops stationed in the Nansha islands, and undertake such tasks as providing supply for a ship formation and maritime medical aid at a certain degree.

The Type 815G electronic reconnaissance ship Neptune (Hull No. 852) is able to conduct continuous all-weather reconnaissance of various targets within a certain range.

The Qian Xuesen (Hull No. 873) is the third ship of the Type 636A pelagic survey vessel family. It mainly conducts survey of oceans and reefs, marine meteorology observation and layout of hydrometeorological buoys to provide basic data to guarantee navigation safety and carry out marine scientific research.

The sound attenuation is the most remarkable performance of the survey vessel, which is even more excellent than that of the Russian Kilo-class submarines known as the “ocean black hole” in the world.


Supply ship Luguhu
  Electronic reconnaissance ship Neptune.
  Type 636A pelagic survey vessel Qian Xuesen








Tuesday, July 14, 2015

PLAN Commission of the day: 961 Junshanhu, a new 904B Replenishment tanker







Sunday, October 18, 2015

Photos of the day: PLAN's three new fleet replenishment ships got their pennant numbers

They are 960, 961 and 962







And the honor of being the operational J-10B unit goes to

The 2nd PLAAF Air Division at Shanghai.  Yet another Chinese internet rumor confirmed.  Now a new rumor suggests that the PLAAF has the intention to order 150 copies. Lets wait and see.



Wednesday, January 07, 2015


Photo of the day: 1st batch of 14 J-10Bs in PLAAF color and ready for photo op

All 14 of them



Friday, April 04, 2014


Photo of the day: J-10B production-variants number 10

 J-10B production-variants number 10 spotted. that is the production rate of 10 copies in 4 and half months so far.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

New Law Allows PLA to Undertake Counterterror Missions Overseas



China's new counter-terrorism law has made it legal for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to participate in counterterror missions overseas.
The PLA and the country's armed police forces may carry out such operations with the approval from the Central Military Commission, says the law adopted by top legislature on Sunday.
Public security and national security authorities may also send personnel overseas for counter-terrorism missions, with the approval from the State Council and agreements from concerned countries.
The law also stipulates that related departments, authorized by the State Council, may collaborate with overseas governments and international organizations in holding policy dialogues, communicating on intelligence information, enforcing the law and regulating international capitals.
The new law comes at a delicate time for China and for the world at large - terror attacks in Paris, the bombing of a Russian passenger jet over Egypt, and the brutal killings of hostages committed by the notorious Islamic State (IS) extremist group are alerting the world about an ever-growing threat of terrorism.
It will provide legal support to the country's counter-terrorism activities as well as collaboration with the international society, said An Weixing, an official with the public security ministry, at Sunday's press conference.








Saturday, December 26, 2015

Fist production J-20 is here!

The initial operational date for the J-20 is estimated at 2018. Now, with this production copy "2101" emerging out of the thick Chinese smog,  perhaps we should revisit the 2018 date.







Friday, December 25, 2015

Video of the day: Admiral Wu Shengli inspects his prized possession

No fancy music this time around, just day-to-day operations running an aircraft carrier.






Note that some of the J-15s are loaded with AAM

PLAN commission of the day: Fourth Type 071 LPD Yimeng Shan 988

South Sea Fleet's 6th Landing Ship Flotilla has the first three Type 071 LPDs, it is reasonable to expect 988 Yimeng Shan to form a new 3-LPD squadron with the East Sea Fleet.






Tuesday, December 22, 2015

PLAN Commission of the day: PLAN's second Zubr LCAC

The second PLAN Zubr LCAC 3326 commissioned yesterday in Guangzhou, there is also a third Zubr under construction at the same HuangPu shipyard





Saturday, March 22, 2014

Second Domestic-made Zubr LCAC spotted at Guangzhou's HuangPu shipyard.

With the second Ukrainian  Russian Zubr on its way home from Crimea and the second domestic-made under construction, the PLAN will soon has four European bisons under its command.



The Zubr deal has been finalized.


The last update on the Zubr deal transpired in April 2010 (here). after a prolonged negotiation, the deal seems to have finalized.


Blueprints are to be handed over to the Chinese side under the project, according to some sources
Expect a Chinese export variant coming to a trade-show soon.

(Thanks dylan for the news)

KYIV. July 1 (Interfax-AVN) - The implementation of a contract to build high-speed hovercrafts of the Zubr-type for China at the Morye shipyard in Feodosia will start in September, Prime Minister of Crimea Vasyl Dzharty said.

"The construction of the first two hovercrafts will begin in September," Dzharty said at the shipyard.

Crimea and Ukraine continue looking for new orders for Feodosia shipyards, he said.

"I think orders will come from Russia and from Ukraine," he added.

Earlier reports said that a $350 million contract for the construction of four high-speed amphibious hovercrafts of the Zubr-type for China was concluded by Ukrainian arms trader Ukrspetsexport in 2009.

Two were to be built in Ukraine and two in China with Ukrainian experts' participation. Blueprints are to be handed over to the Chinese side under the project, according to some sources.

Ukraine, Russia and Greece signed a trilateral contract in January 2000 for the delivery of four similar hovercrafts to Greece - two by Ukraine and two by Russia, worth a total of about $200 million. The contract with Ukraine was worth about $97 million and with Russia some $101 million.

The high-speed amphibious hovercraft of the Zubr-type is capable of carrying 150 tons of cargo, including up to three medium tanks, or 500 Marines. The hovercraft can develop a speed of over 60 knots (about 120 kilometers per hour) on land, water and ice. It can tackle obstacles of up to 1.5 meters high. Zubr has five 5 hp gas turbines.







Monday, March 03, 2014


Slow boat to China from Crimea

The 2nd Ukrainian Zubr LCAC purchased by the China Navy has left port of Feodosiya and on its way to China.

All is well in Crimea.





Caught in the middle of a crossfire

Currently there are a total of 434 PLA UN peacekeepers being deployed to Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).  Now with Israel and Hezbollah going at it again, there is really nothing they could do but wait it out. 

Life of a UN blue helmet, right?





Sunday, December 20, 2015

Red vs Blue, the PLNA edition.

A simulated exchange of anti-ship missiles and aircraft-launched cruise missiles ensued, and the red side flagship, the destroyer CNS Lanzhou, was paralyzed in the attack.



PLA Navy tests readiness in S. China Sea
Source: China DailyEditor: Zhang Tao
2015-12-19 15:560

Three-fleet drill is second in 30 days to hone maritime combat capabilities

The People's Liberation Army Navy conducted a massive combat exercise on Wednesday in the South China Sea, mobilizing forces from each of its three fleets, the Navy said on Friday.

Guided missile destroyers, frigates, submarines, early-warning aircraft and fighter jets from the Navy's North Sea, East Sea and South Sea fleets participated in the simulation of modern sea warfare, according to a Navy statement.

The drill headquarters did not release information to the two sides to achieve an element of surprise like that in real warfare situation, said the statement.

First, the red side dispatched early-warning aircraft and ships to locate the blue side's forces. That attempt was thwarted when the blue side jammed the early-warning aircraft.

A simulated exchange of anti-ship missiles and aircraft-launched cruise missiles ensued, and the red side flagship, the destroyer CNS Lanzhou, was paralyzed in the attack.

The red side then launched a joint submarine, ship and aircraft strike, inflicting huge losses on the blue side right before the end of the drill was announced.

Rear Admiral Li Xiaoyan, deputy chief of staff of the South Sea Fleet, and the red side leader, said that he thought the exercise would end quickly but it was prolonged by unanticipated events, and thus closely represented actual naval warfare.

Such drills can improve the Navy's combat readiness and operational capabilities, he said.

A military expert from the PLA who wished to remain anonymous told China Daily that the Navy has requested that all of its drills be performed in a realistic manner and that its units test their combat capabilities through joint operations.

"You can see that the Navy is including information and electronic warfare scenarios in every exercise it has made in recent years, indicating it pays great attention to building a strong information capability," he said. "Moreover, the Navy is striving to improve its ability to integrate and coordinate various types of naval weaponry, which is why it always emphasizes joint operations in drills."

This was the PLA Navy's second large joint exercise over the past 30 days. In mid-November, it deployed combat ships and submarines from the three fleets in a counter-submarine drill in South China Sea.

The PLA is now in the initial stage of an unprecedented overhaul ordered by President Xi Jinping that will streamline the military command chain and structure and is intended to improve combat capability.

One major facet of the reform that was published in late November is that the number of noncombatant PLA personnel will be reduced. Han Hong, a former PLA Air Force senior colonel and deputy head of the Air Force's stunt team, announced this month that she had resigned from the military and appeared publicly on Wednesday as the CEO of a newly established entertainment program production company.