Armée Chinoise / People's Liberation Army (PLA)

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Wolf 4x4 light armoured vehicle personnel carrier Datasheet

ça a des relents de top gun.............
Mais c'est bien filmer et monter faut reconnaitre........

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Swedish firm sells UAVs to Chinese coast guard




Swedish firm CybAero recently sold a number of its APID 60 helicopter UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to the Chinese coast guard, which plans to use the unmanned aerial vehicle aboard customs vessels to combat smuggling, reports the Washington-based Strategy Page on Apr. 18.
Designed as a 180-kilogram unmanned helicopter, the APID 60 is capable of carrying a 75-kilogram payload for up to six hours per sortie. It has a max speed of 150 kilometers per hour, and a max altitude of 3,000 meters. The APID 60 can also be operated up to 200 kilometers from the control station on a ship or land, and costs more than 75% less than a manned helicopter to operate, the report said, adding that it is just as effective for reconnaissance.
China has designed its own helicopter UAVs such as the Z-5, according to the report, but the quality and performance of these drones cannot match the APID 60. The Z-5 designed in 2011 is a 437-kilogram drone that can only carry a payload of up to 100-kilograms for three hours. In addition, the Z-5 can only be operated 100 kilometers away from a control station.
Unlike most helicopter UAVs, the APID 60 was built from an original design instead of taking an existing small-size helicopter and turning it into a drone. The APID 60 can be seen as an upgrade version of the APID 55, which was designed for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Strategy Page said.
The UAE continues to manufacture the APID 55 under license and exports it to other nations for coast patrol missions.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20140420000107&cid=1101

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China Has Begun Listening for American Submarines

https://medium.com/war-is-boring/448f7e04bbe1

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China's President Xi urges greater military use of space

http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_15/Chinas-President-Xi-urges-greater-military-use-of-space-5486/

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China's aircraft carrier Liaoning will undergo its first interim maintenance



(People's Daily Online) 09:13, April 24, 2014
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China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning (file photo)

China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, returned to Dalian Shipyard dock to undergo its first interim service on April, 17, 2014.

Experts predicted that the service will last for six months; comprehensive overhaul and maintenance will be conducted on the power, weapons, and other systems. Complex weapon systems require regular maintenance, and aircraft personnel also need to be trained and rest to maintain combat effectiveness.

The Liaoning formally entered into service with the Chinese navy in September 2012. Prior to this, ten sea trials had been conducted. In August 2013 the Liaoning returned to Dalian port to resolve problems identified during test sailings and pilot training. However, this time the maintenance work will include the replacement of certain large parts.

The Liaoning did not take part in the multinational joint maritime exercise held yesterday in Qingdao.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn

Défilé impeccable de femmes soldats chinoises :

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PLA may build 3 more carriers amid territorial disputes: Kanwa


The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy may build three Liaoning-class aircraft carriers to prepare for a potential conflict with Japan in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Canada-based Kanwa Defense Review operated by Andrei Chang, also known as Pinkov.

Light aircraft carriers such as the Liaoning and Japan's Izumo have become vital for the PLA Navy and Japan Maritme Self-Defense Force amid territorial disputes between the two countries, the article said. It added that Japan may become an even greater threat to China if the country successfully introduces a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship from the United States and deploys its F-35B fighters with vertical take-off and landing ability aboard the ship.

To face Japan in a potential combat situation, the PLA Navy needs to construct at least three aircraft carriers based on the Liaoning — which was refitted from the Soviet-era carrier Varyag purchased from Ukraine Kanwa said.

Meanwhile, if Japan is unable to purchase the Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship, the Izumo alone can carry at least 24 F-38B fighters after the vessel's fuel supply facility is removed, while Tokyo will likely choose to purchase cheaper but older AV-8 fighters.

Japan's F-35B fighter is designed mostly for surface attack missions and it is thus unable to compete against China's J-15 carrier-based fighters. But neither China nor Japan is likely to deploy aircraft carriers against each other over a narrow battlefield like the disputed East China Sea, Kanwa said, adding that if the local conflict escalated into a full scale war, it would be up to the United States to decide whether or not to fight for Japan.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com

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Putin gives green light to sale of S-400 missile system to China



Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has given a green light to sell the country's newest S-400 air defense guided missile system to China, which Russian media claim will give Beijing an edge in the airspace of the Taiwan Strait and over islands in the East China Sea at the center of a dispute with Japan, reports the military news website of Huanqiu.com, the Chinese-language website of China's Global Times.

Beijing has been interested in acquiring the guided missile system since 2011. Two years ago, Russia talked with several countries interested in buying the system but was forced to suspend negotiations in order to ensure its supply to the Russian military, the general manager of a Russian national defense export company told Russian newspaper Kommersant in January this year. Export sales of the system may not begin until 2016.

Talk of a potential deal with China drew concerns from Russian security officials who worried that it may not only affect the supply of the system to Russia's own military but also that China could back-engineer the technology to produce its own systems. The system's manufacturer Almaz-Antei has eased the former concerns by delivering the first batch of the system. Moscow also announced a plan in January to build three new plants for the contractor in order to build more air defense and anti-guided missile systems. An intellectual property rights agreement that China and Russia signed with regard to the arms trade has also come into effect.

Though in what volume China wishes to acquire the S-400 system is unclear, Kommersant's source said China wants enough systems to equip two to four battalions. The People's Liberation Army has already obtained an air defense guided missile system and another command system from Russian and deployed them in the defense of Beijing and Shanghai, according to the paper, which estimated that the country would be able to control the airspace over Taiwan and the disputed Diaoyutai islands (Diaoyu to China, Senkaku to Japan).

http://www.wantchinatimes.com

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China to bring 4 ships to RIMPAC naval exercise


HONOLULU — China plans to bring four ships to Hawaii this summer as its vessels participate in the world’s largest naval exercises for the first time.
China is expected to bring the Peace Ark, a navy hospital ship, as well as an oiler, a frigate and a destroyer, said Lt. Lenaya Rotklein, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Third Fleet, which is organizing the Rim of the Pacific exercises.
The drills are scheduled to begin on June 26 and last through Aug. 1.
The U.S. hosts the exercises, which are also known as RIMPAC, every other year. They began in 1971 and have since grown to become the world’s largest maritime exercises.
Twenty-three countries are expected to participate this year, including Canada, India, Japan and South Korea.
The Peace Ark will participate in medical exchanges with other participants, Rotklein said. The oiler, the frigate and the destroyer are expected to join a maritime interdiction operations task force.
The scenario for the exercise involves four fictitious countries — one of which is an aggressor — in an island region, she said.
Most of the drills will take place in and around the Hawaiian Islands. As in 2012, a small part of it will take place off Southern California, Rotklein said.
China sent military observers to watch the drills in 1998, but it has never sent ships before.
Chinese and U.S. naval vessels have only rarely exercised together in the past. Last year, China sent a guided missile cruiser, a frigate and a supply ship to Hawaii for a search-and-rescue exercise with the U.S.
The U.S. values such opportunities in part so the Navy and China’s fast-growing naval forces will learn to understand each other better and avert misunderstandings.
Last December, a U.S. Navy cruiser, the USS Cowpens, nearly collided with a ship accompanying China’s sole aircraft carrier in international waters of the South China Sea. The U.S. Navy said the Cowpens maneuvered to avoid crashing into the Chinese ship, in the two nations’ most serious sea confrontation in years.
Earlier this month, the U.S., China and two dozen Asia-Pacific nations adopted an agreement to improve communication at sea to reduce the possibility of incidents like that one and misunderstandings that could lead to conflict in the heavily trafficked sea lanes surrounding China, Japan and Southeast Asia.

http://www.navytimes.com/article/20140429/NEWS08/304290074

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Chine dévoile son nouveau sous-marin d'attaque de type 039B


Récemment, des photos d'un sous-marin de type 039B amélioré nouvellement construit par la Chine ont refait surface sur Internet, suscitant l'intérêt du fait de ce qui semble être des changements significatifs de la forme et de l'apparence du kiosque du bâtiment (communément connu aussi sous le nom de poste de commandement ou tour du sous-marin ; c'est la superstructure du navire). A en juger par ces photos récentes, trois mystérieuses lignes blanches sont apparues sur le haut du kiosque, baptisées de manière imagée par les internautes du nom de « trois barres ».


http://french.peopledaily.com.cn/Chine/8617461.html

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Le porte-avions Liaoning en cale sèche à Dalian pour entretien

http://french.peopledaily.com.cn/Chine/8618502.html

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EU firms help power China’s military rise

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/money/article/eu-firms-help-power-chinas-military-rise

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Chinese banks encouraged to foster ties with defence industry

http://www.janes.com/article/37611/chinese-banks-encouraged-to-foster-ties-with-defence-industry

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Chinese, Vietnamese coastguards square off as oil rig dispute escalates

http://www.janes.com/article/37579/chinese-vietnamese-coastguards-square-off-as-oil-rig-dispute-escalates

A Chinese Coast Guard vessel directs a water cannon at a VCG vessel on 5 May in the South China Sea. Source: Vietnam Coast Guard   

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PLA's new destroyer could bring down F-35 stealth fighter

The US fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter can be detected by the radar system installed aboard the People's Liberation Army Navy's new Type 052D destroyers, according to the Moscow-based Voice of Russia, citing military experts.

Vladimir Evseev, director of the Moscow-based Center for Social and Political Studies, told the Russian broadcaster that details of China's radar project, including the amount spent on its development, remain unknown, however it is a great leap forward in regards to the nation's military modernization program.

China has encountered a lot of obstacles in its attempts to develop its own radar system, but it has managed to overcome these issues with Russian help, Voice of Russia said, citing Konstantin Sivkov, director of the Russian Academy for Geopolitical Issues.

Sivkov said that the most crucial part of China's success is that the PLA Navy finally knows how to handle active electronically scanned array radar systems. With this technology, Chinese destroyers are able to track and shoot down F-35 fighters from a distance of 350 kilometers.

Meanwhile, Pavel Zolotaryov, deputy head of Institute for USA and Canada Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that the Chinese warship not only has the ability to locate the US stealth fighter but can also deploy countermeasures against the fighter's electronic interference capability.

The new system will gradually increase the combat capability of the PLA Navy in Western Pacific region, Voice of Russia said.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com

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China’s Cruise Missiles: Flying Fast Under the Public’s Radar



The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) numerous, increasingly advanced cruise missiles have attracted far less attention than its ballistic missiles—yet their impact on regional security, deterrence, and potential military operations may be similar in magnitude. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy has limited itself severely in both the type and quantity of its own anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs). It is therefore simply amazing that such a formidable set of weapons has generated so little open source analysis; indeed that may be precisely part of its appeal for China. This article attempts to rectify this surprising foreign neglect by surveying PRC cruise missile programs and their implications for broader People’s Liberation Army (PLA) capabilities, especially in a Taiwan scenario—although they can also have significant impact elsewhere on China’s increasingly contested maritime periphery.

China’s military modernization is focused on building modern ground, naval, air, and missile forces capable of fighting and winning local wars under “informatized conditions.” The principal planning scenario is a military campaign against Taiwan, which would require the PLA to deter or defeat an intervention by the United States. The PLA has sought to acquire asymmetric “assassin’s mace” technologies and systems to overcome a technologically and numerically superior adversary and couple them to the command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems necessary for swift and precise execution of short-duration, high-intensity wards. A key element of the PLA’s investment in anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities is the development and deployment of large numbers of highly accurate anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) and land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs) on a wide range of ground, air, and naval platforms. Chinese sources assert that LACMs enable the PLA to reach targets as far as away as Guam, Darwin, and Diego Garcia. China’s growing arsenal of cruise missiles and the delivery platforms and C4ISR systems necessary to employ them pose a pressing defense challenge, and to a lesser degree a nonproliferation challenge, for the United States and its regional partners. This is part of a larger challenge: as the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) emphasizes, “Growing numbers of accurate conventional ballistic and cruise missile threats represent an additional, cost-imposing challenge to U.S. and partner naval forces and land installations.”
Special Characteristics

Cruise missiles are versatile military tools due to their potential use for precision conventional strike missions and the wide range of employment options. Modern cruise missiles offer land, naval, and air launch options, allowing a “two-stage” form of delivery that extends a missile’s already substantial range. They may also be placed in canisters for extended deployments in harsh environments. Because cruise missiles are compact and have limited support requirements, ground-based platforms can be highly mobile, contributing to prelaunch survivability. Moreover, cruise missiles need only rudimentary launch-pad stability, enabling shoot-and-scoot tactics. Some potential combination of supersonic speed, small radar signature, and earth-hugging flight profiles can enable cruise missiles to stress naval and ground-based air defense systems as well as airborne surveillance and tracking radars, increasing the likelihood that they will successfully penetrate defenses. Employed in salvos, perhaps in tandem with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles could saturate defenses with large numbers arriving at a specific target in a short time. Optimal employment of cruise missiles requires accurate and timely intelligence; survivable delivery platforms; mission planning and command, control, and communications systems; and the accurate means of damage assessment.

Understandably, Chinese analysts pay close attention to global and regional development and deployment of cruise missiles, especially in countries such as the United States. A recent assessment notes that due to sequestration, the Pentagon postponed R&D and procurement of new-generation of cruise missiles; instead, modification and upgrading of existing systems will enhance their capabilities and therefore help the U.S. maintain global dominance. A recent RAND report proposing, perhaps optimistically, that the U.S. deploy anti-ship cruise missiles in key Western Pacific choke points and maximize A2/AD capabilities with allies to confine the PLAN within the first island chain

http://nationalinterest.org

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Le Type-055, premier croiseur chinois ?


Le renseignement naval américain a laissé « fuiter » des informations sur le futur Type-055, qui n’est cette fois plus considéré comme un destroyer mais bien comme un croiseur. Une structure de simulation au sol est ainsi en construction.
De son observation, les analystes estiment qu’il aurait un déplacement supérieur à 10 000 tonnes, soit dans la gamme des 12 000 tonnes, et une longueur de 175 m pour 21 m de largeur. Il serait ainsi plus massif que les Atago japonais et les Sejongdaewang sud-coréens.
Surtout, le navire serait équipé de 128 cellules de lancement verticales identiques à celles des destroyers Type-052D et qui permettent de mettre effectivement en œuvre une combinaison de missiles – ce qui n’était pas possibles sur les Type-052C – et qui en feraient de bonnes plateformes de lutte antinavires, peut-être même les plus puissantes au monde, hors porte-avions.
Il conserverait le canon de 130 mm équipant les Type-052D et pourrait embarquer jusque deux hélicoptères. Le navire, qui serait doté d’un radar 3D à antennes planes Type-346A, verrait également une intégration de ses capteurs dans un mât unique.

http://www.dsi-presse.com/?p=6771

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China's Anti-Submarine Warfare Challenge


Is China beginning to take anti-submarine warfare seriously? As much as anything else, this would confirm that the PLAN is shifting its focus to developing an overseas expeditionary capability.

Anti-submarine warfare in the twentieth century involved two related but distinct efforts: fleet defense and commerce defense. Fleet defense concentrates on the protection of capital ships from subs, and commerce defense on the protection of merchant shipping. The United States and the United Kingdom invented and perfected the commerce defense aspect anti-submarine warfare during the First and Second World Wars, developing methods of managing air, sea, and intelligence assets to bring shooters together with “see-ers.” However, they also worked (perhaps even more successfully) on the fleet defense aspect. No Allied dreadnoughts were lost to submarine attack during the First World War, despite the best German efforts.

The European Axis had less use for commerce-protection, but did relatively well with respect to fleet protection. German ships left port rarely, only occasionally coming within range of Allied subs. British submarines in the Mediterranean had some success against the Italians, but the density of air coverage made a sustained campaign difficult. On the other hand, Japanese ASW was disastrous in World War II, on both the fleet and commerce protection sides. Poor air-naval coordination and the lack of dedicated escorts doomed the Japanese merchant fleet in the face of a concerted American campaign. But the fleet also suffered badly, losing a battleship, several aircraft carriers, and numerous smaller ships to submarine attack.

The relevance of ASW, thus, depends on a certain degree of fleet maturity. Surface fleets that don’t expect to engage in high seas combat, or to venture beyond protected coastal sanctuaries, need not concentrate on ASW to the same degree as their larger counterparts. But fleets that expect to act in an expeditionary fashion need to develop some form of ASW protection.

The Soviet Navy discovered this problem in the 1960s, as it grew from a coastal defense force into one of the world’s largest flotillas. In the mid 1960s, it became apparent that the ever-more-widely ranging Soviet task forces had virtually no defense from NATO submarines. This determination resulted in the construction of the Kresta II and Kara class anti-submarine cruisers, as well as the Moskva helicopter cruisers and Victor nuclear attack subs.

As long as the PLAN focused on anti-access rather than expeditionary deployments, it didn’t need to overthink the ASW problem (although it did begin developing some platforms in the 1990s) But now China has big ships, and American, Japanese, Australian, and Vietnamese subs might want to try to sink them someday. Consequently, the PLAN now needs to focus on ASW, and to develop the tools necessary for defeating and deterring foreign subs. Over the past several years the PLAN has fielded several systems designed to do just this, including the Type 056 Corvette, and the Y-8 maritime patrol aircraft. Most recently, China has developed a system of fixed underwater acoustic sensors. However, most of these systems (including the relatively small Type 056) still depend on proximity to Chinese bases for effectiveness.

China’s next major maritime requirement may be a long-range surface warship specialized for ASW, like the Soviet missile cruisers of the 1960s or a variety of different USN ASW platforms. Otherwise, the PLAN may be too fearful of U.S. (not to mention Vietnamese) submarines to deploy its impressive carriers, cruisers, and amphibious warships very far from home. This is especially the case as submarine technology improves. Even the USN may struggle to develop means of finding the latest AIP equipped boats.

http://thediplomat.com

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Washington lance des poursuites contre des militaires chinois

http://www.7sur7.be/7s7/fr/1505/Monde/article/detail/1891497/2014/05/19/Washington-lance-des-poursuites-contre-des-militaires-chinois.dhtml

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China tests S-300PMU-2 missile

An air defense brigade of the People's Liberation Army in the Jinan Military Region test-fired its S-300PMU-2 surface-to-air missile introduced from Russia on May 2, according to our sister paper Want Daily.

China Military Online, the official website operated by the PLA, published a photo of the exercise taking place in the Bohai Sea region. Designed based on the S-300PMU-1, the S-300PMU-2 has a range of between three to 200 kilometers and is capable of intercepting targets at between 10 and 27,000 feet. The report indicates that the S-300PMU-2 has between an 80%-93% chance of intercepting enemy aircraft successfully. For enemy cruise missiles, it has a success rate of between 80%-98%.

During the exercise that took place on May 2, two missiles were launched according to China Military Online. Eventually, both missiles hit their targets. The missiles can be launched from mobile launchers, which means it only takes five minutes for the S-300PMU-2 to be readied for combat. The time it takes for the missile to launch is between five and 12 seconds.

The S-300PMU air defense missiles were first introduced into China in 1993. In March 2010, China signed a contract to purchase the last batch of S-300PMUs from Russia. Between 2007 and 2009, Russia has supplied enough S-300PMUs to equip 15 Chinese air defense brigades. The missiles are used to defend major cities including Beijing, Dalian and Shanghai from potential air attacks. One special characteristic of the S-300PMU missile is that it is capable of intercepting targets at low altitude.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com

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PLA ballistic missile submarines spotted off Hainan



Three Chinese ballistic missile submarines have been seen spotted near the waters off China's southern island province of Hainan, according to the Canada-based Kanwa Defense Review operated by Andrei Chang also known as Pinkov, a military analyst.

According to Kanwa, satellite photos available online show three submarines that seem to be shorter than the ordinary Type 094 Jin-class ballistic missile submarine. With the capability to carry 12 JL-2 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), the three submarines are either the modified version of Type 094s or Type 096 Tang-class ballistic missile submarines. It indicates however that China is building more nuclear-powered strategic submarines, Kanwa said.

Hainan is the forward base for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy to deploy its warships into the disputed South China Sea, and this may explain the three ballistic missile submarines in the region. In addition, the deep waters of the South China Sea provide Chinese nuclear-powered strategic submarines with the perfect cover to avoid the detection of US aircraft, warships and satellites.

With three nuclear-powered strategic submarines, China is capable of launching at least 36 ICBMs, according to Kanwa, adding that the PLA Navy is in fact building up its second strike capability. Meanwhile, satellite photos also indicate that the country's Type 092 Xia-class submarine remains in port and may likely be replaced by the Type 094 submarine in the near future.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com

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China’s Air Force Boosts Tech by Buying European Companies

China just came a step closer in its bid to challenge U.S. airpower. On May 19, Guangdong Elecpro Electric Appliance Holding, a Chinese firm, announced plans to acquire two European aerospace companies.

One company, the Swiss-based Mistral Engines SA, manufactures engines for light aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned military vehicles (often called “drones”). The second company, Germany’s SkyTrac, develops helicopters with dual rotors.

Previous purchases include Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s (AVIC) acquisition of Austria’s Fischer Advanced Composite Components in 2009, and Germany’s Thielert Aircraft Engines in 2013, according to IHS Jane’s, a leading defense and security analysis company.

The acquisitions come amid a push by China to advance its aerospace programs and bridge the gap in military technical knowledge with the West, both for its civilian market and military systems.
Russian Deals

Aside from China advancing its aerospace development by buying European companies with established knowledge, the Chinese regime also got an extra push recently through its ties with Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin went to China on May 20 for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. On the first day of the two-day meeting, China and Russia announced 49 new agreements, ranging from programs to enhance political ties to plans for military cooperation.

Most of the attention fell on a $400 billion, 30-year gas supply deal, which Xi and Putin signed on May 21. What received less attention, however, were the joint aerospace projects, which had been a large focus in the Russian press leading up to the meetings.

Russia will provide China with a new helicopter based on its Mil Mi-26, which is a military and civilian heavy transport helicopter capable of carrying up to 82 fully armed soldiers.

Russia and China will also be developing a 400-seat, wide-body commercial airliner, which they plan to pit against Airbus and Boeing.
Hunger for Development

China has plenty of interest in developing its aerospace sector. According to a 2013 report from the U.K.’s Royal Aeronautical Society, “aerospace has been targeted as a primary means of raising China’s overall economic performance through climbing ‘the ladder of high-tech industrial economic value.’”

The military interest is even greater, however, particularly due to China’s territorial claims, which are causing military tensions with nearly all its neighbors.

Development has been slow, however. According to a report from the U.K.’s Royal Aeronautical Society, China’s State Council issued a policy guideline in 2011 detailing the poor progress and various challenges of its civilian aerospace programs.

China’s civilian aerospace programs are likewise closely connected with its military programs, and its air force has been subject to similar setbacks.

The People’s Liberation Army, China’s military, claims to have at least 1,321 fighter aircraft between its navy and air force. Kyle Mizokami, an expert on defense and security in Asia, noted on his “War is Boring” blog that the number of planes is just slightly fewer than those under the U.S. military.

The problem for China is that most of its planes are really old. Mizokami notes that only 502 of China’s fighter aircraft are modern, of which 296 are Su-27s from Russia and 206 are its own J-10s.

As for its other 819 fighters, they’re mostly from models designed in the 1960s and built in the 1970s. Mizokami notes, “They wouldn’t last long in a shooting war.”

Thus, China has been putting its focus on developing its next generation of fighter jets, the J-20, but development is also coming along slowly.

Aside from the fact that even China’s J-10 still relies on AL-31FN engines imported from Russia, and that the J-20 is a suspected knock-off of Russia’s defunct MiG-1.44, the estimated completion date for the J-20 isn’t until between 2017 and 2020. By 2020, the United States is expected to be well into developing a new generation of aircraft.

Thus, China has been turning outward to advance its aerospace industry—buying foreign companies where it can, signing partnerships elsewhere, and stealing designs through cyberespionage when the offers are refused

http://www.theepochtimes.com

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New Chinese 052D Destroyers, 3 In A Row At A Shipyard



Three Type 052D Luyang III guided missile destroyer (DDG), seen here in various stages of construction, are lined together at the Jiangnan Changxingdao Shipyard. The first Type 052D DDG, the Kunming, has already entered into PLAN service in March 2014. The second 052D, on the left, may enter service in the second half of 2014, while the two less completed destroyers to its right, will be commissioned in 2015. In service, the 052D destroyers’ likely missions could range from anti-piracy patrols to aircraft carrier escort to air defense for Chinese civilian activities like oil drilling rigs.




In the past decade, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has built up a formidable area air defense capability, with an eye on deterring attack by enemy carrier groups and anti-ship missiles. While the ship’s powerful Type 346A radars provides for an air defense role, the 052D's modular vertical launch systems also gives it powerful land attack and anti-submarine capabilities. In addition, the Type 0346A radar and other sensors give the 052D vast intelligence gathering capabilities, which is vital for anti-access/area denial operations.

It is expected that at least 12 052D destroyers will be built before production shifts to the projected Type 055D multi-role cruiser. The rapid production of the 052D is indicative of China's commitment to building a modern “blue water” navy. What is even more illustrative about China's determination is that the mass production of the 052D overlapped with the production run of the 6 less advanced 052C destroyers. The fact that the PLAN has chosen to rapidly produce both the 052C and 052D DDGs instead of waiting and concentrating on only one class of advanced warships demonstrates Chinese confidence in both its warship technology and the urgency to quickly develop multirole surface warships in the context of an Asian arms race.

http://www.popsci.com

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Details of China's type 039B submarine revealed: Kanwa


The details of China's Type 039B submarine, which is reportedly to be sold to Pakistan this year, have been revealed by the Canada-based Kanwa Information Center, reports Huanqiu, the website of China's nationalistic tabloid Global Times.

The Pakistani Navy has reportedly required that China install air-independent propulsion systems on the submarines it has chosen for the transfer of these related technologies in order to assemble the submarines in Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan.

China has called for tenders for its type S20P submarine, which is another version of the type 0369B submarine that the country builds to export. Pakistan hopes to obtain six type S20P submarines to obtain stronger underwater combat capabilities along with its three existing Agosta-class 90B submarines. Currently, China's PLA Navy has nine type 0369B submarines in service.

The type 0369B submarine is reportedly 66m long and 8.2m high, can dive as deep as 300 meters and has 1,850 tons of displacement above water and 2,200 tons underwater. Its maximum speed reaches 18 knots and it can propel up to 8,000 nautical miles at 16 knots. The double-hull submarine is highly automated and only requires 38 crew members.

The submarine is also equipped with an advanced seven-blade curved propeller and an X-shaped rudder. It carries Yingji 83 anti-ship missiles that have an attack range of 180 kilometers. The sonar and radar installed on the submarine are also state-of-the-art but their details have not been revealed.

Kanwa's report said the Pakistani Navy may ask China to integrate its cruise missile Babur, which can be launched underwater and has an attack range of 500 kilometers. The report also said the 039B submarines have been produced in Shanghai and Wuhan. The first of them is likely to be shipped to Pakistan while the remaining of them are to be assembled in the country.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com

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La Chine intensifie ses patrouilles aux larges des côtes

http://info-aviation.com/?p=16324

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Pékin nie sous-estimer son budget militaire, comme l'en accuse le Pentagone

Pékin, 6 juin 2014 (AFP) -

La Chine a catégoriquement rejeté vendredi des affirmations du Pentagone selon lesquelles elle sous-estimerait de près de 20% le montant de ses dépenses militaires.

Le ministère chinois de la Défense "rejette en bloc" le rapport annuel au Congrès du Pentagone, rendu public jeudi, a affirmé l'agence de presse Chine nouvelle.

Ce rapport "profère des accusations infondées en montant en épingle l'idée d'une menace militaire chinoise", a ajouté l'agence, en citant le bureau d'information du ministère.

Deuxième puissance militaire au monde après les Etats-Unis, la Chine a également le deuxième budget de défense le plus élevé de la planète, toutefois nettement inférieur à celui de Washington.

Officiellement de 119,5 milliards de dollars en 2013, le budget chinois de la Défense dépasse en réalité les 145 milliards de dollars, selon le département américain de la Défense.

Le budget américain de la défense américain s'est lui établi pour l'exercice budgétaire 2013 à 495,5 milliards de dollars, sans compter les 82 milliards budgétés pour la guerre en Afghanistan.

Selon le Pentagone et des experts occidentaux, les dépenses militaires réelles de Pékin dépassent toutefois largement le montant officiel et ce n'est pas la première fois que Pékin est accusé de minimiser la réalité.

Le budget militaire de la Chine a ces dernières années augmenté à un rythme nettement plus élevé que son PIB.

La Chine se dote en effet d'armements de plus en plus sophistiqués et travaille sur des programmes emblématiques, comme la construction d'au moins un deuxième porte-avions, d'avions de chasse furtifs ou de missiles pouvant frapper à des milliers de kilomètres les navires de guerre.

En même temps, Pékin maintient que sa technologie militaire accuse des décennies de retard sur celle des Etats-Unis et que la modernisation de son armée a pour unique but la "défense" nationale.

Cette position est de plus en plus discutée, la Chine se dotant désormais d'outils de projection de forces et affirmant de plus en plus clairement ses ambitions navales et territoriales.

http://www.marine-oceans.com/actualites-afp/8038-pekin-nie-sous-estimer-son-budget-militaire-comme-len-accuse-le-pentagone

Citation :

China's naval jet crashes during training mission



BEIJING (PTI): A Chinese navy fighter jet crashed during an exercise over a mountain area in the eastern Zhejiang province.

The jet crashed on June 5 near the city of Yiwu, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The aircraft was a fighter-bomber JH-7 "Flying Leopard".

The navy aircraft from the Donghai Fleet of the Chinese navy crashed during tactical training courses, officials said.

There was no collateral damage.

Military officials did not say how many people were on board. The JH-7 typically carries two.

http://www.brahmand.com

Citation :

La marine chinoise confirme sa participation à l’important exercice américain Rim of the Pacific

Posté dans Asie-Pacifique, Forces navales par Laurent Lagneau Le 09-06-2014

Organisé tous les deux ans depuis 1971 sous l’autorité de l’United States Pacific Command, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) est l’exercice aéronaval le plus important du monde, tant par sa durée que par le nombre d’unités engagées issues d’une vingtaine de pays. L’édition 2012 avait vu la participation, pour la première fois, de navires russes. Celle de cette année innovera également avec la présence inédite de batiments de guerre chinois.

Les forces navales chinoises avaient été invités à prendre part à ces manoeuvres, alors que les relations entre Pékin et Washington sont marquées par une certaine défiance. En outre, la Chine est impliquée dans plusieurs disputes territoriales avec ses voisins (Vietnam, Japon et Philippines), ce qui donne lieu à des tensions ponctuelles dans la région entre ces différents acteurs.

Mais si la présence des navires chinois avait été annoncée par l’US Pacific Command en mai dernier, Pékin ne l’avait pas encore confirmée. C’est désormais chose faite. « La Marine chinoise prendra part à la prochaine tenue de l’exercice RIMPAC », a ainsi  rapporté le Quotidien de l’Armée populaire de libération (APL), ce 9 juin. Ce dernier a précisé que cette participation consisterait au déploiement d’un contre-torpilleur, d’un ravitailleur, d’une frégate et d’un navire-hôpital. Ils rejoindront une escadre américaine au large de Guam avant de faire mouvement vers Pearl Harbour.

Dans son dernier rapport sur la politique de défense menée par Pékin qu’il a remis la semaine dernière au Congrès, le Pentagone a noté que la participation de l’APL à des exercices multinationaux lui permet d’ »améliorer ses capacités et d’acquérir des connaissances opérationnelles en observant les tactiques, les équipements et le commandement d’autres forces armées ». Nul doute que ce sera le cas cette fois-ci. Mais, d’un autre côté, l’implication de 4 navires chinois permettra également à l’US Navy d’en apprendre davantage à leur sujet.

Rimpac 2014 réunira 47 navires, 6 sous-marins, plus de 200 avions et 25 000 marins. Il sera placé sous l’autorité du vice-amiral Kenneth Floyd, commandant de la troisième flotte US (C3F), lequel sera assisté par les amiraux Simon Cullen (Royal Australian Navy) et Yasuki Nakahata (Force d’autodéfense maritime japonaise). Outre la présence inédite de la marine chinoise, ces manoeuvres verront également la participation, pour la première fois, de Brunei et d’une composante « opérations spéciales », commandée par le capitaine Williams Stevens (US Navy).

Ces manoeuvres prévoient des opérations amphibies ainsi que de lutte contre la piraterie. Des  exercices d’artillerie, de lutte anti-sous-marine et de défense aérienne seront également au programme, de même que des missions de sauvetage et de déminage. Rimpac 2014 commencera le 26 juin prochain et prendra fin le 1er août.

http://www.opex360.com/2014/06/09/la-marine-chinoise-confirme-sa-participation-limportant-exercice-americain-rim-pacific/