Chinese Air Force (PLAAF) News & Discussions

[Greater China]

PLA Air Force trained 328 female pilots

March 09, 2012

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- A total of 328 female pilots have been trained by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force over the past six decades, according to figures disclosed at a ceremony held Thursday to mark the 60th anniversary of the debut flight of Chinese women pilots.

The PLA Air Force has recruited a total of nine groups of female pilot trainees over the past 60 years, and eight of these groups have already graduated, figures show.

Women pilots joined the flight mission of the PLA Air Force for the first time on March 8, 1952, when a group of them flew planes over the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing as a flight show.

Since then, they have successfully completed numerous key missions in chartered flight, disaster relief, research-oriented trial flight, and afforestation by airplane sowing, and they have flown in the National Day parade air show.

Xu Qiliang, a member of the Central Military Commission and commander of the PLA Air Force, attended the ceremony.

People's Daily Online

 

[SinoChallenger]

Kanwa reports: China readies for war with india

- Closest airbase to New Delhi less than 1000 km

- Closest airbase to india is 227 km

- J-10A, J-11A and HQ-9 SAM already deployed to Tibet


Link to article

环球网记者刘昆报道：新一期的汉和防务评论刊文称，解放军强化对印快速作战反应能力，“针对印度”开展大规模军事演习，汉和称，随着苏-27/歼-11A、歼-10A上高原，解放军还加强西藏一线机场建设，最近的机场距离印度仅227公里，能够实施先发制人式打击，而新疆、青海的二线机场也获修缮，最近的机场距离新德里只有960公里。

汉和文章称，中国媒体报道称，成都军区（去年）秋季在含氧量不足60%的4500米海拔的高原举行了首次大规模联合作战演习。画面显示96G型改良型主战坦克、122毫米自行榴弹炮、肩扛式地对空导弹、122毫米多管火箭炮，苏-27/歼-11A、歼-10A战斗机参加了演习。报道称这次演习的设想是：以高原作战为背景，模拟“蓝军”抢占“红军”多个高地，设立据点就地组织防御，对“红军”主力进行陆空支持联合行动，拔除据点，彻底粉碎“蓝军”企图。

汉和分析认为：这是迄今为止最为大规模的陆空军联合作战演习，而且“明显针对印度”。演习出动了苏-27/歼-11A战斗机实施火箭弹对地攻击，同时歼-10A还发射了国产的500公斤级激光制导炸弹。汉和称，上述两种战斗机从2011年5月间就常驻拉萨贡嘎机场，2010年以来，这一机场已经多次出现歼-11。成都军区只有空33师部署歼-11、空44师部署歼-10。这些飞机是否以轮训方式常驻西藏高原值得高度关注。

汉和文章称，从2009年开始，解放军在西藏针对印度军队的作战准备大大强化。部署了新型的远程地对空导弹和作战飞机。尤其值得注意的是2011年竣工的日喀则基地，虽然称为“军民两用机场”，机场完全为空军驻军负责，修建了相当大型化的军营和各种车库，尤其值得注意的是2009年开始，这一机场还修建了新的地对空导弹发射阵地，阵地的外形是4个发射场坪，酷似红旗-9远程地对空导弹的发射阵地，还有两个小场坪，因此不排除另外一种可能性，即部署红旗-12中程地对空导弹。红旗-9、红旗-12A的射程分别为125公里、50公里。真正爆发大规模战争，日喀则机场将是非常重要的军事基地，这一机场距离印度边界只有227公里，距离印度空军的提斯浦尔、贾布瓦两大机场的距离分别为450-660公里。能够对上述印度空军机场实施先发制人的打击。因此中国空军在战时最有可能使用的两大前沿机场是日喀则和贡嘎机场。一线战斗机、轰炸机的容量几乎增加了一倍。

Huitong's H-6K page updated!

One of the H-6K (K/JH6K?) cruise missile carrier prototypes was undergoing a test flight at CFTE. This new variant first flew on January 5, 2007 at XAC. Two prototypes have been produced (861 & 862). Its major improvement is to replace two fuel-thirsty WP-8/AM-3 turbojet engines with Russian D-30KP-2 turbofan engines (TO thrust 12,000kg, similar to the engine used by Il-76MD in service with PLAAF), resulting in a greater range (30% more?) and a higher cruise speed. Around 55 D-30KP-2 engines were imported from Russia between 2009-2011. As the result the engine compartment was completely redesigned. It is believed that D-30KP-2 is being reverse-engineered as WS-18 by the Chengdu Engine Corporation. Other improvements include a redesigned solid nose housing a large ground search radar, a chin mounted FLIR/TV turret for night/poor weather missions, nose MAWS sensors, a SATCOM antenna on the top of rear fuselage, a datalink antenna on the bottom of rear fuselage, solid tail cone housing electronics with the tail gunner compartment removed, 6 underwing missile pylons and use of composite materials to reduce weight. Its cockpit has been completely redesigned featuring 6 color MFDs. The aircraft now has 3-member crew located in the forward cabin (two pilots+WSO), each equipped with a new ejection seat (HTY-6F) to improve pilot survivability. The crew can also get into/out of the cabin quickly through a side door. The internal bomb bay appears retained and no IFR probe has been found. A total of 6 large long-range cruise missiles may be carried, which might be the air-launched version of CJ-10 (CJ-10K?) cruise missile (range 2,500km, similar to Russian Kh-55). Some images suggested it may also carry a mix of different types of missiles, including the smaller KD-63 ASM. H-6K is capable of flying strategic missions with these long-range cruise missiles (armed with nuclear warheads). It also has the potential to be converted into ASW aircraft or tanker in the future. The latest images (May 2011) indicated that the first batch of H-6Ks are entering the service with PLAAF (S/N 11x9x).

- Last Updated 3/7/12

 

[Greater China]

A Race of China and U.S. in air Electronic attack weapon

2012-03-10 (China Military News cited from aviationweek.com and by David A. Fu) -- The U.S. Air Force is developing network weapons to attack aircraft.

Electronic warfare specialists know the technology is already a double-edged sword, however. The Chinese, a senior service official says, are already working hard on, and in some cases fielding, similar systems to attack high-value aircraft used for early warning, electronic surveillance, command and control, and intelligence.

PLA Air Force KJ-2000 AWACS

The Air Force is pursuing “cyber-methods to defeat aircraft,” Gen. Norton Schwartz, the service’s chief of staff, told attendees at the 2012 Credit Suisse and McAleese Associates Defense Programs conference in Washington March 8. But Lt. Gen. Herbert Carlisle, the deputy chief of staff for operations, says the same threat to U.S. aircraft already is “out there.”

Ashton Carter, deputy secretary of defense, is pushing both offensive and defensive network-attack skills and technology. “I’m not remotely satisfied” with the Pentagon’s cyber-capabilities, Carter says.

“The Russians and the Chinese have designed specific electronic warfare platforms to go after all our high-value assets,” Carlisle says. “Electronic attack can be the method of penetrating a system to implant viruses. You’ve got to find a way into the workings of that [target] system, and generally that’s through some sort of emitted signal.”

The Chinese have electronic attack means — both ground-based and aircraft-mounted — specifically designed to attack E-3 AWACS, E-8 Joint Stars and P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, he says.

Schwartz revealed no other details, but several years ago the service tested the “Suter” system, which used a data stream filled with algorithms to invade an integrated air defense (IAD) system through its antennas. The data-stream, generated by an EC-130 Compass Call electronic-attack aircraft, was able to capture the enemy network’s radar pictures, take over the network as system administrator and tap into dispersed missile launchers through their wireless communication links. Changes to or effects on the output of the enemy IAD system were monitored by an RC-135 Rivet Joint signals-intelligence aircraft.

A fielded version of the system was used by Compass Call aircraft in Iraq and Afghanistan to tap into wireless telephone systems used to control improvised explosive devices. However, the EC-130 is a large, slow aircraft that does not fly at high altitudes, making it vulnerable to anti-aircraft guns and missile fire. So the task has become engineering a network invasion device small enough to fit into a stealthy aircraft — manned or unmanned, strike or reconnaissance — that can penetrate to a useful tactical range to attack enemy electronics and networks.

New U.S. aircraft like the F-22, F-35, EA-18G and F/A-18E/F now carry new, long-range, active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars that are being considered as part of an electronic-attack/network-invasion capability. However, different versions of the AESA arrays are being tailored to better fit the cyber/electronic attack mission. Some will go on unmanned designs like Boeing’s Champ cruise missile, Raytheon’s MALD-J jamming missile and a line of Mk.-82 bomb shapes to carry out the electronic attack role. Other designs will be tailored for the Suter-like, network-invasion task.

Ironically, the AESA arrays that make the new radars and electronic attack systems so formidable in range and power output also are major targets themselves for electronic attack. “From a cyber [attack] standpoint, AESA has introduced new vulnerabilities,” a veteran electronic attack specialist says. “They have a continual wide field of view that can be exploited.”

Such new weaponry would be a boon to the Air Force if it were thrown into a campaign against Syria. “Syria has a much more demanding air defense environment” than Libya, for example, Schwartz says. “We’re watching Syria closely” as well as other places where governments are showing “erratic behavior,” he says.

China Military News

 

[HANI]

While women have been ferrying cargo planes for the PLAAF since its founding, they were not allowed to serve in any combat roles. Then it all changed -- since February this year, six female pilots are serving in the 28 attack division, as WSOs.

 

[Greater China]

 

[untitled]

Why do Chinese pilots march towards their aircraft? Never seen any other air force do this

 

[no_name]

That's just the old PR way I think.
It seems unnatural to me too.

 

[Greater China]

Different country, different customs.

American pilots sometimes also march towards their machines, as it can be seen in the following two pictures:

 

[Donatello]

What Radar is that? It resembles the AESA AN/TPS 77 radar....recently acquired by PAF.

 

[Greater China]

 

[Greater China]

 

[Armstrong]

I'm going to marry a Chinese !

 

[SinoChallenger]

Chinese general criticizes certain people in the aviation industry by comparing them unfavorably to the aerospace industry, saying that they relied too much on foreign technology and failed to innovate -- methinks he is talking about SAC.

??·??ú??_??·??ú??_?_?

 

[SinoChallenger]

According to Chinese reports, Y20 transport (50 ton payload) will fly this year and begin mass production next year!

This means China's high bypass engine is finally ready and we will soon be able to make civilian airliners too.

 

[pakje]

Only one year of testing?