Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Stupid PR photos from PLA daily

When they say "Fortress China" Please don’t take it literary, especially not with those 40 years old Type 59s.






Cool, job opennings, a welcome sign in this economic downturn.

Chinese aircraft maker to recruit foreign managers
http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=20418758
The Associated Press
Wednesday, February 25, 2009

BEIJING: China's main state-owned aircraft maker says it will recruit its first executives from abroad — an unprecedented step for the secretive world of Chinese military contractors — amid efforts to create a commercial aerospace supplier to compete with Boeing Co. and Europe's Airbus.

Aviation Industry Corp. of China, which makes Beijing's fighter jets, is pushing ahead with aggressive business plans despite global financial turmoil. It got a 176 billion yuan ($26 billion) credit line from state banks in January to develop a 150-seat jetliner. It test-flew a smaller commercial jet in November and is building China's first helicopter factory.

AVIC is looking for vice presidents for 13 subsidiaries who have experience at multinational companies in marketing, research and production, said Ding Zhiyong, a company spokesman. He said most posts were in civilian areas such as helicopters and cargo planes but some were in defense, though he declined to give other details. The company says it plans to formally launch the recruiting efforts Thursday.

Efforts by Chinese companies to recruit executives with foreign experience usually are aimed at ethnic Chinese abroad. However, Ding said, "This recruitment is open to all around the globe."

Foreign skills should help AVIC, now run largely by soldiers and government officials, meet goals that include developing a jetliner by 2020, said Jon Grevatt, the Asia-Pacific defense industry correspondent for Jane's Information Group. He said non-Chinese citizens probably will be kept away from military technology.

"China has very ambitious plans for its commercial and military modernization and it was quite clear that the old AVIC wasn't working properly," Grevatt said. "Having real Western-style project managers in place who are used to driving through such enormous challenges as a large-scale jet airliner is what they are after."

AVIC adds to a growing list of Chinese companies that are hiring executives with experience abroad to fill gaps in skills and experience as they expand into global markets.

Personal computer maker Lenovo Group appointed an American CEO, William J. Amelio, who launched its effort to develop a global brand following its 2005 acquisition of IBM Corp.'s PC unit. Amelio stepped down in December after a three-year stint.

SAIC Motor Corp. hired Phil Murtaugh, formerly in charge of General Motors' China operations, as a vice president in 2006. He left the following year to become chief executive of Chrysler LLC's Asia operations.

The strongest demand is for managers with experience at marketing and research, where Chinese companies lag, said Thomas Zhou, a partner in Shanghai for DaCare Consulting, which finds foreign executives for companies in China.

"This is an easy and quick way they can bring in not only new ideas and innovation but also methodology — how to invent the stuff," Zhou said.

Zhou said DaCare places about 300 foreign executives a year in China at levels up to vice president. Most go to foreign-owned operations, but Zhou said the number placed with Chinese employers is expected to rise to 15 to 20 this year, up from single digits in 2008.

"The trend is picking up," he said.

The communist government created AVIC in November by merging its two biggest aerospace companies. It immediately announced initiatives in a sweeping array of areas ranging from jetliners to helicopters.

The company has the advantage that its home Chinese aviation market is one of the world's biggest and fastest-growing. Boeing has forecast Chinese carriers will need 3,400 new aircraft over the next two decades.

An AVIC subsidiary says it plans to develop a 150-seat jetliner to compete with Boeing and Airbus.

In mid-range jets, another subsidiary wants to compete with Canada's Bombadier Inc. and Brazil's Embraer SA. It test-flew China's first fully homegrown commercial jet — the 90-seat ARJ-21 — on Nov. 28 in Shanghai. The company says China is expected to need 900 such jets over the next two decades, and says it hopes to supply 60 percent of them.

A third subsidiary is building a $1.2 billion helicopter factory in the eastern city of Tianjin and says it should produce its first helicopter this year.

"The speed at which AVIC is trying to, first, come together, but also develop and restructure is quite incredible," Grevatt said.

AVIC might try to recruit managers away from Boeing and Airbus, he said.

"There must be people at Airbus and Boeing that they have in mind when they say 13 vice presidents," he said. "They know there might be people in those two companies who might be willing to step over" to AVIC.

If it hires foreign citizens, the company will face a challenge in making the most of their abilities while keeping them away from military secrets, Grevatt said.

"There would be a lot of dual-use technology," he said. "So it will be very difficult to separate all their secret stuff out."

___

Associated Press researcher Bonnie Cao in Beijing contributed to this report.

___

Fire sell! oh boy, it is your lucky day, do I have a good condition used missile for you today.



Russia says stolen weapons heading to China found


MOSCOW (AP) — Russian news agencies are quoting a senior prosecutor as saying that his office has exposed an attempt by military officers to smuggle $18 million worth of stolen Russian weapons to China.

The agencies quoted Chief Military Prosecutor Sergei Fridinsky as saying Wednesday that some officers and businessmen shipped the weapons to the ex-Soviet republic of Tajikistan for subsequent smuggling to neighboring China.

Fridinsky said the stolen weapons included 30 anti-submarine missiles and about 200 bombs.

China has been a top customer for Russian weapons since the 1990s. But Russian authorities have also nabbed some military officers and civilians who they accuse of smuggling weapons and sensitive technologies into China.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iGddhvGGLcqicC3ELMt5flj1195wD96IJ9I80

Monday, February 23, 2009

Can't believe it has been 30 years already since the 1979 war

Vietnam, China officially demarcate border
Published: Feb. 23, 2009 at 10:26 AM


LANG SON, Vietnam, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- The final demarcation of the border between China and Vietnam will help ensure peace and stability between the two countries, officials said Monday.

In ceremonies at the Huu Nghi (Friendship) border gate near Lang Son Monday, Deputy Vietnamese Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem said the official delineation of the border was an event of great historical significance in the countries' bilateral relations, the Voice of Vietnam reported.

"This is a vivid manifestation of the comprehensive and strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries," Khiem said. "It also delivers a message to the world that the relationship between Vietnam and China is developing well."

China's foreign ministry issued a statement saying the completion of the demarcation would be conducive to peace and stability, promote trade and exchanges and foster the strategic partnership between the two countries, Xinhua, the state-owned Chinese news agency, reported.

China and Vietnam began negotiations on officially demarcating the 800-mile border in the 1990s and started work on it in 2001, Xinhua said.


http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/02/23/Vietnam_China_officially_demarcate_border/UPI-74151235402760/

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Read between the line: look mom, there is nuke stored in Nanjing.

China's Military

Nuclear radiation monitoring sensor network system developed

english.chinamil.com.cn 2009-02-17

  In the passenger transport during the Spring Festival, the Chinese Lunar New Year, 2009, "the nuclear radiation monitoring wireless sensor network system" developed by a chemical defense technical group of the Nanjing Military Area Command implemented real-time automatic nuclear radiation monitoring in large public places of the city of Nanjing, offering reliable technical support to the safety of people's life.

  It's said that the system which applied multiple technologies including wireless network, radiation measurement, satellite positioning and software design, can form network automatically and automatically monitor and alarm with real time. It is in the lead among international fellow technologies.

  The system can take 65,000 radiation sensor nodes and the operational area of it has expanded to 200 k㎡. With automatic real-time monitoring and remote monitoring control, it can precisely position and accurately measure the radiation source without entering the radiation field.

  The system has a multiple of functions. It can meet the needs of monitoring manifold objects and various point positions. It is applicable to the monitoring of the level of radioactive contamination of key objects in wartime. It can also be used to carry out such missions as the emergent rescue of nuclear accidents, security and guard for key events, nuclear terrorist attack prevention and the handling of emergent radiation incidents in peace time.

  By Wang Zhizhong and Hu Wei

  (Feb 17, PLA Daily) Editor: Zhu Aihong

Monday, February 16, 2009

Camping make easy, PLA style

Small and inexpensive improvement really can make a different for those poor foot soldiers.










Friday, February 13, 2009

Wonder what type of bomb did they drop, daisy cutter?

Military exercise sparks earthquake panic in China


BEIJING (AP) — A military exercise in southern China set off mass panic among local residents who thought an earthquake had struck with about 100,000 people fleeing their homes, state media reported Saturday.

Frightened residents slept outdoors following the live-fire exercise Wednesday by an air force brigade near the city of Hengyang in Hunan province, the Xinhua News Agency said.

Pressure waves from exploding bombs shook homes and rattled windows, and rumors of an earthquake spread quickly by phone and over the Internet, the report said.

Earthquake fears spread throughout China after last May's massive temblor in Sichuan province that left about 90,000 people dead or missing. The 7.9 magnitude quake rocked buildings in Beijing and other cities thousands of miles (kilometers) from the epicenter.

"Apparently, the residents are more vigilant after the strong earthquake hitting Sichuan province last May," Xinhua quoted local official Liu Xinghua as saying.

Notices were issued by local governments on Thursday reassuring people that no earthquake had occurred, Xinhua said. Liu said he worked until 3 a.m. on Friday trying to persuade villagers to go back home, but "many of them still feel unsafe."

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Latest issue of Joint Force Quarterly has two article related to China.

Enjoy.

Chinese Disaster Relief Operations


Chinese Disaster
Relief Operations
Identifying Critical Capability Gaps
By N i r a v P a t e l

http://www.ndu.edu/inss/Press/jfq_pages/editions/i52/22.pdf


China-Africa Relations
in the 21st Century
http://www.ndu.edu/inss/Press/jfq_pages/editions/i52/23.pdf

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

What the hack is this "naval regiment"? Reading from the article, it does not seems to be a new unit of the PLA Marine and relatively new, do you think it is to be stationed on broad of the newly commissioned LHD?



Naval regiment carries out force-on-force exercise with Army unit

english.chinamil.com.cn 2009-02-10

  A regiment of the South China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy maneuvered to complicated hinterland areas to carry out force-on-force exercise with an Army unit as soon as the Spring Festival was over. The Army unit acts as the blue army and the naval regiment acts as the red army.

  As the naval regiment was formed not long ago, it lacks experience of actual-troop confrontation in previous trainings, especially the experience of tactic confrontation exercise with simulated strong "enemy" in complicated electromagnetic environment. Since last year, to tackle such factors not good for actual-troop exercise including narrow area, familiar opponents and single-modal electromagnetic environment, the regiment has established collaborative mechanism for tactic training with brother troops of various arms and carried out tactical confrontation exercise frequently. It also organized exchanges on test and argumentation of new equipment and new fighting methods to realize resources sharing.

  In the exercise, after receiving an order of cutting off all radio communication links with the outside of the blue army in 24 hours, the command station of the naval regiment immediately deployed 3 standby groups to rush to the position.

  In less than 3 hours, all combat groups have come to the designated positions. The scout and searching result showed that the "enemy" was making contact with 10 external targets at the same time. The command station then issued an order of interference, several interference vehicles then launched strong "electro-magnetic wave" and the communication network of the "enemy" paralyzed in a sudden. Shortly, the "enemy" attempted to change frequency and communication mode, but the red army then made a decisive and orderly interference. After more than 10 hours' of fierce combat, the communication system of the "enemy" was destroyed compeletely.

  By Zhang Shengzhong and Zhou Yawen

  (Feb 9, PLA Daily) Editor: Fan Aifeng
http://english.chinamil.com.cn/site2/news-channels/2009-02/10/content_1646221.htm

Monday, February 09, 2009

Latest comments from Adm Keating, I am sure some of you will find it interesting.

No thaw yet in U.S.-China military ties - U.S. admiral
Fri Feb 6, 2009 2:16am IST


By Andrew Gray

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of U.S. forces in the Pacific said on Thursday China had made no overtures to revive dialogue with the U.S. military since President Barack Obama took office but he was optimistic ties would improve.

China broke off high-level contacts with the U.S. military in October after the United States agreed a $6.5 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province.

"I have seen no change since the new administration came in," Navy Admiral Timothy Keating, the head of U.S. Pacific Command, told Reuters in an interview at the Pentagon.

"We do have ongoing dialogue with ... certain folks in China," Keating said. "We would much prefer it to be a more formal, a more regular and a more frequent dialogue than it is right now and that's what we're working to achieve."

The United States has repeatedly called on China to explain the intentions behind the modernization of its armed forces and large increases in its military budget in recent years.

Beijing has stated it is committed to a "peaceful rise" alongside its rapid economic development and rejected U.S. accusations it has not been transparent.

Keating said the United States wanted to encourage "responsible behavior" by China.

He said he was heartened by Chinese participation in international anti-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia. Chinese vessels were in contact with U.S. Navy ships there, he said. "There is ongoing dialogue at the tactical level so we are encouraged by that," Keating said.

"We think that there are ways for China to integrate into naval coalitions, to help with humanitarian disaster relief, so as to reflect a willingness to cooperate and collaborate," he said. "I'm optimistic about it."

U.S. and Chinese military officials exchanged visits throughout 2007 and 2008 until the Taiwan arms deal was announced, said Keating, who visited China twice as Pacific Command chief.

He said he hoped such contacts could resume as part of a return to more dialogue with the Chinese military.

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-37866720090205?sp=true

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Still no sign of the domestic engine WS-10A yet.

BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union - Political
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring


February 4, 2009 Wednesday


Russia to supply over 100 fighter plane engines to China - Rosoboronexport

Text of report by Russian state news agency ITAR-TASS

Moscow , 4 February: Russia has signed its first contract in 2009 with China on the supply of over 100 aircraft engines for J-10 planes, Rosoboronexport Director-General Anatoliy Isaykin has said.

"The world's leading analysts think that the People's Republic of China will continue to buy military transport aircraft, including strategic refuelling tankers, long-range radar surveillance and carrier-borne aircraft, as well as aircraft engines. By the way, our first contract in 2009 was signed with China on the supply of over 100 aircraft engines for J-10 planes," Isaykin said in an interview with Nezavisimaya Gazeta published today.

"That country is also showing keen interest in air defence equipment. Our partners pay great attention to upgrading their navy through imports as well," he added.

At the same time, the Rosoboronexport head noted that the expanding geography and increasing volumes of Russian military exports "logically lead to the reduction of China 's share in our arms exports."

"It is quite likely that it may drop from 40 per cent to 10 per cent. We are not concerned about that because the volume of sales remains high," Isaykin predicted.

Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow , in Russian 0810 gmt 4 Feb 09

Monday, February 02, 2009

9th Artillery division, 1st Group Army, Nanjing MR, shows off its new toys.

走向数字化的中国炮兵——记率先列装陆军最先进300远火的南京军区某炮兵团
描述:图为某新型火箭炮在西部戈壁实弹射击。
http://www.chinamil.com.cn/site1/xwpdxw/2009-02/03/content_1638035.htm
新华网南京2月2日电(记者李大伟、梅世雄)人民解放军炮兵诞生于82年前的八一南昌起义。

1950年8月1日,炮兵司令部在北京正式成立。至此,被誉为“战争之神”的炮兵正式成为人民解放军的一个兵种。

1985年7月,为加强陆军部队的合成,除保留部分炮兵部队作为预备炮兵外,其余大部炮兵部队统一整编为集团军和步兵师的队属炮兵。

如今,炮兵正在成为集火力打击、战场侦察、电子对抗等于一身的多能数字化炮兵。

南京军区某炮兵团,就是炮兵阔步迈向数字化的一个典型缩影。

数字化

从步兵改建为炮兵,这个炮兵团经历了5次改制换装——

1951年2月,列装24门苏制M-13火箭炮,即著名的喀秋莎火箭炮。这是人民解放军第一支火箭炮部队;

1972年11月,列装63式19管130毫米火箭炮;

1985年10月,列装82式30管130毫米火箭炮;

1995年7月,列装81式122毫米火箭炮;

2003年和2005年,炮兵团先后列装某新型反坦克导弹和某新型火箭炮武器系统。

“第五次改制换装,具有革命性的意义。”炮兵团现任团长丁仕夫说,“这两种装备都是目前中国陆军最先进的主战装备,完全实现了数字化。”

25岁的炮兵团二营五连三班班长张坚对第五次改制换装有着刻骨的记忆。“之前,我们从计算诸元到操瞄调炮,再到构筑人员掩体,全部是纯手工作业。”他说,“现在,新型火箭炮全部是电脑控制。”

“0”和“1”,这两个普普通通的数字,使得现代战争发生了革命性的变化——“数字化生存”“数字化作战”“数字化战场”“数字化武器”“数字化部队”……

从“小米加步枪”的步兵到传统炮兵,再到数字化炮兵,伴随着人民军队波澜壮阔的伟大征程,组建于抗日战争烽火中的南京军区某炮兵团,正昂首挺立在新军事变革的潮头。

实弹射击

2008年深秋,茫茫西部大漠,狂沙飞舞。

阵地上,某新型火箭炮蓄势待发!它们刚刚从万里之遥的东南某地机动而来。

“10、9、8……3、2、1,发射!”团长丁仕夫沉着冷静地下达着口令。

瞬间,12发炮弹拖着长长的烈焰尾翼,以排山倒海之势集束射向目标,几十个钢铁目标灰飞烟灭!

具备如此强大的作战能力,炮兵团经历了一次又一次炼狱般考验。

5年前,38岁的丁仕夫走上南京军区某炮兵团团长岗位之时,这个团刚刚列装某新型反坦克导弹。全团官兵根据实际情况,自编训练教材,很快摸清搞透了新装备所有专业和战斗岗位。

2004年10月,皖东某山区,中国军队第一个合同战术训练基地。某新型反坦克导弹第一次实弹射击即将在这里打响。

当射击方案上报到指挥所时,现场的厂方专家大吃一惊:由他们拟制的射击方案被几个月之前还是某新型反坦克导弹“门外汉”的丁仕夫改了个面目全非。

原来,为确保首次实弹射击万无一失,厂方特意挑选了一台他们认为性能最好的战车担负射击任务,并选定了一名最优秀的炮手进行操作,连距离、角度等射击参数都提前固定好……

丁仕夫不能容忍任何有损新装备全方位形成作战能力的行为。他果断地修改了射击方案——新方案中,发射的战车由一辆变成了三辆,炮手由一名变成了三名,射击距离变成了三个不同值……

厂方专家反复劝说:“用同一台发射车、同一名炮手、打同一个目标,既安全,效果又好!”

“实弹射击的机会太难得了。”丁仕夫耐心解释,“我们就是要抓住点滴机会,让更多的装备接受检验,让更多的炮手得到锤炼。”

“轰……”“轰……”“轰……”随着3声撼天动地的巨响,3发导弹发发准确命中目标。

这次实弹射击的“满堂红”,为炮兵团争取到了更大的发展机遇。不久,某新型火箭炮武器系统又第一个交到了炮兵团。

驾驭新装备

一个团,在短短两年时间,就列装了两种中国陆军最先进的主战装备,这在全军部队极为罕见。

如同当年驾驭某新型反坦克导弹一样,操纵某新型火箭炮武器系统,又是一项没有任何经验可供借鉴的挑战。

全团官兵天天泡在训练场,仔细琢磨新装备系统定位、精确打击等18个专业、100多个战斗岗位,仅用3个月时间就绘制出新型火箭炮武器系统原理图,解决了新装备原理难掌握的问题。在此基础上,他们又编写出全军首套某新型火箭炮武器系统操作教材,为其他部队训练提供了范本。

某新型火箭炮武器系统列装炮兵团不到半年,便迎来了全军“第一炮”——2005年10月,火箭炮首次奔赴戈壁滩执行实弹射击任务。

那天9时,一连一炮炮长胡秋峰怀着激奋的心情,按下了某新型火箭炮武器系统“第一炮”的发射钮。

炮弹拖着长长的尾焰向着大漠纵深飞去。1分钟、2分钟、3分钟……原计划5分钟之后发射第2发,胡秋峰却迟迟没有收到发射指令。

此时,指挥所里,一场争论正在激烈进行——第一发炮弹是远弹,超越目标区,在场专家建议:“表尺减半修正”。

“不能修正!”丁仕夫高亢的声音让专家们一怔。

“已经仔细核对过,射击诸元没有问题。”丁仕夫胸有成竹,“从理论上讲,射击中可能出现5%的不规则弹,而参数是准确的。”

“我敢断定,这发弹就是5%范围内的不规则弹。”丁仕夫的据理力争,又一次说服了现场的专家。

“诸元不变,继续射击。”10时许,正在焦急等待的胡秋峰终于收到发射指令——数分钟后,炮弹准确命中目标。

“好装备,就是要交给你们这样的好部队。”军委领导高度称赞炮兵团官兵驾驭新装备的能力。

连建制齐射

丁仕夫和他的战友们没有沉醉于赞扬声中,他们向前来考察的军委领导建议:“以往,新装备都是实行单发射击……我们建议进行营连建制齐射,这样可以全面检验新装备效能,最大限度提升作战能力。”

此前,包括生产厂家在内,全军列装这种类型火箭炮的部队,都只进行过“单炮单发实弹射击”,“单炮满管齐射”“营连建制满管齐射”还只停留在理论上。

军委领导当即首肯:“这个效能检验射击任务就放在你们团!”

4个月之后,丁仕夫率领炮兵团官兵,又一次远赴大漠戈壁,进行某新型火箭炮首次连建制实弹效能检验射击。

这是一次具有开创性的实弹射击。

大漠的天,娃娃的脸。就在检验射击展开之时,日丽风和的天空突然狂风骤起,漫天的风沙吹打得炮身“沙……沙……”作响。

气象站通报,风速达17米/秒,远远超过火箭炮实弹射击的气象极限。

面对险恶的天候,阵地上却传出丁仕夫果断的口令:“修正诸元,射击!”

刹那间,整个阵地被掀起的狂沙淹没,数十发炮弹雷霆万钧般集束射向目标,发发炮弹均在目标区“开花”。

这次极限射击,使炮兵团收获了某新型火箭炮武器系统在最恶劣气象条件下的宝贵射击参数。

这次极限射击,实现了某新型火箭炮由打点到打面,由单发射击到营连建制齐射的战斗力飞跃。