CCTV Report of the day: Women J-7 pilots.

PLA Air Force trains 328 female pilots
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-03/08/content_14792281.htm

BEIJING - 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

Official news release.

Note the PLA's PR department - hire a native English speaker.

China making preparations for aircraft carrier

(Source: Xinhua) 2012-03-30

BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- China is conducting scientific testing and training exercises for its aircraft carrier, Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said Thursday.

It takes time for weapons and equipment to be developed from scientific research to

Hawking plastic or something more substantial with China Shipbuilding Corporation’s Type081 LHD?

During the recent Defense 2012 and Security expo in Bangkok (here), China Shipbuilding Corporation (CSC) displayed what could be their next helicopter carrier. While rumors of a Chinese Type 81 LHD has been flowing around for years and the CSC is capable of building large Ro-Ro, this is the first time they display their LPD concept in public. With a displacement of 20,000 tons, this LHD could

Chinese TRANSCOM at work

As with the USTRANSCOM, the PLA also has a special command (National Defense Mobilization Commission) 国家国防动员委员会 to coordinate civilian assets in air, land and sea transportation for the CMC in both war and peace. On March 26th, they Demonstrated their readiness with a strategic mobilization involving thousands troops of the 15th Airborne to the Tibetan Plateau. While the PLA has conducted

Photo of the day: China Navy's trimaran "North Rescue 143"

This little guy was first spotted on September 15 near Guangxi, it is now moved  to Guangzhou for final fit-out before joining the North Sea Fleet.

Still not sure why they feel the need to arm a S&R boat.

A closer look at the new truck.

Light at end of the tunnel?

It has been said that in order for the China navy to field a modern navy, it must possess more Replenishment Oilers (AOR). With only five AOR in its orbat, it can barely keep up with the Gulf of Aden commitment and the regular Western Pacific cruises. The situation might be improving in near future as recently posted photos suggesting that two more AORs are under-construction and one of those

Photo of the day: China's new PR50 122mm MRLS

Time to say goodbye to the BM-21 clones?

Love Boat soon will be making another run

It is more like a vacation cruise now -- it addition to boast its own TV channel, internet gaming rooms and WiFi connections, your friendly neighborhood morale officer is putting up a Las Vegas style show that you can't miss..... well because you are in it (here).






The 10th and 11th naval escort taskforces under the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) held mission handover

China and Russia to Hold Joint Naval Exercises

The same report in Chinese (here)


China and Russia to Hold Joint Naval Exercises

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/12/21/2010122101002.html

China and Russia will hold their first joint naval exercise next year in the northern part of the East Sea, Hong Kong's Phoenix TV reported Monday citing Russian media. China and Russia used to hold joint military exercises on land

Photo of the day: The Bolivian Engineer Battalion

The handover ceremony for the Bolivian Engineer Battalion took place in El Alto with President of Bolivia Evo Morales in attendance.    A total of 374 engineering equipments from various Chinese companies  were transferred under a  $20 million loan from the PRC.










Friday, December 11, 2009http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2009/12/china-to-loan-40-million-for-bolivian.html
China to loan

Oh my, what a shinny gun you get there.

North Korea's Type73

Very classic design, that LMG!

They call it the Type 73, which is a PKM  derivative modeled after the legendary ZB26, the favorite LMG of Asia back then!

Apparently it can be both belt-fed and mag-fed. Just add some Mausers, Dadaos and stick-grenades, and you'll have the KPA turned into the NRA.
-- Hongjian

The two Jianghus are on their way home , first stop Vietnam.

Thanks koxinga for the link.

http://articles.maritimepropulsion.com/article/Two-Chinese-Frigates-for-Myanmar-2028.aspx
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=23201

The Burmese navy ended its first ever port call to Vietnam on Tuesday after the three-day visit of two destroyers.

The UMS Mahar Bandoola and UMS Mahar Thiha Thura, each with 11 officers and 112 crew members, docked at Tien Sa

Heartbreaker? No, shipbreaker.

This latest batch of Chinese import of the Russian Navy won't tilt the balance of power in the Pacific -- just bunch of junk destined to the Jingjiang Denfeng Ship-breaking Company (here) for scrap









Antrim was decommissioned in 1984 and sold to Chile on 22 June 1984. The Chileans renamed her Almirante Cochrane after Thomas Cochrane, who had commanded the Chilean Navy from 1817 to 1822. In

Could this be the first Y-9 in-flight photo?

Thursday, September 16, 2010
Y-9 project, rebooted. http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2010/09/y-9-project-rebooted.html According to China Aviation News (here) the long delayed first Y-9 prototype is under construction. It is scheduled to perform its maiden flight by 2011.






Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Y-9 Tactical Transport Aircraft program back on track?           http://

Another Yuan class taking the long journey from Wuhan to Shanghai.

Photo taken 3/10/2012





Monday, November 21, 2011
Photo of the day: The first Jiangnan Shipyard produced Yuan class SSK gets ready to join the fleet. If this is not an one-off, it could mean that there are two shipyards capable of constructing the Yuan class in parallel, one in Wuhan and the other in Shanghai.  Assuming money is no object, of course.



Aerial photos taken over the Jiangnan

HQ-16A spotted in service with the 1st Battalion, 4th Air Defense Brigade, 38th Group Army.

Replacing the old HQ-61, which never enjoyed large-scale deployment

Old HQ61 SAM


Thursday, September 29, 2011
Land Based HQ16 VLS SAM has entered service, confirmed by Chinese media New surface to air missile ready for action: PLA

http://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/ID/677362/New-surface-to-air-missile-ready-for-action-PLA.aspx


Global Times | September 28, 2011 03:40
By Xu Tianran

Women bomb "half the sky"

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.






我军女飞驾飞豹机动突防对地精确打击(组图)

2月中旬，迷雾笼罩的江南某机场。南空航空兵某团首批战斗机女飞行员驾驶某型歼击轰炸机，在低气象条件下遂行编队防御机动突防和对地面陌生目标精确打击等演练任务。女飞行员吕品检查接收完飞机戴上头盔跨进座舱，通电检查机载设备后，向指挥员报告准备完毕。

Not going anywhere for a while? Grab a Snickers

Notice the tank gun barrel laser emitter

Maj. Gen. Luo Yuan proposes establishing national coast guard

Maj. Gen. Luo Yuan proposes establishing national coast guard

(Source: PLA Daily) 2012-03-06

Major General Luo Yuan, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), executive director and deputy secretary general of the China Military Science Society (CMSS), said in an interview by the China News Service on March 5, 2012 that it is necessary

The 8th J-10 line regiment should be ready soon.

Latest photos from Chengdu (3/8/2012)


















Sunday, February 26, 2012
A fistful of J-10s http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2012/02/fistful-of-j-10s.html In the past few days, Chinese forumers are busy speculating which operational unit is getting a J-10 upgrade from photos J-10s undergo final flight evel out of Chengdu. Also noted is that this latest batch of J-10 features two

Burmese sailors checking out their new boat.

Just Wave Hello

Photo of the day: QLB-06 35mm semi-automatic grenade launcher

This gas operated bad boy brings a new meaning to "infantry firepower". Based on the proven QLB-87 design this launcher weights in only 20 lbs capable of firing HE, HE-DP and HE-I rounds.








QLB87, the current in-service 35mm  grenade launcher, saw actions with foreign operators under different occasions.

Photo of the day: Affordable surplus, PLA Style

Out with the old!

It is amazing how much more one can afford after a 11.2% pay rise.

Off with the old, in with the new.

Speaking of cleaning out old stuff -- this is what happened to the last Type 021 Guided Missile Boat (OSA)


East Oiler 620 is being transferred to the civilian  Fisheries Law Enforcement Command to support a growing fleet of cutters there.  


Don't worry, a new AOR replacement is on its way from Hudong Shipyard.

Two Jianghu II class to Burma (Myanmar)

In addition to the pending transfer of two Jianghus to the Bangladeshi navy, the China navy is also selling two of its "younger" Jianghu FFG to the Burma navy.   Since FFG 554 "Anshan" and FFG557 "Jishou" were build in 1986 and 1988, there should be a few years of service life left in them.

Now both navies are Jianghu equipped, it will be interesting to see if they ever face each other in

Improved living conditions on PLAN ships

For the past number of years, China has always made the announcement that it is using the increased defense budget to not only pay for purchases and training, but also to raise the wages and living standard of the armed forces. The latter point often gets ignored by the China threat crowd, but I think it's something important to look at.

Kanwa defence has often talked about the much more significant improvements in the PLA living quarters compared to that of India's armed forces. It really is a stark contrast when one considers the amount of investment both countries spend on procuring new weapons.

The improved wages and living condition of PLA service members is a general reflection on the changing dynamics of the Chinese society. As a result of the vastly improved quality of lives in China, PLA also has to improve its living conditions to attract new recruits. When one considers that PLAN is shifting toward a blue water style navy, PLAN sailors will have to spend longer time away from home than ever before. As with the other three services, PLAN is looking to recruit higher educated and more technologically proficient personnel in order to operate the newer ships that it has been building. The recruitment process cannot be easy for PLAN. Not only does it have to compete with all of the companies around the country, but it also has to compete with the other three services of PLA. There is already a growing population crisis in China due to the extremely tilted male to female ratio of the current generation of youth. The increasingly blue water demand for PLAN will result in longer trips away from home for the sailors. The life style of having to spend long period away from home naval base is not appealing to most young men, who have to think about finding wives. As a result of this, PLAN has moved away from Soviet style of treating sailors like robots to actually allowing sailors to have more enjoyment on ships. If they do not do this, PLAN would have a really hard time to retain the NCOs that it recruited. Chinese news websites have documented the improvements in sleeping areas, seating and food for submarines and other ships that are making long deployments. We have seen pictures of larger basketball courts and improved cafeteria on Type 071 LPDs. The most interesting part of this movement is the commissioning of the No. 88 Life Style ship as shown below.


Since China does not have any official overseas naval base, No. 88 was launched to address crew fatigue. It should also be able to give sailors medical attention. While this is not as luxurious as a cruise ship, it is still quite an interesting ship.

First we have special female cabin with more spaces and head board that can be lowered to become a desk.

Other cabins come in the form of high quality single person cabin, single person cabin, 2 people cabin, 4 people cabin and 6 people cabin. Some cabins apparently also hold retractable hammocks (for additional personnel I guess).

They have the first ever super market on a PLAN ship. Aside from this, they also having automated vending machines.

I think I may have seen work out room like this on Type 071, but this is probably the largest one on any PLAN ships.

It has a full size basketball court on the deck with a 300 meter track around it.

We have a modern conference room that can hold 200 people. With advanced audio visual equipment equipment, this can achieve multiple purposes: to organize cultural and sports party, serve as a maritime cinema. You can also unicom via video transmission system to the main compartment of the ship with a remote network information sharing.

It has a large multipurpose cafeteria.

And finally, it even has a cafe on board.


So, the living conditions on PLAN is definitely improving. While this "life style" ship is an anomaly, we should see more living style improvements and food quality improvements on PLAN war ships in the future. That not only increases the morale of sailors, but also will help PLAN recruit and retain college grads.

North China Sea Fleet carries out first escort mission

After a two years refit, 052 Luhu class DDG 113 is ready for action in the Gulf of Aden.  This once the most power warship in the China navy is actually smaller then the Type054 frigate "Yantai" accommodating her in this deployment.  Then again, this is not your father's China Navy either.
North China Sea Fleet carries out first escort mission

(Source: PLA Daily) 2012-02-28


The 11th naval

Photo of the day: Mongolian peacekeepers

Not directly related to China Defense, cool nevertheless.