China conducts first test-flight of a stealth fighter

Photos of the Chinese-made stealth aircraft began appearing on websites earlier this month

China has conducted the first test-flight of its J-20 stealth fighter, Chinese President Hu Jintao has confirmed to US Defence Secretary Robert Gates.

The confirmation came after images of the 15-minute flight in Chengdu appeared on several Chinese websites.
Mr Hu said that the flight had not been timed to coincide with Mr Gates' visit, the US defence secretary said.
The US is currently the only nation with a fully operational stealth plane.
But both Russia and China are known to be working on prototypes of stealth fighters, which are invisible to radar.
Mr Gates' three-day visit to Beijing comes amid US concern over the speed at which China's military is modernising and upgrading its technology.

Analysis

 

Leaked images of what was said to be China's J-20 fighter first appeared earlier this month during taxi tests at the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute.

On Tuesday, the plane took off and flew for about 15 minutes, according to eyewitness accounts published on unofficial Chinese web portals.
A video clip of the flight was also posted on the web.
China says it expects the stealth plane to be operational some time between 2017 and 2019.
But earlier this month the Pentagon played down concerns over the fighter.
"Developing a stealth capability with a prototype and then integrating that into a combat environment is going to take some time," said US director of naval intelligence Vice Admiral David Dorsett.
China's official military budget quadrupled between 1999 and 2009 as the country's economy grew. In 2010 it stood at $78bn (£50bn).
But the US has by far the largest defence budget in the world at just over $700bn.

Iran vows legal bid on Israeli terror

Iran says it will exploit all its resources to condemn Israel and bring the regime to justice over its terror efforts against Iranian nuclear scientists.

“The issue that we will actively pursue is the condemnation of this illegal regime (Israel) and its punishment as the perpetrator of crimes against humanity and our scientists,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said at his weekly press briefing on Tuesday. 

“We will definitely utilize all our means and capabilities to follow up the case in international legal bodies,” he said. 

We will also pursue a legal case for the Israeli terror efforts using evidence and documentations compiled on the issue, he added. 

The Iranian spokesperson also condemned Western support of the Israeli regime in sponsoring and carrying out acts of terrorism. 

“That the Zionist regime (Israel) officially announces that it has had a hand in such terror efforts is indicative of an ongoing state terrorism and we regret that Western countries support such illegitimate acts by Israel.” 

Mehmanparast's remarks came in response to a question about Iran's legal pursuits against the assassination of Iranian nuclear physics scientist Massoud Ali-Mohammadi. 

Dr. Ali-Mohammadi, a lecturer at the University of Tehran, was killed when a remote-controlled bomb detonated near his house in the north of the Iranian capital, Tehran, in July 2010. 

Iran's Intelligence Ministry said in a statement released on Monday that it has arrested the main perpetrators in connection with the assassination and dismantled a network comprising of Israeli-trained spies and terrorists following extensive security operations.

'West must end biased nuclear stance'

'West must end biased nuclear stance'

Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar says the West needs to put an end to its selective approach concerning the nuclear issue.

“Global powers should stop their double standards regarding the use of nuclear technology,” Mohammad-Najjar said at a news conference in Oman on Monday. 

“Hegemonic powers allow the Zionist regime [of Israel] to stockpile nuclear weapons while seeking to deny peaceful nuclear activities to a country such as Iran,” he added. 

Mohammad-Najjar further pointed out that using peaceful nuclear technology is Iran's inalienable right, adding that Tehran's nuclear program is under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. 

Iran supports the idea of nuclear technology for all, but nuclear weapons for none, the Iranian official went on to say. 

According to the minister, Iranophobia is a failed policy pursued by the United States, aimed at sowing discord between Iran and regional countries. 

“Iranophobia is a threadbare policy by the US … which calls Iran a threat to regional countries … in order to create divisions between Iran and other countries.” 

He also emphasized that such policies are doomed to fail since the Islamic Republic has maintained friendly relations with all its neighbors.

Israel bars AESA radar export to India
The Israeli defence ministry has blocked the potential export sale of Israel Aerospace Industries' EL/M-2052 active electronically scanned array radar to a number of countries, with its action having an immediate impact on the Indian market.

The restrictions were imposed following pressure from the US administration, which has outlined its concerns to Israel several times in the past two years.
Washington's position is driven by an assumption that exporting IAI's advanced radar would undermine the sale of US-made systems on the international stage, sources say.

At one stage, Saab had considered offering the EL/M-2052 as part of its Gripen NG proposal for the Indian air force's medium multi-role combat aircraft requirement, but instead opted for Selex Galileo's ES05 Raven AESA.

IAI had also viewed the Indian Aeronautical Development Agency's Tejas light combat aircraft as a potential candidate for the AESA radar. The modular design weighs 130-180kg (286-397lb) and consumes 4-10kVA, depending on the design configuration, and has built-in growth potential, the company says.

Developed by IAI's Elta Systems subsidiary, the EL/M-2052 uses an array of solid-state transmit/receive modules designed to dynamically shape the radiation pattern using an ultra-low side-lobe antenna.

It can perform simultaneous multi-mode operations, detecting airborne threats and supporting navigation and mapping, by producing high-resolution synthetic aperture radar imagery.

The sensor can detect and track up to 64 airborne targets from long range, and enable a pilot to engage several simultaneously using air-to-air missiles, IAI says. The sensor can also provide long-range target detection, classification and tracking in the anti-ship role.

US, China re-open military exchanges

Monday, January 10, 2011

US, China re-open military exchanges

In Beijing the US Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with his Chinese counterpart, Minister of National Defence Liang Guanglie, at the start of a long-awaited visit to formally re-open military exchanges. 

In a press conference Gates spoke of the need for firmer ties between the militaries of the two countries, saying closer and more regular dialogue was necessary to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations that might lead to frictions or even conflict. 

One area where he spoke to allay Chinese fears was US naval exercises in the Yellow Sea: 

Before his visit to Beijing , Mr. Gates said that the Chinese had clearly the potential to put some of US capabilities at risk. 
The Chinese minister who expressed concern over US dealings in Taiwan, said China posed no threat to any third country and that it was decades behind nations with more advanced technology. 

Washington is also concerned about the Chinese military buildup , but Beijing says its defense spending is still far lower than that of the United States. 

China's defense budget for 2010 was 80.3 billion dollars whereas the US approved a $708 billion defense budget for 2011 fiscal year. 

In addition to American naval maneuvers, experts said the Chinese would likely use Gates's visit to press him on his country's support for Taiwan, as well as its position on Chinese claims to sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and the South China Sea. 
America, meanwhile, should have a different set of concerns. 
Two Chinese weapons programs discussed by the international media in recent weeks were the development of a stealth fighter and a so-called carrier killer which is capable of sinking an aircraft carrier from up to 1,800 miles away. 

SAUDI-PAK Joint air forces exercise

SAUDI-PAK Joint air forces exercise

بدأت تمرين " الصقور 2 " المشترك بين القوات الجوية الملكية السعودية والقوات الجوية الباكستانية بقاعدة الملك فهد الجوية بالطائف
بدأت السبت 4/2/1432هـ فعاليات تمرين " الصقور 2 " المشترك بين القوات الجوية الملكية السعودية والقوات الجوية الباكستانية بقاعدة الملك فهد الجوية بالقطاع الغربي " الطائف ".
وتشارك في الفعاليات طائرات من الجانب السعودي والجانب الباكستاني ، ويأتي هذا التمرين لبناء العلاقات العسكرية وإعداد التمارين المشتركة التي تؤكد التقارب بين البلدين.
وأوضح قائد قاعدة الملك فهد الجوية بالقطاع الغربي اللواء الطيار الركن فياض بن حامد الرويلي أن التمرين يأتي ضمن الخطوط المعدة لتطوير الجاهزية العملية والقتالية للقوات الجوية الملكية السعودية ، وكذلك تبادل الخبرات مع القوات الجوية الباكستانية الشقيقة.

TRANSLATE

Began to exercise the "hawks 2" Inter-Royal Saudi Air Force and Pakistan Air Force base, King Fahd


Air Dam
Began Saturday, 02.04.1432 e events exercise "hawks 2" Inter-Royal Saudi Air Force and Pakistan Air Force , King Fahd Air Sector West "Taif".
The aircraft involved in the events from the Saudi side and the Pakistani side, comes this exercise to build military relations and the preparation of joint exercises that emphasize the convergence between the two countries.
The commander of King Fahd Air Base in Sector West corner of the pilot, Major General Hamid bin Fayyad Ruwaili that exercise is part of the stomach fonts for the development of the process and combat readiness of the RoyalSaudi Air Force, as well as exchange experiences with the PAF

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Eurofighter ahead in IAF deal
Likely to pip Russian, US, French jets for $10-billion ‘deal of the decade’



New Delhi, January 10
The buzz has started about which new ‘fighter bird’ will rule the Indian skies as well as those of enemy. The Eurofighter aircraft, it seems, has emerged the winner after a long ‘dogfight’ among six foreign 4.5th generation jet planes to clinch over $10-billion Indian Air Force deal for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). The second runner-up is said to be the French fighter Rafale.

Despite the aggressive business-oriented visit of US President Barack Obama recently, two major competing American military aircraft makers, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, have lost their pitch.

Growing Indo-US strategic relations have not helped the American diplomatic and arms lobbies to get either of the two planes touch the winning mark. India had shortlisted sixaircraft : American Lockheed Martin’s F-16IN ‘Super Viper’, US Boeing’s ‘Super Hornet’ F/A-18IN, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company NV (EADS)’ Eurofighter Typhoon - EADS is a consortium of British, German, Spanish and Italy firms - French D'assault's Rafale, Swedish Saab’s Gripen, and Russian MiG-35. The MMRCAs induction is likely to start by 2015.

When the file related to the final evaluation of rival aircraft was shown to Defence Minister AK Antony, highly reliable sources told The Tribune that he said that if this was the case, let it be. The Prime Minister’s Office has been made aware about this. Now, a ‘political decision’ is awaited on this mega deal.

Interestingly, on the New Year eve, an important file relating to the deal was found on the roadside in the Khel Gaon area. The file was supposed to be in the custody of an IAS officer of the rank of director in the defence production wing of the Ministry of Defence. An inquiry has been ordered.

The IAF intends to purchase the MMRCA combat jets to replace its aging Russian-made MiG-21 fleet in phases and help in curbing the recent trend of the depleting squadron strength.

India had floated tenders for this deal in August 2007. The exhaustive technical evaluation of the six global manufacturers’ bids was completed last year. Starting from Bangalore, the trials took the competing fighters and their weapons to the hot desert region of Jaisalmer as well as high-altitude Leh.

Incidentally, the IAF ‘top guns’ - after trials at home and abroad - were said to be in favour of Swedish Saab’s Gripen fighters. Boeing’s ‘Super Hornet’ also reportedly gave a tough fight to be among the top four. The Eurofighter is said to be the costliest jet among the competitors.

Lockheed Martin’s F-16 lost mainly as the Air Force pilots’ community raised a critical question: why should India go for the same fighter aircraft that is with our main regional adversary - Pakistan?


The arrival of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 fighter plane for trials had made many in the IAF apprehensive, and they feared that its ‘selection’ - because of over-pitched American lobbying - might become a ‘combat disadvantage’ for India. Pakistan has been operating F-16aircraft since the mid-eighties and is currently flying the F-16 Block 50.

The Russian MiG-35 was ‘not touched’ by the evaluators as New Delhi and Moscow were busy signing a deal for a fifth generation fighteraircraft (FGFA).

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News