The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan
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Dirty Little Secrets
The Big Picture in China
by James Dunnigan
January 7, 2006
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
While foreign observers tend to
concentrate on individual Chinese air warfare projects, they are
actually advancing on a wide front. Currently, China is working on
development and/or production of 17 different aircraft. These include
the J-11, the J-10; the J-8; the JF-17 (in cooperation with Pakistan),
a modernized version of the J-7, the Q-10 and two variants of the
Russian Su-30. The J-10 and J-11 (a licensed copy of the Russian Su-27)
include work on stealth technology. These projects include equipping
aircraft with new electronics and missiles. For example, the K-7 (an
upgraded Russian MiG-21) is being equipped with heat seeking missiles
that work with a helmet mounted sighting system. This makes these
aircraft much deadlier in close range combat. Bombers are being
equipped to drop laser guided bombs and missiles. China is also getting
AWACS technology (and aircraft) from Russia, is using more aerial
tankers and is developing several UAVs.
China
is going to great lengths to develop a military aircraft industry.
Production technology is being purchased and installed in large
quantities. In addition to legally acquired stuff (mainly from Russia),
large quantities of technology is being stolen from the West, using an
extensive technical espionage network. China has made great strides in
the last ten years in the critical areas of jet engine manufacturing,
and aircraft electronics. China is still a second rate power in these
areas, but they understand they have to walk before they can run, and
at the moment, they are walking quite purposefully forward.
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