Category: military

By LengShumeiandLiuXuanzun (Global Times)07:33, May 07, 2019

Photo: Xinhua

A military spokesperson said that the Peoples Liberation Army will stay on high alert and take all necessary measures to protect national sovereignty and security and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, after two US ships illegally entered the area.

Senior Colonel Li Huamin, a spokesperson of the Southern Theater Command of the Peoples Liberation Army, made the remarks after they discovered US guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung Hoon traveling close to the Nansha Islands on Monday.

The command had identified and warned the ships to leave in accordance with laws, Li said in a statement released on the commands WeChat account on Monday afternoon.

China owns indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters, Li noted.

Geng Shuang, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, expressed Chinas strong discontent and firm opposition to the US destroyers behavior at a routine press conference on Monday. The behavior violated Chinas sovereignty, disturbed regional peace and stability, he noted.

The two destroyers traveled within 12 nautical miles of the Nancun and Chigua reefs in the Nansha Islands, according to Geng.

The situation in the South China Sea is improving thanks to the efforts of China and ASEANcountries, Geng said, urging the US to stop such provocative operations.

The operations are the latest of the US to threaten Chinas sovereignty in the South China Sea under the name of freedom of navigation, which experts said is just an excuse for the US to stir up tensions in the region and contain China.

The US excuse of freedom of navigation does not stand because international law never allowed US warships to freely enter another countrys territorial waters, Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, told the Global Times on Monday.

As you can see, the situation in the South China Sea has already stabilized. Countries directly involved, including the Philippines, all agreed to peacefully solve the problems through dialogue and negotiations, and these countries are now focusing on economic cooperation, Zhang noted.

Countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei sent naval vessels to China in April, joining the celebrations of the PLA Navys 70th anniversary. Following the celebrations, China held a joint naval exercise with the Southeast Asian countries in Qingdao, East Chinas Shandong Province, from April 24-26.

These show that countries around the South China Sea want peace and stability in the region, which is being sabotaged by US actions, according to Zhang.

(Xinhua)09:27, May 09, 2019

ZHANJIANG, Guangdong, May 8 (Xinhua) — China and Thailands naval forces on Wednesday concluded a week-long joint training exercise at a military port in Zhanjiang, south Chinas Guangdong Province.

Seven naval ships, five observers and more than 1,000 soldiers from both sides participated in the program which included training at the port area and maritime training.

The program was a new starting point for the naval forces of both sides to jointly tackle security threats and safeguard regional peace and stability, said Huang Fengzhi, commander of Chinese participating forces.

The joint training aims to improve friendly and pragmatic cooperation between the two naval forces and enhance their capability to cope with maritime security threats, according to a statement released when the program was launched.

(Global Times)18:36, May 09, 2019

Helicopter drones developed by Ziyan UAV are capable of forming an intelligent swarm and launch coordinated attacks. Photo: Courtesy of Ziyan UAV

Chinas domestically developed helicopter drones carrying proximity explosive mortar shells, grenade launchers and machine guns can now form swarms and engage in coordinated strikes.

The intelligent swarming attack technology enables as many as 10 unmanned helicopter drones to autonomously form up into a swarm, reads a statement Guangdong-based Zhuhai Ziyan UAV company, the developer of the technology, sent to the Global Times on Thursday.

With a single push of a button, the drones can autonomously take off, avoiding colliding in the air and find their way to their designated target. Once they receive an order to attack, they will engage the target autonomously in a coordinate manner.

Upon finishing a mission, the system will lead the drones back to base and land automatically, the statement said.

The operator does not need to expose himself or herself in a dangerous frontline as the drones can easily be controlled remotely, the company said.

The 10 drones can be a combination of different types, including those that can drop proximity explosive mortar shells, while others can carry grenade launchers, or make suicide attacks, Liu Liyuan, a spokesperson of the company, told the Global Times.

Pictured is the Blowfish A3, a new helicopter drone equipped with a light machine gun. Photo: Courtesy of Ziyan UAV

Ziyan is also developing a new helicopter drone, the 2 meter-long, 0.5 meter-wide Blowfish A3. It can carry multiple types of machine guns and features a different aerodynamic design allowing the gun to shoot at more angles mid-flight, according to the statement.

The company had previously showcased the Blowfish A2 in multiple arms exhibitions since 2018. It can carry multiple 60 millimeter mortar shells or a 35-40 millimeter grenade launcher.

Other helicopter drones include the Infiltrator, which can launch rockets and missiles, and the Parus S1, which sacrifices itself to blow up the target, the company said.

The swarming attack technology was first displayed at the IDEF19 arms exhibition held in Turkey from April 30 to May 3, the company said. The company has had numerous inquiries from multiple foreign companies, Liu said.

(Xinhua)17:09, May 10, 2019

PYONGYANG, May 10 (Xinhua) — Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), guided the strike drill of defense units of the Korean Peoples Army in the forefront area and on the western front on Thursday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Friday.

At the command post, Kim learned about a plan of the strike drill of various long-range strike means and gave an order to start the drill, the report said, without giving details.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday that two projectiles were launched at around 4:30 p.m. from Sino-ri in the DPRKs North Pyongan Province in an eastward direction. It said Pyongyang was believed to have test-launched two short-range missiles, which were estimated to have flown around 420 km and 270 km.

The successful drill of deployment and strike designed to inspect the ability of rapid reaction of the defense units in the forefront area and on the western front fully showed the might of the units, KCNA said.

According to the report, Kim stressed the need to further increase the capability of the defense units to carry out combat tasks and keep full combat posture to cope with any emergency as required by the prevailing situation.

The drill came less than a week after Kim guided the strike drill of defense units in the forefront area and on the eastern front on Saturday.

The DPRK on Thursday issued two statements defending its weapon tests as self-defensive.

(Xinhua)08:38, May 13, 2019

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) — The General Office of the Central Military Commission (CMC) has issued a provisional plan to further regulate military expenditure.

The plan stated a standard procedure for the settlement and reimbursement of expenditures for military units and clarified the duties and responsibilities of different departments.

It also gave specific requirements on the review and approval of financial practice and asked for improved supervision and transparency of the process.

The regulation can help strictly check military expenditure and reduce financial malpractices in the military, according to sources with the General Logistics Department of the CMC.

(Global Times)10:43, May 13, 2019

China is expected to build even more guided missile destroyers, Chinese military analysts said on Sunday as China launched two Type 052D guided missile destroyers on Friday in Dalian, a coastal city in Northeast Chinas Liaoning Province.

Decked with Chinese national flags, the two Type 052D destroyers were launched in the Dalian Shipyard on Friday with the assistance of tug boats, marking the 19th and 20th of launches of their kind, news website wenweipo.com reported on Friday.

China now has 20 Type 052Ds either in active service or being fitted out for service soon, the report said.

Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, told the Global Times on Sunday that 20 would not be the end for the ships development, and China might have more than 30 in the future.

The platform [of the Type 052D] is pretty reliable and it uses very mature technologies. These make it suitable for mass production, Wei said, noting that the destroyers will play crucial roles in Chinas fleet air defense system.

The domestically developed Type 052D destroyer saw significant upgrades on its predecessor, the Type 052C.

It is equipped with weapons and equipment including advanced active electronically scanned array radar systems and 64 vertical launch missile cells.

The ship is capable of undertaking missions including escort and air defense, experts said.

Dalian Shipyards double launch of the Type 052Ds on Friday came after another double launch in July 2018.

The vessels launched back then were two Type 055s, Chinas more advanced destroyer featuring a displacement of more than 10,000 tons and 112 vertical launch missile cells.

China has planned eight Type 055s for the first batch, Upolitics, a WeChat account run by Beijing Youth Daily, reported.

The Type 055 made its parade debut on April 23, when the Peoples Liberation Army Navy celebrated its 70th anniversary.

Though the Type 055 seems superior to the Type 052D in all ways, Chinese analysts said the former would not replace the latter anytime soon.

The Type 055 destroyer can provide stronger air defense umbrellas to, for example, an aircraft carrier combat group, but it is not necessary to dispatch a ship with its caliber for every single mission, because for many the smaller and less expensive Type 052D would suffice, Wei said.

The US Navy currently operates more than 60 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and more than 20 Ticonderoga-class cruisers.

(Xinhua)08:23, May 14, 2019

BRUSSELS, May 13 (Xinhua) — The Europeans Union (EU) and member states foreign ministers told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any escalation on the military side with Iran, the EUs top diplomat Federica Mogherini said.

Mike Pompeo heard that very clearly from us, not only from myself, but also from the other ministers of EU member states, that we are living in crucial, delicate moments, where the most responsible attitude to take is — and we believe should be — maximum restraint, and avoiding any escalation on the military side, she told an evening press briefing.

During a meeting between France, Germany and the United Kingdom, we discussed the ways in which we can further advance on for instance the operationalisation of INSTEX to have first transactions in the hopefully next few weeks, Mogherini added.

INSTEX, short for the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges, is established by three shareholders — France, Germany and the United Kingdom — and backed by the EU to overcome U.S. sanctions and conduct trade with Iran.

There is full determination on the EU side, and also all the member states expressed that today very clearly, on continuing to implement in full the nuclear deal with Iran, she said.

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said in the White House that What they (Iran) should be doing is calling me up, sitting down; we can make a deal, a fair deal.

Pomepo didnt request the Europeans to tell Iran to make phone calls to the U.S., Mogherini said at the press briefing when asked by a reporter.

Earlier on Monday morning, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned in Brussels that the standoff between Iran and the United States could trigger an unintended conflict.

We are very worried about a conflict, about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended on either side, Hunt told reporters, adding I think there is a real concern that escalation is unintended could end up with a much more serious situation.

Tensions have been rising lately in the Gulf, with the U.S. sending an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the region.

The U.S., under President Trump, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. The deal, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, was reached in 2015 between Iran, China, France, Russia, Britain, United States, and Germany.

The European signatories still support the deal and have vowed to sidestep U.S. sanctions re-imposed after its withdrawal.

(Global Times)15:39, May 14, 2019

Two ZTD-05 advanced amphibious assault vehicles (AAAVs) attached to a brigade under the PLA 74th Group Army fire at mock targets during a live-fire training exercise on May 10, 2018. Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn

China recently conducted a maritime exercise featuring what is being hailed as the worlds most advanced medium-sized amphibious assault vehicle, the ZTD-05s, a weapon that can join amphibious landing ships in land assault missions.

With the ZTD-05s and other domestically designed hardware, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) is well positioned to deal with Taiwan secessionists and potential island disputes, analysts said on Monday.

The evaluation exercise, conducted by the 74th Group Army of the PLA, was held recently in the eastern part of South Chinas Guangdong Province. Multiple types of amphibious vehicles entered the sea and ran through various training exercises, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Saturday.

Multiple ZTD-05 amphibious assault vehicles took part in the exercise.

The ZTD-05 is a domestically made, high-speed amphibious assault vehicle and is the most advanced medium-sized amphibious assault vehicle in the world, CCTV reported.

Equipped with a 105-millimeter tank cannon and capable of firing while at sea, the ZTD-05 is highly stable and can reach speeds of 40 kilometers an hour on water, china.com.cn reported.

The highly mobile vehicle has very lethal fire power, CCTV said. The ZTD-05 can be dispatched for land assaults, or join the PLA Navys amphibious landing ships for other types of military operations, the broadcasters report noted.

The PLA Navy also has the Type 071 amphibious transport dock and Type 072 landing ship. China is reportedly also developing the Type 075 amphibious assault ship.

The exercise came after a US Department of Defense report released earlier this month. It said China lacks adequate amphibious capabilities. Some Western reports claimed that the Chinese mainland is not capable of launching an assault on the island of Taiwan.

Chinas amphibious landing capabilities may indeed lag behind those of the US, but this will not impact Chinas ability to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, told the Global Times on Monday.

There would be no problem for the mainland to crush Taiwan secessionists scheme should they attempt to separate from the mainland, Zhang said.

The PLA holds an overwhelming advantage over the islands military forces, military experts say.

(Global Times)10:16, May 15, 2019

No need to go to big hospitals far away, as a recently established 5G remote ultrasonic clinic improves medical support for army personnel and residents on the islands in the South China Sea while reducing costs.

Since the remote clinic started operations in April, 62 military personnel and civilians have benefited from the 5G remote ultrasound outpatient service. Among them are 58 servicemen and women stationed on Xisha Islands, who underwent abdominal and gynecological check-ups and emergency services without leaving the island, PLA Daily reported on Tuesday.

The clinic allows troops and residents living on the islands in the South China Sea suffering from health problems get timely medical treatment via 5G technology, it reported.

L眉 Faqin, the doctor of the ultrasonic clinic, was quoted by the PLA Daily as saying that when troops suffer from injuries or emergency symptoms, they could receive diagnosis and treatment within 24 hours with the 5G technology.

Doctors from the Hainan Hospital of the Peoples Liberation Army General Hospital, based in Sanya could remotely monitor their conditions.

Doctors can remotely operate the mechanical arm in real time at the patient end.

Through 5G technology, images can be transmitted in real time and precise positioning can be achieved for remote ultrasonic examination and treatment. Doctors and patients can also communicate through voice and video.

The clinic would solve the problem of the lack of ultrasound doctors in the South China Sea, Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the Hainan-based National Institute for the South China Sea, told the Global Times.

When there is no such clinic, patients in urgent need of medical attention were always being airlifted to other hospitals and even other provinces such as Guangdong, according to Chen.

Chen noted it costs five to 10 hours, depending on weather conditions, to dispatch a military aircraft and transfer the patient in the South China Sea to nearest hospitals, usually those in Sanya and Haikou.

There are two major hospitals in the South China Sea – one in the Yongshu Reef of the Nansha Islands and the other on Yongxing Island of the Xisha Islands, media reported.

A patient from Xisha Islands was diagnosed with acute calculi obstruction by using 5G remote ultrasound technology. It only took two minutes to diagnose the patients symptoms.

The next morning, the remote ultrasonic robot found that the patients stone had been discharged.

The Hainan Hospital in Sanya will also program robots to launch remote ultrasonic checks to monitor the daily training of the soldiers, and develop more remote clinics for the solders and other residents in the South China Sea, said the PLA Daily report.