Day: July 25, 2019

(Xinhua)13:54, July 04, 2019

MINSK, July 3 (Xinhua) — The Guard of Honor of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday evening took part in Belarus Independence Day military parade in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk.

At the invitation of Belarusian Defense Ministry, the Chinese PLA sent a 96-member team to participate in the military parade which was held in downtown Minsk.

In total, more than 5,000 military personnel took part in the military parade, and over 280 wheeled and tracked vehicles were part of the mechanized column, and about 50 airplanes and helicopters were involved in the air parade.

Three units of Belarusian female soldiers, two from the army and one from the Internal Affairs Ministry, took part in the parade for the first time.

In December 1996, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed an ordinance to establish a state holiday – Belarus Independence Day. It is marked on the day Minsk was liberated from the Nazi invaders – July 3, 1944.

(Global Times)13:42, January 07, 2019

Chinas new stealth drone the Sky Hawk conducts takeoff and landing test at an undisclosed location and time. Photo: China Central Television

A video featuring Chinas flying saucer-like stealth drone, the Sky Hawk, was shown for the first time on China Central Television (CCTV) on Saturday, with leading military experts saying the technologies mastered by Chinese developers will allow the drone to fly faster, farther and avoid detection.

Independently developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, the Sky Hawk conducted a test flight at an undisclosed location in China, the CCTV report said.

The video showed the drone taking off and landing, marking the first time that the aircraft has been publicly seen in flight.

The drone reportedly first flew in February, but no video was available before Saturdays broadcast. It was on display at Airshow China 2018 in Zhuhai, South Chinas Guangdong Province in November but was never flown there.

The step-by-step revelations mean the drone is being developed and manufactured on schedule, and that China considers the drone feasible, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Featuring a flying wing aerodynamic design similar to the US B-2 stealth bomber, the Sky Hawk is a high-altitude, long-range and high-speed unmanned aerial vehicle capable of conducting reconnaissance and patrol missions in hostile environments, CCTV reported.

Controlling an aircraft with a flying wing design is much more difficult than controlling an aircraft with conventional design, Song noted. A turbofan engine on a flying wing aircraft allows it to fly much faster and farther compared with traditional turboprop or piston engine aircraft, he said.

Another Chinese stealth drone with a flying wing design, the CH-7, developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, was also on display at the air show. Its 22-meter wingspan makes it significantly larger than the Sky Hawk, providing another choice for domestic and international users.

The US has developed the X-47B stealth drone and run tests on aircraft carriers. Although the US project was suspended in favor of a stealth tanker drone, the US still has the edge in related technologies, Song said.

The Sky Hawk will also operate on Chinas future aircraft carriers that will use electromagnetic catapults, said a military expert who requested anonymity.

Electromagnetic catapults can launch a wide variety of aircraft, and since the Sky Hawk is smaller than the CH-7, it will be easier to use on an aircraft carrier, the expert told the Global Times.

Chinas new strategic bomber, the H-20, is expected to also use a flying wing aerodynamic design to gain stealth capability and other benefits.

(China Military Online)08:39, January 08, 2019

BEIJING, Jan. 7 (ChinaMil) — Naval and air force of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command conducted whole-process monitoring of a US warship that trespassed into Chinese territorial waters off the Xisha Islands without permission, and warned it to leave, a spokesperson of the command said on Monday.

The USS McCampbell, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer of the US Navy, trespassed on Monday into Chinese territorial waters off the Xisha Islands without permission of the Chinese government. The PLA Southern Theater Command soon sent naval ships and aircraft to identify and warn off the U.S. warship.

Senior colonel Li Huamin said in a statement that China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters, the provocation of the US warship infringed Chinas sovereignty, is a grave violation of Chinese law and relevant international law and also a grave threat to regional peace and stability.

We urge the US side immediately cease such provocative actions. The PLA Southern Theater Command will remain on high alert, closely monitor relevant maritime and air situations and resolutely safeguard Chinas sovereignty and security, he said.

(Global Times)08:50, January 08, 2019

Soldiers from the Peoples Liberation Army in Southwest Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region attend a training mobilization meeting with new vehicle-mounted howitzers. Photo: courtesy of the Peoples Liberation Army Ground Force

Soldiers from the Peoples Liberation Army in Southwest Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region attend a training mobilization meeting. Photo: courtesy of the Peoples Liberation Army Ground Force

The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) stationed in Southwest Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region has been equipped with new vehicle-mounted howitzers, which aims to boost their high-altitude combat capability to improve border security.

According to an article released by the WeChat account of the PLA Ground Force on Saturday, the PLA in the Tibet Military Command is equipped with the new howitzer, which Chinese military analysts said is supposed to be the PLC-181 vehicle mounted howitzer.

The equipment was used in an artillery brigade in Tibet during the 2017 China-India stand-off.

Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, confirmed with the Global Times Monday that the howitzer has a 52-caliber cannon with a range of over 50 kilometers and shoots laser-guided and satellite-guided projectiles.

It will boost the high-altitude combat capability of the PLA in Tibet, Song said.

As part of military training in 2019, an artillery brigade in the Tibet Military Command ordered soldiers to take part in a military skills competition at a training ground on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau 3,700 meters above sea level.

Video from the China News Service on Sunday shows soldiers engaged in military boxing, standstill shooting and firing in motion, as well as assembling guns on the snowfields to improve their attack capability.

Chinas border issue has not been completely resolved, and was challenged by pro-Tibet independence forces and terrorists, analyst noted.

Zhao Gancheng, director of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday that the military investment in Tibet has been rising, but is primarily meant for defense and not to provoke conflict with neighboring countries.

The PLA troops stationed in Tibet need to improve their combat capabilities in plateau areas and strengthen their willpower in extreme weather as they are primarily responsible for the border defense against terrorists and foreign invaders, he said.

To cope with altitude sickness, the PLA built oxygen stations for the soldiers in Tibet in 2015, which were used for medical purposes, but are now also being used in regularly training, according to a press release on the Ministry of National Defenses website in August 2018.

In August, an armored infantry of the Tibet Military Command conducted a drill on a plateau 4,800 meters above sea level, according to a report from chinanews.com.

By MuXiaoming (China Military Online)09:02, January 08, 2019

The UK is working on plans to build two new military bases in the Caribbean and Southeast Asia, said Britains Secretary of State for Defense Gavin Williamson in an interview. Gavin Williamson claimed that 鈥渨here we have economic interests, where we should have military presence鈥?

Overseas military bases have served as the 鈥渂ridgehead鈥?for the UK to safeguard its overseas interests, control strategic arteries, consolidate leadership position, and prevent other major powers from seeking sea power since modern times.

Some analysts pointed out that the UK鈥檚 plan of establishing two new overseas military bases and the previous British military revitalization plan mean that the UK is trying to strengthen its international presence after Brexit. Some also said that the move by the UK may further complicate the strategic situation in relevant regions.

The UK鈥檚 security environment has undergone major changes since it officially launched the Brexit process. In particular, the US President Donald Trump has contempt for NATO, demanding that NATO member states apportion more defense spending. This has intensified the UK鈥檚 anxiety about NATO鈥檚 future and increased the urgency to improve its defense capabilities.

British Ministry of Defense issued a report in December 2018, which argues that the world has returned to an era of fierce competition after 30 years of relative stability. In order to deter and defeat potential rivals, the UK should be able to deploy a 50,000-strong task force including an aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, which can carry F-35 stealth fighter jets, an army division with three brigades, one battle group consisting of fighter jets, transport aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft, and on especial operations force. At the same time, the UK must maintain at least one ballistic missile submarine at sea.

In fact, the deployment and adjustment of overseas military bases can be seen as a 鈥渂arometer鈥?reflecting Britain鈥檚 global military dominance and political influence. The past 300 years have witnessed a transformation of Britain鈥檚 strength from strong to weak. At present, its overseas military bases can only be found in Brunei, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, Cyprus, and some trust territories located at oceans.

However, the UK has always considered itself as the 鈥渟uzerain鈥?of the developing countries of the Commonwealth. Its ambition to maintain its status as a major power has enabled the UK to keep seeking maintenance its overseas military bases.

As early as in 2003, the British national defense white paper pointed out that its Royal Navy would pay more attention to the rapid delivery of military personnel and equipment than at any time in history.

In December 2014, the UK signed a military cooperation agreement with Bahrain. Accordingly, the UK has strengthened its military presence and established a permanent military base in Bahrain. This is the first time that the UK redeployed a military base in Bahrain since the withdrawal of British troops from the east of the Suez Canal in 1971.

The re-establishment of a military base in Bahrain can neither reinvigorate Britain鈥檚 one-time national prestige nor reverse its downward momentum. However, it reflects the geopolitical ambition of Britain in the new era.

Seen from the operational level, given that the British territory is small and narrow and its domestic climate, topography and natural conditions are not diverse, it is not suitable for British armed forces to carry out combat training under various natural conditions. Overseas bases make up for this disadvantage. Hence, the new overseas military bases are of great significance to the British armed forces that intend to reinvigorate its strategic influence.

However, Williamson鈥檚 claim to build overseas military bases was criticized by the British Conservative Party and the opposition party, saying that Williamson showed his ambition and ignorance. They also asked him where his budget would comefrom.

Some media questioned the feasibility of the plan.They argued that although the UK is ambitious and hopes to restore its past glory as a global power, it remains to be seen whether the UK has the capability to build more overseas bases while struggling with austerity budget for many years to maintain a strong military deterrence.