RMN super lynx on PLAN ship

Pakistan, China in pact to keep JF-17 tech away from US, India: report



China and Pakistan have a pact to keep the technology of their jointly developed JF-17 Thunder multirole combat aircraft away from the United States and India because of its superiority to America's F-16 fighter jet, claims the Beijing-based Sina Military Network.

The Block II variation of the JF-17, known as the FC-1 Xiaolong by China, recently entered into service for the "Minhas" No. 2 squadron of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The new and improved configuration of the lightweight fighter jet is said to include improved avionics and better software, as well as a fixed air-to-air refueling probe.

Minhas is the third PAF squadron to be upgraded to the JF-17, which is expected to replace the F-7P, a Chinese-made fighter that can be equipped with C-802A anti-ship missiles.

The JF-17 features an aerodynamic shape similar to the US Navy's F/A-18 and is powered by a high fuel efficiency Russian RD-93 afterburning turbofan. The aircraft's flight performance is said to be far superior to that of second-generation fighters, with its climb rate, maneuvering speed and acceleration making up for a relatively low top speed of Mach 1.6.

While the RD-93 is not regarded as advanced given it was originally developed for the Soviet MiG-29 fighter, the engine is considered stable and reliable, with PAF air commodore Khalid Mahmood, head of the JF-17 sales and marketing team, adding that they have never experienced any problems with it after more than 7,000 hours of use.

Chinese engineers are reportedly continuing to look for ways to lighten the weight and streamline the aircraft. One new advancement is pairing an RD-93 with a so-called divergent supersonic air intake, which is said to be lighter, easier to maintain, and minimizes the JF-17's already low radar signals.

Recent photos of the JF-17 show the jet carrying two CM-400AKG high-speed air-to-surface missiles. Mahmood notes that the aircraft features flexible weapons stations that enables the JF-17 to be equipped with any weapon purchased on the open market.

Though the JF-17 can carry up to four SD-10 radar-guided air-to-air missiles, Mahmood states that the preference of the PAF is to use the space and weight for additional fuel tanks. The standard configuration of the JF-17 is therefore currently two SD-10s and two to three 1,000-liter external fuel tanks in addition to the 800-liter tank in the abdomen of the aircraft, he added.

According to the Sina Military report, expert comparisons between the JF-17 and the US F-16 have the Chinese-Pakistani aircraft dominating, adding that it is akin to a featherweight knocking out a heavyweight. The US has tried to get its hands on the JF-17 to analyze why that is the case but has been turned down by Pakistan because of a deal with China to never share the jet's technology with the US or India, the report added.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclas...01&MainCatID=11

Although aluminium is lighter than steel, at the same time you need 3x the thickness of a steel plate to have the same level of protection. Dunno how much exactly does aluminium armor is worth it in terms of manufacturing capability and costs in contrast to steel armor. Also heard aluminium armor more vulnerable to HEAT warhead too, something have to do with having a lower temperature threshold making it easier for the plasma jetstream to puncture through.

This post has been edited by BorneoAlliance: Sep 20 2015, 07:06 PM

really on a budget... lelz

4 Kazakh soldiers drown during military exercise





[sos]

aluminium alone is very weak against rpg and I doubt it can withstand HE shells either, deswai modern aluminium armor now comes with another layer ceramic armor

something to think about as rpg equipped infantry section is becoming a norm nowadays, including ours

if your artillery is under RPG fire you're doing something wrong!

Counter-battery fire is also a concern for artillery units. Having decent protection is important in SPG design, if not you only have is an artillery gun on tracks.

Yeah I know. The joke is about other kinds of fire.

Not really a joke though, infiltration units like SF or irregular units can knock out artillery units with hit-and-run raids, especially field artillery not inside the protection of an FOB.

Assault on Brecourt manor on D-day by 101st airborne is a good example.

http://scandasia.com/milestone-for-gripen-...0-flight-hours/

if that's the case armor n lightly armored makes not much of a diff

Thats true, and thats for the army to assess the risk, perhaps balancing against factors like transportability, magazine size, etc.

The bit about SF infiltrators is actually quite relevant. Some countries plan to deploy SF units via air assault ahead of their army to cause trouble behind enemy lines. Artillery, supplies and depots would make great targets. Maybe thats why these countries also take care to armour their SPGs well.