New J-20 stealth fighter prototype undergoes taxiing tests



Concept art shows a squadron of J-20 stealth fighters being awesome. (Photo/CFP)

The latest prototype of the Chengdu J-20, China's fifth-generation stealth fighter, with the temporary tail number "2016" has begun taxiing tests recently, according to Sina's military news web portal.

There are at present seven prototypes of the aircraft, which had its maiden test flight in early 2011. The main mission of the prototype with the initial tail number "2001" was to undertake a maiden flight and to test the aircraft's aerodynamic structure and stealth capabilities. The prototype which originally had the tail number "2002" (now been repainted as "2004") was used mainly to test avionics, as well as the hydraulics and the pneumatics of the weapons bay. Later it was also used to test bomb drops.

Another two prototypes have not conducted test flights, including what is now the "2002" and the "2003," and have likely been used for static strength tests, ground-based radar cross-section tests, fatigue tests and the "iron bird" test platform. Six prototypes have previously carried out flight tests, the "2001," the "2002," (now the "2004") and the 2011, as well as three newer prototypes with the tail numbers "2012," "2013" and "2015."

The next batch of prototypes will halt use of simulated flight systems, fly-by-wire control systems, electronic warfare systems and pneumatics, which will all be actually installed within the craft, to allow for more comprehensive test flights, according to commentators.

The current J-20 prototypes are equipped with an electro-optical distributed aperture system (EODAS) similar to that of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. They are also equipped with the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar developed for the J-20 over a number of years by the Nanjing Electronic Technology Research Institute, also known as the No. 14 Institute. The AESA radar is similar in its specs to the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-77 low probability of intercept radar installed on the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the AN/APG-79 developed for the US Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Boeing EA-18G Growler.

The next batch of J-20 prototypes will reportedly be equipped with imported Russian AL-31FN series 3 engines. The engine's specs are similar to the AL-31F M1 and are equipped with a full authority digital electronics control (FADEC) system. As research and development on the domestically built Xian WS-15 engine has fallen well behind, with the engine not even having undergone high-altitude test flights, it is unlikely to be installed in the first production batch of the J-20.

The first batch of J-20s to enter into production will be handed over to the PLA Air Force test flight and training center in Cangzhou and will be handed over to frontline air force units in 2017. It is expected to achieve initial operational capable (IOC) status in 2019. This batch will likely be equipped with Russian-made AL31F-M2 or AL-41F1S engines until around 2020. The domestic WS-15 will likely mature in time to be installed in the second batch of J-20s to be manufactured, which will be called the J-20A.

There has been continuous bad news emerging about the T-50 prototype of the Russian fifth-generation Sukhoi PAK FA fighter. The T-50 is reportedly inferior to the J-20 in terms of its avionics, the material used to make the plane and its stealth capabilities, and it iss uncertain whether it will enter service at all. Production of the US F-22 has halted after 187 planes came off the line and many of the aircraft have been grounded due to a problem with its oxygen supply systems. The F-35 has faced interminable delays and its overall capabilities do not seem to match up to the T-50, never mind the J-20.

If China's air force were to be equipped with 500 J-20s, it would rank first among the world's air forces, according to the website. The J-20 does not currently have a carrier-based variant and China is yet to establish an overseas air base, so its primary objective will likely be to protect China's airspace and air defense capabilities.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclas...=20150916000062

Saudi Navy Set to Order American Littoral Combat Ships



The frigates sale will be the cornerstone of the modernization of the Royal Saudi Navy's eastern fleet and its aging US warships in the Arabian Gulf.

A letter of request from the Saudi Navy that detailed requirements for the program was signed in early August, the source said, and the Saudis have asked the US Navy and Lockheed to complete a letter of agreement by November, Defense News reported.

The deal calls for four frigates capable of hosting Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters.

Saudi and US officials also are finalizing a $1.9 billion deal to buy 10 MH-60R helicopters, which can be used for anti-submarine warfare and other missions. Lockheed is in the process acquiring Sikorsky.

The ships are also expected to be fitted with a vertical launch system that can accommodate surface-to-air missiles.

The entire Eastern Fleet expansion program is expected to cost between $16 billion and $20 billion and also includes patrol boats, three maritime patrol aircraft, and 30 to 50 unmanned aerial vehicles, Defense News Reported.

The four large frigates are expected to take up about 20-25% of the total cost. Saudi Arabia earlier this year budgeted $3.5 billion for the program, money that needs to be spent in calendar 2015.

The deal, if finalized, would mark the first international sale of a US littoral combat ship.

The Saudi Navy's expansion program has been in the works for years, but US sources say Saudi Arabia's concerns about Iran have accelerated the effort.

In July, world powers and Iran reached a deal aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions. Regional neighbors worry about the threat posed by a financially strong Iran.

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150916/1027047609.html

New U.S. Military Chip Self Destructs on Command





http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/computi...ucts-on-command

Royal Navy aims to put laser 'death ray' on ships by 2020






http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/se...nnon-ships-2020

This post has been edited by BorneoAlliance: Sep 16 2015, 07:56 PM

Cost of War Machines: Russian Armata Vs US Abrams



The General Director of ‘Uralvagonzavod’ Corporation, Oleg Sienko, said that the cost to mass produce the T-14 Armata will be 250 million rubles (3.7 million dollars).

Earlier it was reported that the cost would be around 500 million rubles, but as Sienko explained those rumors were due to the fact that the production of one item is always much higher than mass production.

The cost of the Armata’s rival, the US Abrams M1A2 SEP, is estimated at 8.5 million dollars.

Russia's armed forces will have 2,300 tanks by 2025. The first experimental batch of tanks, which was constructed in a short time for the May 9 Victory Parade in Red Square, will be handed over to the army in 2016.

According to a member of the expert council of the Military-Industrial Commission, Victor Murakhovski, the T-14 Armata’s technical parameters considerably exceed its American rival.

“If you compare on paper specifications, the Armata’s firepower efficiency and armor protection exceeds Abrams by 30-40%. As for the price, it is necessary to consider that when purchasing the tank there is also set of ammunition, training aids, maintenance facilities, and crew training and so on. As a result, a tank would be much more expensive, if it was based on an individual piece of equipment,” Murakhovski explained.

He further elaborated, “The Abrams overall cost adds up to 10-11 million dollars. They are in service in the United States, Australia and some of them are present in Egypt. But the last modification of the so-called uranium armor is only available in the US.”

Regarding the innovation of the Armata, the expert said that the main thing today is the protection of the crew, its survival and the possibility of gaining combat experience.

“The unmanned turret on the Armata was made for one simple reason. Today the technical means of automatic target tracking and identification greatly exceeds the human capability. It is therefore not necessary for a person to perform such functions, as they are better performed by devices,” the military expert said.

According to him, Russian electronics mounted on combat vehicles demonstrate satisfactory reliability.

Earlier it was reported that Russia's cutting edge piece of military equipment would not remain static. Its designers said that the Armata could well become the world’s first unmanned tank.

http://sputniknews.com/military/20150916/1...itary-cost.html

This post has been edited by BorneoAlliance: Sep 16 2015, 10:36 PM

Design the Jet Engine of the Future, Win $2 Million





http://www.livescience.com/52176-air-force...ne-contest.html

Download A Hard Look at Hard Power: Assessing the Defense Capabilities of Key U.S. Allies and Security Partners here. http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.....cfm?pubID=1270

This post has been edited by BorneoAlliance: Sep 16 2015, 11:31 PM

BAE Systems reveals next-generation fighter pilot helmet



BAE Systems has begun trialling the Striker II – its next-generation, most advanced fighter pilot helmet ever. It will feature a brand new helmet-mounted display (HMD) that will deliver digital night vision and the latest target tracking technology, which will look to replace traditional night vision goggles.

"Striker II has a high-definition, lightweight night vision camera which translates information and displays it on the helmet's visor. This removes the need for heavy night vision goggles which increase g-force pressures on the head and neck, limiting the pilot's manoeuvrability in the cockpit," said Peter Kosogorin, test pilot for BAE Systems."The helmet provides a clear and accurate visual display and a seamless transition from day to night, eliminating the need to manually configure and adjust night vision goggles."

Mark Bowen, chief test pilot, calls the helmet an evolution in technology and explains that previously pilots would be restricted by having to put night vision in front of the eyes. Now with a night vision camera built into the helmet it allows the pilot a clearer field of view and the ability to see through the aircraft with digital information displayed on the visor.

The tracking system is also one of the most sophisticated ever with a 40 degree field of view and the pilot's head position and computer system continuously in sync without lag when tracking targets and positioning them on to the visor – something older HMDs have suffered from. The pilot will be able to see a view of terrain and all obstacles in the flight path even if visibility is low outside the aircraft with vital precision and speed.

The digital night vision capability is being put through a series of night flight trials in Typhoon aircraft from its Military Air & Information business in Warton, Lancashire.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bae-systems-revea...-helmet-1519959

PLA may use electric reactive armor on tanks: Global Times



A PLA Type 99 main battle tank. (Internet photo)

The People's Liberation Army may eventually equip its main battle tanks with electric reactive armor to prevent damage from anti-tank weapons, reports China's Global Times.

Electric reactive armor is usually made of two electrical plates separated by an insulator to make a high-power capacitor. When a tank using the armor is hit by an incoming object such as a rocket or missile, it will discharge electricity from the capacitor to vaporize the object. The discharge is claimed to be powerful to turn the incoming object into plasma, said the report.

From the Chinese perspective, the electric reactive armor is the best available defensive technology for tanks in the world and China is now capable of developing it, the report said.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclas...=20150916000089

Sighting of R-166-0.5 signals vehicle affirms inflow of Russian military into Syria





https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2015/09/16/...ary-into-syria/

Syrian Military Using New Weapons From Russia — Military Source





http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/531299.html

Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA Fighters Expected to Join 2016 Drills



MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The T-50 is currently undergoing flight tests that have so far been successful.

"The first T-50s should enter into service in 2016. We haven’t drafter the drill plans for next year yet, but, believe me, it [the plane]…will be immediately tested in all its capabilities in all the different types of exercises," Bondarev said.

T-50 will become the first operational stealth aircraft for the Russian Air Force and will incorporate advanced avionics and all-digital flight systems.

"I think that during exercises it [T-50] will also show itself from the best perspective," Bondarev told journalists adding that the plane is "excellent" and has "vast capabilities" that Russia is pinning high hopes on.

Production of the Russian next-generation fighter is planned to begin in 2016.

http://sputniknews.com/science/20150918/1027173091.html

Ukraine to help establish aircraft engine production base in China




The 16th China Aviation Expo kicked off at the China National Convention Center in Beijing on Sept. 16, according to US-based Duowei News.

Beijing Skyrizon Aviation Industry Investment Company, Ukrainian aircraft and helicopter engine manufacturer Motor Sich and Ukrainian state aircraft engine design bureau Ivchenko-Progress ZMKB shared a stage at the expo for the first time, according to the website.

Ukraine and China are reportedly set to begin comprehensive cooperation on an engine production base in China, in an attempt to work together in the global market.

Motor Sich, based in Zaporizhzhia, was founded in 1907. It is currently one of the world's largest aircraft engine producers and is the only one in Ukraine capable of producing engines for fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and industrial turbofan engines. Currently most of the company's engines are used in transport aircraft and helicopters.

Its AI and D series engines have been adopted by Ilyushin Il-18 passenger airliners, Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft, Soviet Beriev Be-12 turboprop-powered amphibious aircraft, Antonov An-10 passenger planes, An-12/32/24/26/30 transport planes, Yakovlev Yak-40 transport planes, Aero L-39 Albatros jet trainers, Yak-42 transport planes, An-72/74 transport planes, An-124/225 heavy-duty transport planes, An-140 transport planes, Tupolev Tu-334 passenger airliners and Be-200 amphibious airplanes.

The company has also provided turbofan engines for helicopters including the Kamov Ka-27, the Ka-28, the Ka-29, the Ka-31, the Ka-32, the Ka-50, the Ka-50-2, the Ka-52, the Mil Mi-8, the Mi-14, the Mi-17, the Mi-171, the Mi-172, the Mi-24, the Mi-25, the Mi-26, the Mi-28 and the Mi-35. The company has also played a key role in the development of missile engines, designing engines for the Russian Kh-35 subsonic anti-ship missile, the Kh-55 subsonic air-launched cruise missile and the Kh-59 Ovod TV-guided cruise missile.

Ivchenko-Progress ZMKB focuses more on technological research and development. In the past 70 years, the company has developed engines for 54 kinds of aircraft in 122 countries. The An-70 uses the company's D-27 engine, for example.

At least two Chinese-made aircrafts are using engines manufactured by Ukrainian companies. The first is the PLA Air Force variant of the K-8 intermediate jet trainer and light attack aircraft, the Hongdu JL-8. Although the K-8 is equipped with a US-made Garrett TFE731-2A-2A turbofan engine, the PLAAF variant is equipped with an Ivchenko AI-25 turbofan engines.

The second Ukrainian engine installed in Chinese planes is the Ivchenko-Progress AI-222-25 low-bypass turbofan engine, designed by Ivchenko and manufactured by Motor Sich. The AI-222-25 is based on the Lotarev DV-2, which was developed for the Yak-130. The AI-222-25F variant was developed specifically to meet the demands of the Hongdu L-15 supersonic training and light attack aircraft. There are some obstacles to the continuing supply of the AI-222-25 to China, as the engine was produced jointly by a Ukrainian company and a Russian company, which has stopped providing components to the former after the Russian annexation of Crimea. This has forced the Ukraine to attempt to make the components itself, which may take some time.

The construction of the engine production base is likely to boost China's helicopter industry, according to an expert cited by the website, particularly when it comes to rotors, engines and reduction drives. It will also allow the country to produce engines for Mi-17 helicopters domestically, replacing the Motor Sich TV3-117 engines currently in use. It will also allow China the research and development capability to replace the outdated D-30 engine for China's Xi'an Y-20 large military transport aircraft.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclas...=20150918000084

PressTV-Yemen army enters Saudi military bases



The Yemeni army, backed by popular committees, has entered Saudi military bases in the kingdom’s southwestern region of Asir.

The video footage released by Yemen's al-Masirah television network on Friday showed Yemeni forces advancing into Saudi military bases in the region, destroying the vehicles and equipment of the Saudi army.

The Saudi soldiers, who could not resist the Yemeni offensive, fled the area, reports added.

The attack was part of Yemen’s retaliatory measures against Saudi Arabia over Riyadh's unabated military campaign in the impoverished Arab country.

Earlier in the day, Saudi Arabia’s aerial aggression claimed the lives of 18 civilians from two Yemeni families in Sa’ada Province in the northwest of the war-ridden country.

Saudi fighter jets pounded residential areas and a stadium in the Yemeni capital city of Sana’a, killing more than ten people, including several women and children.

The airstrikes also targeted a military base in the east and a broadcaster building in the north of the capital.

Saudi airborne assaults further struck positions in the central Yemeni province of Ibb, killing and injuring several civilians.

The Saudi attacks also left one dead and three others injured in Kamaran island located at the southern end of the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, reports say that the areas surrounding the presidential palace in the southwestern province of Ta’izz are the scene of fierce clashes between the Ansarullah fighters of the Houthi movement and militants loyal to Yemen’s fugitive former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

The foreign-backed militants have so far failed to take control of the palace despite aerial support provided by Saudi warplanes.

On March 26, Saudi Arabia began its aggression against Yemen – without a UN mandate – in a bid to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement and restore power to Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh.

According to the UN, the conflict has so far left about 4,500 people dead and thousands of others wounded. Local Yemeni sources, however, say the fatality figure is much higher.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/09/18/42...izz-Mansur-Hadi

Japan approved sending its military abroad for the first time since World War II





http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-just-...ii-2015-9?IR=T&

Russian Combat Jets Spotted in Syria





http://www.voanews.com/content/russia-eyei...ia/2968799.html

Chinese armed forces arrive in Malaysia for joint military exercise



Chinese navy fleets arrive for the military exercise coded "Peace and Friendship 2015" jointly held by China and Malaysia, in Pelaboham Kelang, Malaysia, Sept. 17, 2015. (Photo: Xinhua/Jiang Shan)

Chinese navy fleets arrived here on Thursday for a military exercise jointly held by China and Malaysia.

The drill, coded "Peace and Friendship 2015," is conducted according to consensus reached between high-level military leaders of the two countries.

It includes exercises for joint escort, joint search and rescue, hijacked vessel rescue, weapons use, humanitarian rescue and disaster relief.

So far, Chinese armed forces participating in the mission have all successfully reached the exercising area.

The Chinese navy fleets left a port in Sanya in south China's Hainan Province on Sept. 12.

The medical team for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations arrived in Malaysia's Subang Airport on Wednesday by Chinese military aircraft.

The engineering team arrived on September 7 and has started the joint exercise with the Malaysian side according to plan.

It is the first joint drill between the two armed forces and also the largest bilateral military exercise between China and a country from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

http://www.ecns.cn/military/2015/09-18/181628.shtml

Let’s Pretend: What Happens If the US and China Clash in the Pacific?



The recently released 430-page report written by 14 scholars on military strategy focuses strictly on military might. Ignoring political policy issues, "US-China Military Scorecard: Forces, Geography, and the Evolving Balance of Power, 1997-2017" considers two hypothetical scenarios – a Spratly islands campaign and a Chinese invasion of Taiwan – to gauge which side would win.

Chinese Air Base Attack

While the Chinese military had only a handful of short-range ballistic missiles in 1997, that number has now risen sharply. With nearly 1,400 in Beijing’s arsenal, those missiles could easily cripple the Kadena Air Base, a US installation on the island of Okinawa.

"Committed attacks might close a single base for weeks," the report reads, and that could dramatically increase the distance that the US Air Force would be required to travel. Forcing the US military to operate out of Alaska, Guam, or Hawaii could give China more time to react to offensive maneuvers.

US vs. Chinese Air Superiority

Beijing has seen a rapid improvement in its air force, modernizing half of its fighter jets. According to RAND, the two nations’ capabilities in the air are almost comparable, with a slight advantage given to the US.

Still, in protecting Taiwan during a hypothetical invasion in 2017, "US commanders would be unable to find the basing required for US forces to prevail in a seven-day campaign," the report reads.

While the US could gain an advantage if it drew out such an operation into a longer campaign, that action could also put ground and naval troops at a greater risk.

US Airspace Penetration

The Chinese military has added a large number of surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems since 1997. With nearly 200 now in Beijing’s arsenal, as well as improved air detection systems, US aircraft would have a difficult time operating in the Taiwan scenario, given its proximity to the Chinese mainland and those defenses.

In a Spratly scenario, however, US stealth aircraft could gain the upper hand, given the archipelago’s 800-mile distance from the Chinese mainland.

US Air Base Attack

American long-range weapons could give the US the capability to shut down Chinese air bases. Looking at 40 bases within range of Taiwan, the US would be capable of closing airstrips for approximately eight hours. Adjusting for 2017, those closures could last for two to three days.

Still, the report acknowledges that this advantage relies on a limited missile stockpile.

"While ground attack represents a rare bright spot for relative US performance, it is important to note that the inventory of standoff weapons is finite, and performance in a longer conflict would depend on a wider range of factors," the report reads.

Chinese Anti-Surface Warfare

While Washington would inevitably rely on aircraft carriers if war were to break out in the South China Sea, Beijing’s development of anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) could pose a significant threat to US naval forces.

While those carriers may be able to successfully defend against any ASBM with onboard countermeasures, the US would also have to contend with China’s improved intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and submarine fleet.

US Anti-Surface Warfare

In the Taiwan scenario, RAND estimates that the US would fare well in repelling Chinese amphibious assaults. Able to eliminate roughly 40% of the amphibious fleet, China could suffer "losses that would likely wreak havoc on the organizational integrity of a landing force."

China has, however, already doubled its amphibious capabilities since 1997, and is rapidly improving its anti-submarine potential.

US Counterspace

Washington has been improving its counterspace capabilities since 2002, and features the Counter Communication System, which can jam enemy satellites. Ballistic missile interceptors could also be used to bring down intelligence satellites.

RAND also recommends that the US create high-energy laser systems which could overwhelm the Chinese space program.

Chinese Counterspace

The report calls the threat to US communication satellites "severe," based on a series of successful anti-satellite missile tests conducted by Beijing since 2007.

"More worrisome" is China’s possession of Russian-made jamming systems.

US vs. China Cyberwar

RAND estimates that the sophistication of US Cyber Command and the US National Security Agency would give Washington a cyber advantage during wartime.

Both sides, however, would "nevertheless face significant surprises." The report also points out that the US relies heavily on unclassified Internet networks, which could be easily breached by enemy hackers.


Nuclear Stability

While China has steadily improved its nuclear forces since 1997, it is still far from robust enough to prevent a retaliatory strike from the US, which has a significant stockpile. RAND gives the US a nuclear advantage of 13 to one.

Conclusion

The report predicts that China’s growing military power could create a large decrease in US influence in the Pacific region. Beijing could, hypothetically, "achieve limited objectives without defeating US forces."

"Geographically – the 'bones of strategy' – vastly complicates the challenges faced by the United States," the report reads.

While both sides would suffer heavy losses, the United States doesn’t hold the same kind of Pacific dominance that it once did.

http://sputniknews.com/asia/20150919/10272...S-vs-China.html

CERBERUS TURNS MILITARY DOGS INTO CYBORGS



Named for the mythical guardian of the underworld, the Cerberus camera system from Visual Engineering puts a second head on a military or police dog. On display at London’s Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition this week, Cerberus upgrades dogs of war into scouts and more.

The harness-mounted camera includes a microphone, and can be upgraded to include thermal imaging, high definition cameras, and an audio recorder. Normally flat against the dog’s back, that camera springs up when activated by a trainer, who controls it over an encrypted link from up to 1600 feet away, and can watch the video through a hand-held receiver. The whole system is battery-powered.

Armies have used dogs since there were both armies and dogs. That work has expanded from guard duty to include drug detection and bomb sniffing. Adding a camera to a working dog means that not only can it go places humans can’t, but it can stream video in real time, potentially spying ambushers or other important information. Thanks to the microphone in the Cerberus kit, a handler could then call the dog back, having gained the needed information without giving away her position. Dog, camera, and handler working together become a three-headed threat.

http://www.popsci.com/cerberus-turns-milit...gs-into-cyborgs

Russia Is Concerned About America's Far-Off Space Weapons





http://motherboard.vice.com/read/russia-is...f-space-weapons