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PLAN Gets Serious About Airborne Early Warning

Until recently, the idea of People's Liberation Army Navy air assets (PLANAF) making a serious contribution to coastal or fleet air defense was somewhat doubtful due to a complete deficit of airborne early warning radars (AEW). With the acquisition of three new systems PLANAF has rapidly and exponentially increased it's air defense potential.

In January of this year the first AEW systems were seen in PLANAF colors: Kamov Ka-31 AEW helos purchased from Russia. The Ka-31 (NATO: Helix) features a belly-mounted retractable radar array capable of tracking both air and sea targets. Negotiations for these aircraft were first reported in April 2006, delivery was announced by Rosoboronexport at the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2010. When first seen many observers predicted these aircraft would be a part of any future PLANAF carrier air wing, however, indigenous AEW developments bring this into question.

The day prior to the maiden cruise of the refurbished ex-Soviet carrier EX-VARYAG, a new AEW variant of the Changhe Z-8 helicopter was seen landing on the newly painted flight deck. The Z-8, itself a Chinese-produced variant of the Aerospatiale Sa-321j, has been the workhorse of PLANAF rotary-wing aviation for over two decades and has been produced in many sub-variants. The Z-8 AEW features a retractable radar array positioned below rear loading ramp door, once airborne the rotating array is lowered vertically and presumably can provide 360° coverage like the Ka-31. Photos of the prototype Z-8 AEW variant were first seen in October 2009, with the first seen in PLANAF colors in April 2011.

Now that two AEW helos have been identified in PLANAF service, it's not clear if the Ka-31s were purchased solely as a hedge against delays in the Z-8AEW program, or if they are intended to fly from destroyers or other ships smaller than EX-VARYAG perhaps in a surface warfare targeting role. What is certain is that both the mockup of the EX-VARYAG at Wuhan and the actual ship have only been seen with Z-8.

Today the first clear image was seen on the Chinese internet of a fixed wing AEW aircraft in PLANAF colors, the Y-8WH "High New 5" AEW. The Y-8W has been in PLAAF service for at least three years, and was featured in the 2009 PRC 60th Anniversary Military Parade. PLAN's new Y-8WH variant apparently uses the same KJ-200 "Balance Beam" radar as the Y-8W, presumably with some radios or other C2 avionics unique to PLAN. Although the serial number in the image is partially obliterated, enough remains to identify the aircraft as belonging to the PLANAF 1st Independent Regiment at Leiyang, a subordinate unit of PLAN's North Sea Fleet.

With these three new types PLANAF seems poised to fully exploit the fleet air defense potential of the EX-VARYAG and her expected complement of J-15 navalized Flankers, as well as provide a credible air defense capability beyond the reach of ground-based radar installations.

PLANAF 2nd "Specialized" Division getting three more Y-8GX5 AEW&C birds

Ahmadinejad unveils Iran's newest fighter jet

Iran on Saturday unveiled its newest combat jet, a domestically manufactured fighter-bomber that military officials claim can evade radar.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a ceremony broadcast on state TV that building the Qaher F-313, or Dominant F-313, shows Iran's will to "conquer scientific peaks."

The Qaher is one of several aircraft designs the Iranian military has rolled out since 2007. Tehran has repeatedly claimed to have developed advanced military technologies in recent years, but its claims cannot be independently verified because the country does not release technical details of its arsenals.

The Islamic republic launched a self-sufficient military program in the 1980s to compensate for a Western weapons embargo that banned export of military technology and equipment to Iran. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, torpedoes, drones and fighter planes.

"Qaher is a fully indigenous aircraft designed and built by our aerospace experts. This is a radar-evading plane that can fly at low altitude, carry weapons, engage enemy aircrafts and land at short airstrips," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said.

Vahidi said advanced materials were used to manufacture the body of the aircraft, making it Iran's best stealth plane.

However, some reports suggest that Iran's program relies on equipment supplied by major international defense contractors and that it incorporates parts made abroad or uses outside engineered technologies in its domestic designs.

Still photos of the Qaher released by the official IRNA news agency and pictures on state TV showed a single-seat jet. They described it as a fighter-bomber that can combat other aircraft and ground targets.

Iran's English-language state Press TV said Qaher was similar to the American-made F/A-18, an advanced fighter capable of dogfighting as well as penetrating enemy air defenses to strike ground targets.

But Hasan Parvaneh, an official in charge of the project, said the physical design of the Iranian plane was unique and bore no resemblance to any foreign fighter jet.

"Development depends on our will. If we don't have a will, no one can take us there," Ahmadinejad told the inauguration ceremony in Tehran. "Once we imported cars and assembled them here. Now, we are at a point where we can design, build and get planes in the air."

Ahmadinejad said Qaher was built for deterrence.

"It's not for expansionism. It's for deterrence," he said, claiming the aircraft was among the most advanced fighter jets in the world.

In 2007, Iran unveiled what it said was its first domestically manufactured fighter jet, called Azarakhsh or Lightning. In the same year, it claimed that Azarakhsh had reached industrial production stage.

Saeqeh, or Thunder, was a follow-up aircraft derived from Azarakhsh. Iran unveiled its first squadron of Saeqeh fighter bombers in an air show in September 2010.

PHOTOS: First Ever India-China Naval Exercise

On completion of the four day visit to Shanghai, INS Shivalik and PLA(N) Ma'anshan conducted passage exercises comprising naval manouevers, communication exercises and cross deck helicopter landings.

about yuan class SSK :-

Class overview

Builders:	Wuhan Shipbuilding, Wuhan
Operators:	People's Liberation Army Navy Pakistan Navy
Preceded by:	Type 039 (Song class)
Succeeded by:	New next-generation SSG (under development) Type 041 Improved Yuan class ^[1]
Building:	N/A
Planned:	N/A
Completed:	7
General characteristics
Length:	75 m
Propulsion:	Diesel-electric, 1 shaft, AIP (air-independent propulsion)
Speed:	20+ kts