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Aircraft Carrier, Stealth Fighter And Now Drone: China's Military Is "Catching Up"
Some time ago it was revealed that in its rush to "catch up" with western military technology, China has now developed an aircraft carrier and a stealth fighter (reverse engineering efficiency notwithstanding). Now, it appears that China has developed its first ever unmanned drone. Wired has the latest: "It was another big reveal in a long history of them. Six months after the Chinese air force let the first photos of its new stealth fighter
leak online, Beijing’s military has “accidentally” showed off another
secretive weapon system: a small drone, apparently used to scout ahead
of China’s fast-growing fleet of warships. Details of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle — gleaned entirely from a snapshot
(.pdf) taken by a Japanese navy patrol plane last week — are sketchy,
at best. But the new UAV certainly represents a step forward in China’s development of American-style spy drones." Of course, the "leak" is anything but, and is merely another attempt to demonstrate its ongoing scramble to keep up with the US across all verticals. After all: why peg to the dollar, if you can't peg to the military. And while these attempts at oneupmanship are childish, expect to see a very vocal response from the headline hungry general population which may soon find itself in a "panic" over the fact that the biggest communist power in the world is suddenly getting "just as strong."
The drone (pictured above) appears to be small, possibly no more than
a dozen feet in length. Since it was spotted far from land in the
company of Chinese warships, it’s likely that the flying robot is
launched from the helicopter flight deck of a frigate or destroyer —
though the exact methods of launch and recovery remain unclear. (U.S.
naval drones use catapults
or take off vertically.) The UAV’s apparent small size implies a
limited range and basic sensors, particularly given China’s problems building robots and advanced military electronics.
The circumstances of the pilotless plane’s revelation could offer
hints about its role. Early this month, the Chinese navy sailed 11
warships through international waters between two Japanese islands. The two-week deployment — a new, semi-annual tradition for the rapidly-expanding Chinese navy — was probably meant as a display of strength, and included target practice for the ships’ crews.
It just so happens, a drone is an excellent way to spot targets for
long-range gunfire and missiles — especially for a navy that lacks the ultra-high-tech satellites
the U.S. Navy takes for granted. And what could be more impressive for
foreign audiences than “accidentally” letting the Japanese photograph
the new UAV in action?
For all that, the Chinese ‘bot could be fairly dated technology.
Considering where the drone was spotted — at sea, and above warships —
and its apparent size, it’s probably a rough analogue to the U.S. Navy’s RQ-2 Pioneer. During its heyday in 1991, that drone helped the battleship USS Missouri aim its massive, 16-inch guns at Iraqi shore targets. Today, the Pioneer has been superseded in American service by far more sophisticated ship-launched drones.
Wired's conclusion is spot on:
Which is to say: yes, the Chinese have a new UAV, and it’s pretty cool. But publicly launching a flying robot from the deck of a warship for the first time just means the People’s Liberation Army Navy is finally catching up to the where the U.S. Navy was … 20 years ago.
Now... if only they could print 20 times as much as the Fed all shall be well.
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I bet the Chinese kit doesn't rust
i welcome our new chinese overloards...i love chinese food.
China is lame.
OTOH we just canceled the Navy's railgun, and the AF's airborne laser programs.
Why would China want a war, when we are self-destructing?
The Chinese need to protect themselves as the US is used to shifting their problems onto others. Chinese do not need to want a war to get one as it is in the US citizens nature to do so.
USA implodes, in it's place rises a nationalist fascist dictatorship supported by military. Said dictatorship blames external countries for it's previous woes and goes on a global domination campaign.
Hmm, I seem to have heard this before somewhere.
The real threat of the Chinese Navy are its MHD supersonic torpedos (given by the russian).
That drone doesn't look that meaninful to me.
I am not worried about China's military because they stand not chance against us. If I was Mongolia with my massive oil and natural gas reserves I would be scared,if I was the ASEAN nations who want some in the South China Sea I would be afraid,if I was Vietnam or Taiwan I would be scared. China wants its neighbors to be its vassal state like back during the dynasty days.
Oh, GET A GRIP, ZeroHedge! Although I guess like the Sulzberger NY Slimes, Meyer/Graham Washington Whore Post; cnn/Time/Warner (ne Wonsakaler)Bros. Hollywood media propaganda empire, Murdoch's Fox Noise (Lies), or other Neo-Con propaganda ("news") networks, you can always get a rise out of these kind of "US military falling behind China!" headlines.
Look, the USA had a NUCLEAR armed CRUISE MISSILES back in the 1950s (one early model called "Bomarc" I believe, and the B-52 launched Hound Dogs were operational by Vietnam war.)
ISRAEL was the ACKNOWLEDGED UAV /stealth-drone leader prior to US invasion of Afghanistan 2001, because Israel had used EW, electronic warfare & attack drones, to disable Syria's vaunted (Soviet based) anti-aircraft radars, Command-and-Control, & missile systems in that one-sided Israel-Syria air war.
And this Time magazine photo (of israel war lobby Georgia dictator puppet Saakashvili inspecting an israel built UAV at an israeli factory) back in 2008 reveals that UAV's are just every military's "MUST HAVE" newest toy, http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1834785,00.html
the new tech versions of the "low cost missile" vs "high cost tank" ATM (anti-tank-missile) weapons that swept the world's battlefields about the end of Vietnam war era.
btw, if you haven't noticed, China is now quite excellent at producing radio controlled toys (including those buzzing, flying helicopters you see on display at the malls during holiday shopping season), and they can COMPUTERIZE frickin' CHRISTMAS LIGHTS that will flash in musical harmony for months on end, for Chris' sake, so that they will eventually stumble on a high kill, reliable, low cost UAV (the way those ATM missles blew away high cost tanks in battlefield after battlefield in the '80s and after) is an onrushing no-brainer.
Are these the Israeli drones you are referring to:
"Israel sells UAVs to Russia, on condition"
(http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Israel_sells_UAVs_to_Russia_on_condition...)
Not o worry! If China's weapon systems aren't quite up to date yet. Israel will be glad to sell them the USA's latest technology!
Chinese fire drill.
Let's be very clear about this -- this was and is supposed to happen.
Back in the '90s, the USA was 25 years ahead of China in missile tech, then the Clinton administration handed over (according to them there wasn't anything received in exchange???) the over-the-horizon-stealth-technology.
Next, we have the Bush administration allowing China to purchase the classified ball bearings factory in Ohio.
And, Boeing subsidiary, Narus (remember all those Narus boxes installed at switching centers -- first coming to light thanks to Mark Klein and his experience at the San Francisco AT&T switching center) and EPs and IXPs [Internet physical connection points] throughout North America), opens offices in China in 2005 -- now there are Narus networks throughout America and China which are supposed to exchange data on their countries' "dissidents".
Together, with all the jobs, technology, factories, production centers, R&D labs, etc., shipped over there, one would naturally expect they would now be at this level.
So, where's the wonder? There should be absolutely now, and this post, no offense intended, is a no go.
Until China can put boots on the ground 5000 miles away and support them through air , sea and land , you guys really are acting like hysterical girls experiencing their first period.
There was a aircraft fair in Le Bourget... the score was : Airbus 72 billion USD in orders, Boeing 22 billion USD in orders. All generated by smaller more energy efficient models. So that tells you which way the technology finger points in the coming years. Another issue which has not been addressed is the down sizing mode in military weaponry since 9/11. Nuclear is deja vu; drones and flying saucers technology without nuclear but with locally controlled electronic armaments is in... We are going big in Mao's vision of future war : people's decentralised controlled technology that makes central systems depassé. Its coming...the decentralised technology age, 'the fish amongst the people',...in war as in peace, is now big as the Oligarchy's paradigm will get more and more challenged.
China's aspirations do not include invading the US, not with our resources depleted, no gold, corrupt government and a pissed population armed to the teeth. They just want Taiwan and other islands. They also want us to stop meddling in the far east. They rather keep us as their largest customer and bleed us without firing a shot. To top it off they want their currency as the world currency so they can transfer their inflation to us. They are now net importers of PMs. This means PMs are not being moved out of their shores.
http://lonerangersilver.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/living-through-a-curren...
They might want the reserve status but from what i've read they aren't exactly in the greatest shape either. Well not until all their bubbles start bursting and the lies stop spewing.
Are the chinese capable of building anything of higher quality than the crap they send to the US? Or would you see a china man run underneath a huge missle with a punk to light the fuse?? LMAO.
Das Boat
Yawn... A couple weekends in my garage and a few visits to the hobby store and I could make one of these "drones" myself. Meanwhile...
X-47 UCAV for the US Navy getting ready to take off and land on an aircraft carrier on its own.
RQ-4 Global Hawks are routinely flying nearly 40 hour flights with little human interaction, transmitting vast amounts of data.
RQ-170, aka the Beast of Kandahar, UAV suspiciously similar to the "cancelled" Tier 3 Dark Star UAV program, is doing who knows what. It begs asking why the Air Force needs a highly stealthy UAV in a country that has no radars, no surface to air missiles, and no air force. I'm sure it's NOT because it's conveniently close to both Iran and China.
Chinese drones don't scare me. They'll probably cut off the fins and make a soup.
In my experience that's just another conspiracy theory.
LOL