Reference News Network reported on April 6 that Taiwanese media quoted the US National Interest magazine as saying that mainland China is estimated to spend US$300 billion (about RMB 1.9 trillion) on the development of military and civil aviation engines in the next 20 years. At present, foreign engineers and retired air force personnel have been hired to assist.
According to Taiwan's Central News Agency website on April 5, the report mentioned that this means that the mainland has taken aviation engine technology as a priority development direction and will eventually build domestic aviation engines to make military aircraft, including bombers.
reported that the US military will develop the next generation of strategic bomber B-21. The main combat targets include the mainland and are used to infiltrate the mainland's air defense system and accurately strike important targets. However, the outside world has also begun to pay attention to whether the mainland should also develop new strategic bombers to fight the United States.
The mainland has not yet developed a new bomber, but it still uses the former Soviet TU-16 bomber to copy and upgrade the H-6K bomber. Although there were rumors before that the mainland had tried to introduce the production line of TU-22M "reverse fire" bombers from Russia, it was unsuccessful.
report and analysis, the new bomber in the mainland may be long-range stealth bombers, or bombers similar to the Russian TU-160 that can carry out long-range cruise missiles from outside the domain. But why has the mainland not developed a new long-range bomber so far? The problem is not the capital, but the engine, material and manufacturing process. Once overcome, it will be natural for mainland China to manufacture new strategic bombers.
At that time, the new bombers on the mainland will make up for the shortcomings of the existing H-6K lack penetration capability, short combat radius and insufficient bomb load. The strike range will cover the entire Western Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.
This report mentioned that the mainland has not been able to develop a reliable aviation engine that can be mass-produced for many years. The mainland also admits that the mainland's aviation engine technology is not good enough, and there is still a certain gap between mainland military technology and advanced military countries.
Data picture: Chinese Air Force H-6k bomber.
[Extended Reading] US media pays attention to Sino-Russia heavy helicopter cooperation: engine problems still to be resolved
Reference News Network reported on March 12 that the joint development of heavy helicopters between Russia and China is considered to be a large-scale strategic cooperation project in the relationship between the two sides. But the crucial aircraft engine has not yet been settled. The statements of senior Russian officials are contradictory. Since Russia relies heavily on Ukrainian engine supply and without Ukraine's help, it is still unknown whether China and Russia can successfully develop heavy helicopters.
According to Voice of America radio website on March 11, Russian Technology Group President Chemezov recently said that the engine used by the heavy helicopter planned to be developed by Russia and China will not be developed at the earliest 2 to 3 years. He said that the Russian United Engine Group, which monopolizes the engine industry, is developing related engines, some of which have been exhibited at last year's Moscow International Air Show. He said developing a helicopter engine is not a very fast process.
reported that Russia has reorganized military-industrial enterprises in recent years. The Russian Technology Group has become a key state-owned military-industry consortium. Its subsidiaries include the Russian Helicopter Group, which monopolizes the helicopter industry, the United Engine Group, and the Technology Machinery Group, which monopolizes the artillery and ammunition industry, etc.
reported that this is the latest statement made by a senior Russian official about the heavy helicopter project with China. However, Russian officials' claims are contradictory.
Mikhev, president of the Russian Helicopter Group, who is specifically involved in and responsible for the cooperation project with China's heavy helicopters, once said that he would use Ukrainian engines. However, later Russian Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin, who is in charge of the defense industry, said that third-country engines will not be used because Russia can develop corresponding engines, which only takes five more years, and engine development usually takes longer than development of helicopters and aircraft.
analyst Piatuskin said that the heavy helicopter project is the money provided by China, and China's position is naturally very critical. But it is not clear whether China is willing to use Ukraine or Russia's engine, and may also consider jointly developing the engine.
Analysts say the Russian Mi-26 heavy helicopter engine is produced by Ukraine.Two Russian backbone aviation engine companies currently produce helicopter engines, but basically copy Ukrainian products. If Russia wants to meet its own needs, it also needs to invest heavily in the helicopter engine field, and the development and production process are very long.
reports that most of the engines of various models of helicopters currently used by Russia, as well as the engines of some major naval surface warships, are from Ukraine. After Ukraine stopped supplying various military accessories, including engines, as the inventory of accessories from Ukraine in the warehouses of Russian military-industrial enterprises gradually ran out, the engine problem is becoming an important factor hindering the development of Russia's military industry and military power.
reported that Russia's Mi-26 heavy helicopter had shown its skills in the Sichuan earthquake relief, which left a deep impression on China. The joint development of heavy helicopters is regarded as a large-scale strategic cooperation project in Russia-China relations.
The two sides just ended the latest round of negotiations for the cooperation project more than a week ago. Relevant Chinese officials said that reaching an agreement on core technical issues between the two countries is of great significance to promoting the progress of the project. But it is not clear whether Russia and China can successfully implement heavy helicopter cooperation projects without using Ukrainian engines and without Ukrainian help.
reported that some Chinese people complained privately that dealing with Russia and various cooperation is difficult, and many projects are progressing slowly. This is true from oil to natural gas to military and technical cooperation.
There are also precedents of failure in cooperation projects between China and Russia. Many years ago, China signed a contract to purchase a large number of Il-76 transport and tanker aircraft from Russia. Although Russia agreed to supply and signed a contract with China, it was unable to fulfill the contract due to its lack of capacity for production.
Data picture: The huge size of the Mi-26 helicopter flew over the audience.
(2016-03-12 00:11:01)
[Extended Reading] Overseas media: China's military modernization has shortcomings, and fighter engines need to be imported
Reference News Network reported on February 25th. Foreign media reported that if the strength of a chain depends on its most fragile link, then the war machine of the Chinese People's Liberation Army still has many weak links. In fact, some weaknesses are widely known.
According to a report titled "China's Not Great Weapons" by Richard Bizinger, a senior researcher at the Rajalenan Institute of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, published on February 23, China has been modernizing and upgrading its military power in the past 15 to 20 years. What is certain is that the combat effectiveness of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in 2016 is much stronger than in 1996. Thanks to decades of concerted efforts and support from a rapidly growing defense budget, China has created a new military force with an increasing capacity to deploy forces in various combat spaces, especially in the fields of maritime, outer space and cyber operations.
reported that this did not make the Chinese People's Liberation Army invincible, nor did it mean that it has become a military force in the 21st century. If the strength of a chain depends on its most fragile link, then the war machine of the Chinese People's Liberation Army still has many weak links. In fact, some weaknesses are widely known. For decades, China has been working on to develop an aviation jet engine comparable to the West or Russia. China's best engine - the turbofan-10 engine, has been under development since the 1980s, but it still has flaws. It is reported that the engine is insufficient in power and it is said that it can only be used for 30 hours and needs to be replaced. Therefore, most of the modern military aircraft of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force use foreign engines, most of which are Russian or Ukrainian.
The difficult engine problem
reported that the problems with China's jet engines have caused China to suffer setbacks in other weapons development fields. China's J-20 and J-31 fighters - known as the fifth generation fighter, are on the same level as the US F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters - is because of the lack of powerful engines that they cannot have "supersonic cruise capabilities."This in turn affects the stealth performance of the fighter, which is one of the main advantages of this generation of fighter jets.
reported that in fact, some Western analysts expressed objections to whether the J-20 and J-31 fighter jets can be regarded as "fifth generation fighter jets" in the true sense. The famous aviation expert Richard Abrafia has listed the 10 key features of the fifth-generation fighter jet, and his conclusion is that the J-20 fighter jet may only have two. It is said that the Chinese Air Force has so far seem to lack enthusiasm for purchasing the J-31 fighter jet (the J-31 fighter model displayed at the Zhuhai Air Show in 2014 is marked with the FC-31 number, indicating that this type of aircraft is mainly for exports - this website note).
"Aircraft Carrier Killer" is still a "scrambler"
reported that even if the new weapon system promoted by the People's Liberation Army of China - Dongfeng-21D anti-ship ballistic missile , which is the so-called "Aircraft Carrier Killer", there are still doubts in the outside world. There is no doubt that the Dongfeng-21D anti-ship ballistic missile is a unique weapon that other troops do not have. Even so, the Dongfeng-21D may not be a great "game changer" weapon as some people say. (Henry Kazianis of the Center for National Interests calls it a "big disruptor", perhaps more accurately.) The Dongfeng-21D needs cutting-edge reconnaissance and command infrastructure to support it, and is likely to be fired only when a saturation attack is launched. Furthermore, the system has never been tested in practice and it is likely to be susceptible to countermeasures, such as interference measures.
All this does not mean that the People's Liberation Army is still a "paper tiger". China is definitely strengthening its military strength and wants to continue to strengthen it.
"China Threat Theory" is exaggerated
reported that it is also important to maintain insight when analyzing this issue and avoid "following the trend". Following the trend exists in any field, even on the issue of China's military power assessment that should be spoken by facts. In the past 25 years, the Western assessment of the military strength of the People's Liberation Army has shifted from the "group of people who cannot even shoot guns" in the 1990s to the serious tone of the "China threat theory" in the mid-10 years of the 21st century.
reported that China has not yet obtained any kind of true anti-intervention/regional denial capabilities in the Western Pacific. The South China Sea has not yet become the "inner lake of China". Other countries in the region have been developing their military power, especially the United States has also been working to check and balance China's growing military power.
Data picture: China J-31 stealth fighter prototype. (Pictures are from the Internet)
(2016-02-25 09:38:02)
[Extended Reading] The engine was closed during the flight. The United Airlines passenger plane carried 140 people landed in an emergency
China News Service, November 26, According to foreign media reports, on the morning of the 25th local time, a flight of United Airlines landed in Tampa Airport, Florida. Fortunately, no passengers on the plane were injured.
A Tampa Fire Department spokesman said the flight number 782 carries 140 passengers and was originally planned to fly from Tampa to Philadelphia . But not long after taking off, he urgently returned at 6:52 am local time and landed at Tampa Airport. A spokesperson for
said that the passengers on board got off the plane and took another flight to Philadelphia, and no one was injured in the incident. A relevant spokesperson at Tampa Airport said that the plane had technical problems during the flight and an engine had to be shut down. Other flights at the airport were not affected by this incident.
(2015-11-26 11:37:01)
[Extended reading] The engine caught fire with the passenger plane. The U.S. airport was hit by a false alarm.
China News Service, November 16, According to US media reports, on the 15th local time, an passenger plane from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles suddenly issued an automatic alarm for the engine to catch fire. Then, the pilot landed the passenger plane at an airport in Montana, without causing any casualties.
reported that U.S. passenger plane fire official Grancy said that the Boeing 777 passenger plane carrying 279 passengers and 20 crew members landed at Billings Rogen International Airport at 6 a.m. local time on the 15th.
Granci said the alarm light showing the right engine fire in the cockpit suddenly lit up after the passenger plane entered U.S. airspace, and the driver was ready to land immediately. After the plane landed, fire and traffic officials rushed to the scene to inspect, but found no signs of smoke or fire.
It is reported that no one was injured in this incident. Passengers enter a terminal building of the airport and take a replacement passenger plane taking off from Newark Airport to Los Angeles.
Granci said the Israeli airliner that took off from Tel Aviv will remain in Billings for further inspection and repairs.
(2015-11-16 09:19:01)
[Extended Reading] Foreign media said that China may use Russian engines to upgrade intercontinental missiles. The United States should take action
Reference News Network reported on October 31. Foreign media said that in August this year, China quietly tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile and installed two "simulated" warheads on it. Since 2012, this missile called "Dongfeng-41" (NATO code name: CSS-X-10) has undergone several tests.
According to a report by the Japanese diplomatic scholar website on October 21, because China's strength to launch multiple warheads on a rocket is a crucial technological advancement. What is particularly dangerous is that the surge in China's multi-warhead missile population may prompt the United States to retreat quickly to the past.
report raised questions: What will happen if China continues to improve this launch capability and accelerate intercontinental ballistic missile tests? What if China decides to use Russia's rocket engine to upgrade or improve its launch capabilities? What if the Russian rocket engine could enable China to improve the launch capability of intercontinental ballistic missiles and thus obtain an indispensable "breakthrough" or "leap" to occupy the "highlands" of space?
report believes that the result may undermine the current military and political stability, and even make the current trendy topics about China's anti-intervention and regional blocking capabilities look like old news.
However, things may be moving in this direction.
reported that if the US Congress does not take action and quickly prevent China from obtaining Russian-made engines (the United States was preparing to purchase such equipment until the sanctions were initiated on Russia), the United States may see these Russian-made engines again, but the situation is completely different from before. Because they provide a strong ballistic missile system for another country that has hindered the interests of the United States' national security. What causes the tragedy is not making a decision, but not making a decision. This sentence is a sharp end.
reported that, then, how do you view this issue from a global perspective? In short, China has not only tested a new multi-warhead intercontinental ballistic missile, but has also begun to negotiate with Russia on the procurement of the heavy rocket engine. This news was hotly discussed a month ago. Obviously, the most eye-catching and powerful Russian heavy rocket engine is the RD-180 rocket engine. The United States has been purchasing the rocket engine from Russia for years.
reported that it is ironic that the United States used these Russian rocket engines to launch satellites into outer orbit, probably to detect ground activities from space. These rocket engines double the U.S. national security capabilities, and they help us keep a close eye on space and prevent others from maliciously using it. Now China also hopes to purchase these Russian engines.
So, what actions can the U.S. Congress take to protect our cities and rural areas? The U.S. Congress can — and must — carefully evaluate the list of sanctions against Russia. The relevant Russian space projects must be revoked from the sanctions list, for the United States, not for Russia, and even for strategic security purposes only. Just as the United States has not imposed sanctions on Russia's project to transport U.S. astronauts to the space station, the United States still has to cooperate with Russia on the topic of heavy rocket engines.The positive side of the move of the United States is that the United States can continue to reach the outer orbit it needs - without Russia's rocket engines, the United States would not have done so without Russia's rocket engines - and ensure that if China decides to build a nuclear warhead intercontinental ballistic missile cluster, it will not allow China to do so using Russia's propulsion technology. The US Congress only needs to amend the sanctions bill to preserve the stability the United States enjoys now. So, what is the US Congress waiting for? (Translated by Wu Mei)
The "Dongfeng"-41 intercontinental missile circulating online (data picture)
(2015-10-31 00:10:01)
