News Report: China and Pakistan Demonstrate Alliance, Flex Muscles During Joint Exercise

For the first time ever, a Pakistani fighter pilot has flown a Chinese warplane during joint combat exercises between the two Asian nations. The exercises, which lasted through most of September, took place in Xinjiang, the westernmost province of China that borders Pakistan.

The Shaheen-VI exercises, the latest in a series of annual joint drills between the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) that started in 2011, happened this year between September 5 and 25. They included many firsts, according to Chinese military sources, such as live-fire target practice, night warfare, and close support operations.

But the biggest news from the exercise came when Air Vice Marshal Haseeb Paracha, head of PAF's Southern Air Command, climbed into a Chinese J-11B fighter and flew a sortie as part of the exercises. This was the first time in history that a PAF pilot flew a PLAAF plane, a symbolic gesture of the tight bonds between Beijing and Islamabad.

"The air vice marshal was accompanied by Xin Xin, a vice-chief of staff of the PLA Air Force. This marks the first time that a Pakistani top military official has flown in China's new fighter jet," reported the Chinese military in a statement. "The Chinese warplane performed acrobatic maneuvers during the flight, drawing praise from Haseeb."

News Story: Can North Korea shoot down a US military aircraft?

North Korean KN-06 Surface-to-Air Missile System

By: Mike Yeo

MELBOURNE, Australia — At a news conference in New York on Monday, North Korea’s foreign minister accused U.S. President Donald Trump of declaring war via Twitter, and the minister threatened to shoot down U.S. Air Force bombers conducting flights near the Korean Peninsula.

Ri Yong Ho told reporters that his country “reserves the right to shoot down United States strategic bombers even when they’re not yet inside the airspace border of our country.” His comments come in the wake of a war of words between both countries over North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons program.

The conference came after a Sept. 23 flight over international waters “east of North Korea” by U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers, escorted by F-15C jets, that U.S. Pacific Command said was the “farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) any U.S. fighter or bomber aircraft have flown off North Korea’s coast in the 21st century.”

According to South Korean media citing sources from the country’s intelligence services, the route of the B-1Bs took them approximately 90 miles from the North Korean port city of Sinpo and the Punggye-ri nuclear test site at its closest point but beyond the range of known long-range, ground-based air defense systems. The bombers’ flight path was also well beyond the North’s self-declared, 50-mile military boundary zone, which is not recognized by the United States.

At these distances, it would be a significant challenge for the North to effectively target any U.S. overflights. Like much of its conventional forces, North Korea’s air defense network is large in quantity but of questionable quality due to obsolescence, as the country is barred from importing military capabilities due to a United Nations arms embargo.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: China says air force drills with Pakistan "routine"

URUMQI, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese air force on Thursday dismissed concerns over its ongoing training exercises with the Pakistani air force, saying they were routine drills.

"There's no need for some countries to overact and make a great fuss about it. They need to learn to get used to such drills," said Shen Jinke, spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army Air Force.

It is international practice to hold military exercises, and simulated combat training with foreign armies are necessary for troops of every country to improve their capabilities to safeguard state security and national interests, he said.

The ongoing joint drills named "Shaheen VI" were launched in China on Sept. 7 and will run until Sept. 27.

Read the full story at Xinhua

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PacificSentinel: Maybe China should remember that when their bitching at the US and South Korea about their Military Exercises.

News Story: China, Pakistan air forces launch joint training exercise

Chinese Air Force KJ-200 AWACS aircraft 

BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The air forces of China and Pakistan began joint training exercises in China on Thursday.

China has dispatched J-11 fighters, JH-7 fighter-bombers, KJ-200 AWACS aircraft and ground forces including surface-to-air missile and radar troops, said Shen Jinke, spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army Air Force, adding the Chinese navy's aviation troops also participated in the training.

Pakistan has sent JF-17 Thunder fighter jets and early warning aircraft to join the exercise, named "Shaheen VI," which will run until Sept. 27, Shen said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: S. Korean military warns of retaliation against N. Korea

SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's armed forces on Tuesday denounced North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch, warning that it will face "resolute" retaliation if it remains bellicose.

The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) noted that it was the North's 13th ballistic missile fired this year. Furthermore, the latest one flew over Japan.

It's a "blatant violation" of the U.N. Security Council resolution against Pyongyang and a grave provocation that threatens the peace and stability of the world, Army Col. Roh Jae-cheon, the JCS spokesman, said in a statement.

The South and the United States will retaliate resolutely against any additional provocations, he added.

Read the full story at Yonhap

News Report: What Russia's Strategic Bombers and 'Flying Radars' Were After in Asia

Su-35 (Flanker-E) fighter

Amid the US-South Korean Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) joint military drills in South Korea, Russia's strategic aircraft performed routine flights in the area. In doing so, Russia "simply and concisely showed its interests and capabilities" near the Korean Peninsula, according to Russian political commentator Alexander Khrolenko.

On Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry's press service said that Russia's Tu-95MS strategic bombers carried out routine flights over international waters above the Sea of Japan, Yellow and East China seas.

The long-range planes were accompanied by a Su-35S fighter of the Eastern Military District and an A-50 Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft of the military-transport aviation.

It was very unusual for Russia's Tu-95MS to fly around the Korean Peninsula with an escort of such powerful aircraft, Alexander Khrolenko wrote in his op-ed for RIA Novosti.

At certain points along their route, the Russian strategic bombers were accompanied by aircraft of the South Korean Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

News Report: Russia's Tu-95MS Bombers Perform Routine Flight Over Int'l Waters in Asia

Russian Tu-95MS Bomber (Image: Wiki Commons)

Russia's Tu-95MS strategic bombers have carried out routine flights over international waters of the Sea of Japan, Yellow and East China seas, the Russian Defense Ministry's press service said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The long-range planes were accompanied by a Su-35S fighter of the Eastern Military District and A-50 Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft of military-transport aviation.

During the flight, Tu-95MS crews performed aerial refueling, according to the ministry.

The ministry noted that at certain stages of the route, the Russian strategic bombers were accompanied by aircraft of the Korean Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers have taken part in Russia's air campaign in Syria successfuly launching strikes against the terrorist group Daesh operating in the Middle East.

Russia’s military jets regularly carry out patrol flights over the neutral waters of the Arctic region, Atlantic Ocean, Black Sea and Pacific Ocean, the ministry said. All such flights are carried out in strict accordance with the international law regarding the use of neutral waters airspace, without violating borders of other states.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Story: 5 U.S. early warning planes arrive at base in W. Japan as part of realignment plan

E-2 Hawkeye (Image: Wiki Commons)

TOKYO, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Five U.S. military E-2D early warning airplanes arrived at the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in western Japan on Wednesday, in the first phase of the relocation of an air wing from a U.S. base near Tokyo.

The E-2D "Hawkeye" planes, an all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft, are among 61 aircraft that will be relocated from the Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, to the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The move is based on an accord reached between Japan and the United States in 2006 on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.

The pact will also involve attack aircraft and other planes that have been operating from the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, which is based at the Yokosuka naval base in Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo

The move from Atsugi was also based on the government's bid to reduce noise pollution suffered by local residents largely related to the aircraft deployed on the carrier.

Local residents have filed a number of lawsuits calling for an early realignment of the planes.

The relocation is expected to be completed by next spring, with the Iwakuni base set to accommodate 120 aircraft and 3,800 extra personal.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: PLA to celebrate 90th birthday with stronger, more peaceful military

BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- It has been a big year for China's military.

In April, China's first domestically produced aircraft carrier was launched, which was followed by the debut of its new generation of destroyer in June. In July, the country's first aircraft carrier allowed visits by the public for the first time.

As the 90th birthday of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) approaches, the country's army has shown how much its military capacity has grown and how committed it is to maintaining world peace.

A STRONGER ARMY

The PLA has come a long way since its birth during the armed uprising in the city of Nanchang on August 1, 1927, when it had only 20,000 soldiers.

Ninety years later, the country boasts 2 million servicemen, making it the world's largest military force, according to a national defense white paper titled "China's Military Strategy," published in 2015.

Besides the growth in numbers, the PLA has armed its soldiers with world-class equipment.

During China's epic V-Day parade in September 2015, the country displayed its Dongfeng-5B intercontinental strategic missiles, designed to carry nuclear warheads, and its Dongfeng-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles, described by some media as the "carrier killer."

Other cutting-edge weaponry included the PLA's state-of-the-art tanks, unmanned aerial vehicles, and its new generation of airborne early warning and control aircraft, carrier-based fighters and attack helicopters that fly low across the sky.

Read the full story at Xinhua

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NOTE: The “Beijing to Slash Size of Chinese Army, Largest in the World, in Half” Link in the above was added by PacificSentinel for clarity & context.

News Story: Allies And The Maritime Domain Strike Enterprise

Australia's 1st P-8 Poseidon takes flight (File Photo)

By ROBBIN LAIRD

The UK, Norway and the US have signed an agreement to work together on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) in the North Atlantic which will leverage the joint acquisition of the P-8 aircraft, another example of the US and its allies an evolving defense capability in which allies are clearly key partners.

The P-8s is part of a cluster of software upgradeable airplanes which are defining the way ahead for combat airpower: the Australian Wedgetail, the global F-35, and the Advanced Hawkeye, all have the same dynamic modernization potential to which will be involved in all combat challenges of maritime operations.

All military technology is relative to a reactive enemy. As my colleague Ed Timperlake has noted: “It is about the arsenal of democracy shifting from an industrial production line to a clean room and a computer lab as key shapers of competitive advantage.”

Much as allied F-35 pilots and maintainers are being trained initially in the United States and then standing up national capabilities, the same is happening with the P-8/Triton allies. The Brits and Australians are training at Jacksonville Navy, and this will certainly happen with the Norwegians as well. In fact, an RAF pilot has recently topped 1,000 flight hours on the P-8 at Jacksonville. 

These allies cover key geographical territory, so shared domain knowledge and operational experience in the South Pacific and the North Atlantic is of obvious significance for US warfighting and deterrence. Given the relatively small size of the allied forces, they will push the multi-mission capabilities of the aircraft even further than the United States will do and, as they do so, the U.S. can take those lessons as well.

There is already a case in point. The Australians wanted the P-8 modified so they could do search and rescue — something that the US Navy did not build into its P-8s. Now that capability comes with the aircraft, something that was very much a requirement for the Norwegians as well. And the US Navy is finding this “add-on” as something of significance for the US.

Read the full story at Breaking Defense

News Story: Aussie gov't announces upgrades to air force fleet

CANBERRA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government on Wednesday announced plans for a 582.5- million-Australian dollar (443.5 million U.S. dollar) upgrade for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)'s fleet of six E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.

In a media release, the nation's Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne said the Wedgetail was one of the most advanced pieces of technology within the RAAF, and that the upgrades to the early warning and control capability would maintain Australia's dominance in the air.

"The Wedgetail is a modified Boeing 737-700, with the addition of advanced Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar and 10 mission crew consoles. It is one of the most advanced pieces of aerospace technology in the Australian Defence Force," Pyne said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: China deploys new anti-submarine aircraft to fringes of South China Sea

An unpainted GX-6/Y-8Q during testing (File Photo)

By: Mike Yeo

MELBOURNE, Australia — China has deployed its newest anti-submarine aircraft and stepped up unmanned aircraft deployments to Hainan island on the fringes of the South China Sea, according to satellite imagery obtained by Defense News.

Satellite photos taken on May 10 and May 20 by commercial satellite imagery company DigitalGlobe showed four Shaanxi Y-8Q turboprop aircraft with its distinctive magnetic anomaly detector boom parked on the ground at Lingshui Air Base in the southeastern part of China’s Hainan island. 

The satellite pass from May 10 also showed three Harbin BZK-005 high-altitude, long-range UAVs at the base. This is the largest number of BZK-005s to have been seen at Lingshui since they were first noted in 2016. The drones have also previously been observed at the Chinese air base at nearby Woody Island, in the disputed Paracel Islands.

A KJ-500 AEW&C Aircraft (File Photo)

In addition, two KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft were also seen at Lingshui on both occasions. Defense News had previously reported on the deployment of the KJ-500 to Hainan at nearby Jialaishi Air Base that had been seen on satellite photos taken in March, which was the first time the KJ-500 had been seen deployed by the People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN. 

This is the first time the Y-8Q has been seen at Hainan, with China having previously rotationally deployed maritime patrol aircraft detachments to Lingshui, made up of a mixture of older Y-8Js and Y-8Xs drawn from the PLAN's two special-mission aircraft regiments based in northern China.  

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Industry: CAE supports Royal Australian Air Force Diamond Thunder distributed virtual training exercise

Simulators at bases in Williamtown, Tindal and Richmond networked for training and mission rehearsal

Silverwater, Australia, June 13 2017 - (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE) - CAE recently supported the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) participation in the Diamond Thunder distributed mission training exercise, which saw the RAAF network various simulation assets across the country as part of its inaugural Air Warfare Instructor Course.

The Diamond Thunder Exercise involved the networking of F/A-18 simulators at both RAAF Base Williamtown and Tindal with the E-7A Wedgetail simulator at Williamtown and C-130J simulator at RAAF Base Richmond.  The Air Warfare Centre's Joint Air Warfare Battle Laboratory at Williamtown served as the exercise command centre to manage and coordinate the overall virtual training environment. 

CAE engineering staff at Richmond supported the integration and testing of the C-130J full-flight mission simulator (FFMS) onto the Australian Defence Training and Experimentation Network (DTEN). CAE also provided an exercise planner to assist with creating and executing the virtual training and mission rehearsal scenarios, and had staff within the Australian Defence Simulation and Training Centre to assist with the provision of the networking infrastructure to support this distributed virtual training exercise.

News Story: Top Of Agenda At NATO Meeting Is Fight Against Terrorism

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday that the key items on the day’s agenda at the heads of state meeting would be the fight against terrorism and fair burden sharing.

He also said that NATO would on Thursday decide on whether it will expand its support to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (Daesh).

"... today, we will agree on NATO’s membership in the coalition," he said. 

He said: “In a few hours, NATO leaders will gather here in Brussels for an important meeting at our new headquarters.

“We have two major items on our agenda: Stepping up NATO’s role in the fight against terrorism and fairer burden sharing in our alliance.”

He said NATO had been actively involved in the fight against terrorism for many years.

“Today, we will adopt an action plan to enhance NATO’s contributions. Our largest military operation ever was launched in Afghanistan in a direct response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. 13,000 NATO troops continue to train Afghan forces.

“We will assess our level of support and the future of the mission. Training local forces is one of the best weapons in the fight against terrorism. We are already training Iraqi forces. And our AWACS surveillance planes provide information to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (Daesh).”

Today, we will decide to expand our support to the coalition. With more AWACS flight-time, more information sharing and air-to-air refueling. All 28 Allies are members of the Global Coalition and today, we will agree on NATO’s membership in the coalition.

“This will send a strong political message of NATO’s commitment to the fight against terrorism. And improve coordination within the coalition. But it does not mean that NATO will engage in combat operations,” he said.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Report: China Deploys New Spy Aircraft in Disputed South China Sea

KJ-500 AEW&C Aircraft

China has extended its surveillance and monitoring operations to include the deployment of a new early warning system- and radar-equipped aircraft.

The KJ-500 recently took off joined older patrol aircraft at the Jialaishi Air Base on Hainan Island, the southernmost province of China that sits prominently in the disputed South China Sea, according to satellite image from DigitalGlobe. 

The KJ-500 can monitor the movements of up to 60 planes within a 470 kilometer radius of the plane, according to the Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation. Like the J-20’s comparisons to the F-35, the KJ-500 reportedly looks an awful lot like a replica of US early-warning aircraft because of how the radar dome is mounted atop the plane’s fuselage.

This radar can be used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and general intelligence gathering, according to the plane’s manufacture. This capability may become more useful in the South China Sea where many nations claim ancestral or territorial right to different islets, reefs, and coral shelves. 

News Story: Satellite image shows Chinese deployment of new aircraft to South China Sea

KJ-500 AEW&C Aircraft

By: Mike Yeo

MELBOURNE, Australia — China has deployed its latest airborne early warning and control aircraft to an air base on the fringes of the disputed South China Sea, according to exclusive satellite imagery obtained by Defense News.

The photo taken March 24 by commercial satellite imagery company DigitalGlobe shows a pair of Shaanxi KJ-500 turboprop AEW&C aircraft with its distinctive radar dish on the ground at Jialaishi Air Base in the northern part of China’s Hainan island. Two other Y-8 aircraft — an older KJ-200 AEW&C aircraft, and the other possibly a Y-8J or Y-8X maritime patrol aircraft — can be seen alongside the KJ-500s. 

KJ-200 AEW&C Aircraft

This is the first time the KJ-500 has been deployed to Hainan, with China having previously rotationally deployed special mission aircraft detachments to the island. These detachments are drawn from two special-mission aircraft regiments of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, based in northern China. The detachments are usually made up of a mixture of KJ-200 AEW&C aircraft with Y-8Js and Y-8Xs, and they tend to operate from Lingshui on the southeastern tip of Hainan. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: North Korea Says Next Nuke Test Will Come When Leadership is Good and Ready

On Friday, North Korea’s vice foreign minister said the country’s rumored next nuclear test would take place any time the leadership decides. Han Song-ryol said there was a “vicious cycle” happening on the Korean Peninsula, and that Pyongyang wouldn’t countenance a preemptive strike from Washington.

"If the U.S. comes with reckless military maneuvers then we will confront it with a pre-emptive strike," Han said. "We've got a powerful nuclear deterrent already in our hands, and we certainly will not keep our arms crossed in the face of a US pre-emptive strike." 

NBC reported Thursday that US intelligence officials had told them the US was prepared to launch a pre-emptive strike with conventional weapons if a nuclear test appeared imminent. A few days before, a US carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson was ordered to the Korean Peninsula.

This comes as the Japan-based 18th Wing of the US Air Force conducted a surprise military exercise at Okinawa’s Kadena Air Force base as a clear warning to the North. The show of force included a group of E-3 Sentries, F-15 Eagles, KC-135 Stratotankers and HH-60 Pave Hawks.

News Story: Taiwan alert on Chinese warships, bombers in West Pacific

Taiwan is on alert while monitoring Chinese jets and warships which carried out exercises near Taiwan and into the Western Pacific on Thursday, defense ministry said.

Earlier, jet fighters, bomber planes and early warning aircraft had flown through the Miyako Strait, between the southern Japanese islands of Miyako and Okinawa and to the northeast of Taiwan, and into the Pacific, Xinhua news agency said.

They then carried out drills with Chinese warships in the area to improve inter-operability between the two services, Xinhua said.

“This exercise is part of annual plans for the navy, is not aimed at a specific country or target, and accords with relevant international laws and norms,” it added in a brief report.

Read the full story at Tankler

News Report: Beijing Sortie Through South China Sea Scares Taiwan; Japan Scrambles Jets

A PLAAF H-6 Bomber (File Photo)

Chinese aircraft and seagoing vessels have increased the level of military operations being conducted near Taiwan in recent days, prompting the self-governing island to warn the world of a growing Chinese threat. Japanese jets have also scrambled to observe Chinese maritime military movements.

Beijing has never excluded the possibility of taking military action to recoup what it considers to be a rogue province. On Tuesday, Taiwan deployed anti-aircraft missiles while promising to step up military patrols to offset China’s expanding defensive and offensive military abilities, RT reported. 

“Looking ahead at the transformation of China’s strategy and its investment in new weapons equipment, our military will practice new reforms in our training,” Taiwanese defense minister Feng Shih-kuan said during an address to parliament. 

News Report: US-China Military-to-military Engagements Stall Amid Questions

WASHINGTON — U.S.-China military-to-military relations for 2017 are off to a slow start, and questions are being raised about whether the program has been put on hold or even curtailed by the Trump administration.

U.S. Navy Commander Gary Ross, the Pentagon spokesperson for Asia Pacific affairs, told VOA that there had been one direct engagement between the two militaries since the beginning of the year, a meeting January 18 on defense policy coordination, which included the discussion on plans for the year.

Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the CSBA think tank in Washington, told VOA that plans for these engagements are usually worked out by fall in the prior year.

Ross said late last week that the Trump administration has not ordered the Pentagon to stop or curtail U.S.-China military relations.