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: 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: China, India, Pakistan face fallout from US strategy for Afghanistan

By: Aaron Mehta

WASHINGTON — In rolling out his strategy for Afghanistan on Aug. 21, U.S. President Donald Trump made clear that a change in the relationship with Pakistan is in the cards.

But regional experts warn that any change in Washington’s posture to Islamabad will impact two regional powers — China, America’s greatest rival in the Pacific, and India, an increasingly vital ally — that are currently feuding over a border dispute.

Alice Hunt Friend, an Obama-era senior adviser to the deputy undersecretary of defense for strategy, plans and forces and country director for Pakistan, calls the region “a conundrum,” adding, “This is a Gordian Knot,” in part, because of the necessity to factor in China and India for any big picture strategy.

One attention-grabbing facet of Trump’s speech was a public call for India to take on a broader role in Afghanistan.

“We appreciate India’s important contributions to stability in Afghanistan, but India makes billions of dollars in trade with the United States, and we want them to help us more with Afghanistan, especially in the area of economic assistance and development,” Trump said.

Friend, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, believes that such a call could, to Pakistan, sound like a threat to their longtime goal of “strategic depth” — essentially the idea that Pakistan cannot let itself be encircled by India in the south and an Indian-affiliated government in Afghanistan to the north.

The U.S. has historically been careful about balancing a desire for more Indian support in Afghanistan with Pakistan’s concerns, she said, which resulted in Indian funds being directed more towards economic and public development rather than military projects.

It’s unclear if that is set to change, but Trump’s India comments will likely not be received well in Islamabad, Vipin Narang, a regional expert who teaches at MIT, predicts.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Tech transfer - Korea, China score big in exports

K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer

By: Mike Yeo 

MELBOURNE, Australia — Given the region’s relative economic success and its share of the global defense spending pie, it is of little surprise that Asian defense companies are making inroads into the world arms market.

Countries in the region are quietly scoring export successes, none more so than South Korea. The country’s defense manufacturers have taken big strides from their beginnings as local assemblers and suppliers of defense articles to the South Korean military and are now a force to reckon with on the global arms market.

According to the Financial Times, South Korean military exports have soared nearly 1,100 percent since 2009 as the nation’s arms manufacturers thrive off growing global instability and the competitive pricing they can offer their potential customers, which has been a big selling point for South Korean defense equipment, particularly in more price-sensitive markets. An example of this is the Samsung Techwin K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer. One of just three tracked 155-millimeter, 52-caliber howitzer systems in the market, the K9 has already found export success with Finland, Estonia, Poland and India all selecting the design for the respective requirements. Finland acquired 48 former South Korean army howitzers earlier this year for a reported $155 million, or $3.2 million a copy.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Pakistan shoots down Iranian spy aircraft - FM

ISLAMABAD, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan said Wednesday that it has shot down an Iranian spy aircraft after it had entered the country's airspace in southwestern Balochistan province.

Section of the local media has earlier reported that Pakistan Air Force JF-17 Thunder fighter jet shot down the Iranian unmanned aircraft in Balochistan's Panjgur area on Tuesday.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed the incident in a statement and said Iran has been informed.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Pictures of Myanmar's first JF-17 Thunder fighter jet appear

A Pakistan Air Force JF-17 Thunder Fighter

Pictures of the first JF-17 Thunder single-engine multi-role fighter jet produced for the Myanmar Air Force has appeared online, being prepared for carrying out flight testing. Myanmar has ordered a fleet of CAC/PAC jointly designed fighter jets in 2015

In July 2015, Myanmar became the first export customer of the JF-17 Thunder with an order for 16 Block II variants in July 2015.

The first of 16 imported JF-17s ordered by Myanmar are expected to go into service with the MAF later this year.

The JF-17 fighter aircraft will replace Myanmar Air Force aged fleet of 16 Nanchang A-5IIK ground attack aircraft and 24 Chengdu F-7M fighter jets received from China in the 1990s. 

Read the full story at Air Recognition < Image of Myanmar JF-17

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (7-Feb-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

A Saudi Arabian frigate was attacked by Houthi rebels in waters west of Yemen on 30 January. Conflicting reports are floating around about the attack method—while the official Saudi Press Agency attributed it to “suicide boats,” the rebels themselves (and Iran) claim to have used anti-ship missiles. At least two other Houthi attacks on navy vessels have occurred in the Bab el Mandeb strait recently, including a successful cruise missile strike against a UAE Navy vessel last October.

The pacific hagfish (or slime eel!) is on the menu of new defence tools being investigated by the US Navy. In a cool example of biomimicry, researchers are using the fish’s slime to develop a new synthetic material which they hope could provide an extra layer of defence on warships. The slime has properties similar to Kevlar and could also be used for anything from ‘ballistics protection, firefighting, anti-fouling, diver protection or anti-shark spray.’ The research team has recreated the slime’s distinctive proteins, and are now working to refine and then mass-produce the synthetic slime.

Finally, we said farewell this week to the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise, as it was decommissioned on 3 February. Read more about its important legacy here.

News Story: Myanmar in advanced negotiations to licence-build JF-17 fighter

Anthony Davis

After deciding to purchase 16 JF-17 Thunder multi-role combat aircraft in 2015, Myanmar is now in advanced negotiations with Pakistan to also licence-build the third-generation fighter, defence industry sources in Yangon and sources close to the Myanmar Air Force (MAF) told Jane's in mid-January.

If an agreement is reached, Myanmar's bid to manufacture the single-engine combat aircraft - co-developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China's Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (CAC) - could mark a significant step forward in the country's efforts to expand its local defence industry.

As the MAF phases out its obsolete fleet of F-7M Airguard and A-5C 'Fantan' combat aircraft purchased from China in the 1990s, licensed production of the JF-17 Thunder would also mean that the aircraft will likely become the MAF's workhorse over the coming decades in much the same way as it has moved to prominence within the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

Read the full story at  IHS Jane's 360

News Story: International defense show concludes in Karachi

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The 9th International Defense Exhibition and Seminar 2016 (IDEAS) concluded in Pakistani city Karachi on Friday. The four-day show witnessed bigger-than-ever participation by Chinese, Russian, and Turkish companies.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif inaugurated the event on Tuesday. The strategic show was organized by the Defense Export and Promotion Organization.

The theme for this year's exhibit was "Arms for Peace" which was spelled out by PM Sharif on the inaugural day.

Chinese, Turkish and Russian companies made their presence felt with an enormous participation. The number of Russian defense manufacturers increased to three this year including the state-controlled arms import and export company Russia Rosoboron export.

Nine Chinese companies including China Aerospace Long-March International, China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation and Poly Technologies Inc. took part in the exhibition.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: China battles fierce competition and quality issues in fight for weapons sales

JF-17 Fighter of the Pakistan Air Force

Minnie Chan

More than 900 Chinese weapons will be on display at Zhuhai air show, but it still trails US and Russia in global market share

The biennial Airshow China expo in Zhuhai, which starts on Tuesday, will showcase many advanced, Chinese-made weapons to potential customers in Asia and Africa.

More than 900 Chinese weapons will be on display, according to the organiser of the six-day show, which will feature more than 700 exhibitors from more than 42 countries and regions – with more than 400 exhibitors from China alone.

But while military experts say the quality of cheaper Chinese weapons has improved, Chinese manufacturers are still struggling to build brands in an international market dominated by competitors from the United States and Russia.

At September’s Africa Aerospace and Defence air show in Pretoria, South Africa, Chinese exhibitors struggled to find buyers even though Beijing tried hard to secure sales of its L-15 Falcon trainer and JF-17 fighter, Andrei Chang, the founder of military magazine Kanwa Asian Defence, told the South China Morning Post.

C-705 Anti-Ship Missile

He said Cameroon had received four Harbin Z-9 attack helicopters from China after Beijing offered a US$100 million loan last year, but one of them had crashed soon after being handed over. Cameroon was still negotiating with China over the accident and had no any plans to buy any more Chinese weapons due to quality concerns, Chang said.

Professor Jonathan Holslag, head of research at the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies, said financial problems were causing many countries, including South Africa, to be more hesitant and cautious when purchasing new arms.

Read the full story at South China Morning Post

News Story: Pakistan Seeks Greater Indigenization for Next Air Force Fighter

A Pakistan Air Force JF-17, A joint development with China

Usman Ansari

ISLAMABAD — The top Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief has outlined plans for greater indigenous design and technical/industrial input with its next fighter, which it hopes to realize under the Vision 2030 program.

In an interview aired by the national broadcaster PTV, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman said Vision 2030 aims for greater indigenization of avionics, communication systems, and other subsystems and components for a fifth generation fighter.

He accepted there are budgetary and research challenges, but said human resources and infrastructure was being developed to ensure that 10-15 years from now these goals could be achieved.

A major aspect of this is Aviation City near Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra, the home of Pakistan’s aviation industry, which will have its own higher education facilities to nurture talent for the indigenization process.

The Chinese Shenyang J-31, (or development thereof), is strongly speculated to be Pakistan’s choice of fifth generation fighter. However, author, analyst and former Air Force pilot Kaiser Tufail believes this is still unclear, but “emphasis on an indigenous design” is serious.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Pakistan, China building JF-17B prototype

JF-17A Thunder

by Richard Tomkins

Pakistan and China have jointly started production of the first prototype JF-17B combat jet at the Chendu Aerospace Corporation facility in Chendu, China.

The induction for production of the two-seat aircraft took place Wednesday at a ceremony attended by senior Pakistani Air Force and Chinese officials, the Pakistan Air Force reported.

The JF-17B will have a maximum speed of about 1,217 miles per hour, a combat radius of 840 miles and will carry both bombs and missiles. In addition to combat tasks, the plane can also be used for pilot training.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Story: Additional F-16s for Pakistan May Hit Hurdles

Usman Ansari

ISLAMABAD — Additional F-16s from the US remain central to Pakistan’s modernization efforts, but analysts say since there could be hurdles ahead, surplus fighters may be a credible alternative.

News reports here citing senior officials have stated that the air force requires some 190 new aircraft to replace its legacy Mirage III/5 and Chengdu F-7 fighter fleets by 2020. Some of this figure will be made up of JF-17 Thunder Block III aircraft which air force officials have stated will feature a leap in capabilities over the current aircraft in service.

However, there is no expectation that current JF-17 production will be ramped up in either Pakistan or China — or perhaps both — to meet this need, and further F-16s are being sought, hence the recent deal for eight F-16 Block 52 fighters.

This deal is almost finalized, and Pakistan appears to be placing faith in Lockheed Martin’s need to keep the F-16 line running with new orders to help it acquire another ten F-16s that it had initially hoped to acquire with the recently cleared aircraft.

Claude Rakisits, senior fellow at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and an expert on Pakistani affairs, is optimistic.

“Given that the Obama administration recently managed to have Congress approve the sale of eight F-16s to Pakistan, logically the sale of an additional 10 F-16s shouldn't be a real issue for Congress,” he said. “Also, given the constructive nature of the ministerial-level US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, which was held in Washington recently, objective indications are that convincing Congress should not be too difficult.”

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Editorial: New Alliances in Central Asia

By Pierre-Olivier Bussieres

Why Russo-Indian relations matter.

As China’s One Belt, One Road policy unfolds in Central Asia, strategic alliances within the region are becoming increasingly complex. While existing partnerships are deepening, new opportunities are emerging for key South Asian players. India, a long-standing absentee in the region, may very well hold the key to the balance of power in Central Asia as a potential ally of Russia.

Missed Opportunities

India began to develop a presence in Central Asia following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 2002, Russia and India signed an agreement to launch the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC). In 2012, New Delhi devised its official Central Asian policy, a 12-point list aiming at increasing connectivity among the five Central Asian stans, taking advantage at the energy potential of the region and developing its banking sector. Opening roads to Central Asia, China’s prime objective in the region, has also been India’s priority for a decade. Ensuring that these roads aren’t carrying only Chinese goods, however, will remain a key priority for India as it does for Russia. This is one of the reasons why the two countries may both stand to gain significantly from active collaboration in the region.

Narendra Modi has been more proactive than his predecessors on Central Asia policy. The Indian prime minister toured the five Central Asian countries in July 2015. Among the multiple deals signed with Central Asian leaders, Modi secured an agreement with Kazakhstan to supply 5000 tons of uranium to Delhi for the next four years. The belated Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline was discussed with Turkmenistan, poised to take the lead on the project. Although a recent boom in construction, IT and pharmaceuticals has stirred the Kazakh, Turkmen and Uzbekistan economies, poor infrastructure and geographic distance has severely limited trade between India and the region.

Conversely, India figures relatively high in Central Asia. New Delhi enjoys a reputation as a neutral country. A former leader of the non-aligned world during the Cold War, its presence in Central Asia threatens neither China and Russia. India’s clearly stated willingness to engage in the multinational bodies associated with the region is a relief in the context of fears over Chinese and Russian dominance.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

Editorial: JF-17 vs HAL Tejas - New Competitors on the Military Block

Tejas LCA

By Kabir Taneja

The Pakistani and Indian fighter jets are set to compete in markets around the world.

The Bahrain International Air Show slated to be held between January 21-23 at the Sakhir Airbase in Bahrain is supposed to be the first international symposium where India will showcase its indigenously built, but much delayed, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas light combat aircraft. This move, reportedly taken at a “political level,” could place the Tejas as an export option in the future and will expose it to much wider scrutiny over its performance and offerings in the international market.

However, even though this may become an exciting time for the Tejas as a potential option for foreign militaries for their arsenal, it has an interesting competitor from its own neighborhood. The JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, jointly developed by China’s Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and its Pakistani partner, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), is also now in the export variety with similar attributes to those of the Tejas. In fact, at the Bahrain air show both the Tejas and the JF-17 are quite literally going to be pitted against each other, as they share parking space on the flight line tarmac right next to each other.

The HAL Tejas is still looking for its “carpe diem” moment, as the Indian Air Force, the project’s main beneficiary, has made no qualms in admitting that it is not pleased about the delays over the Tejas Mk II variant of the model that it urgently wants to induct into its fleet. Meanwhile, manufacturer HAL has offered the IAF a Mk 1A variant instead, saying the Mk II variant is not expected to have its first flight before 2019, or enter series production before 2024. On the other hand, the Block 1 JF-17s have already seen service with the Pakistan Air Force, and are now expected to be upgraded to Block 2 standards (which includes mid-air refuel capabilities and improved avionics).

Read the full story at The Diplomat

Editorial: A False Start for Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder?

By Benjamin David Baker

Malaysia publically declares that it is not considering the JF-17. How come?

Not again. The jointly developed Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder has apparently suffered another false start. As the Diplomat reported last month, Malaysian officials previously indicated that they were considering the JF-17 as a contender to its fighter replacement program. Kuala Lumpur’s interest in the aircraft was signaled last month by its High Commissioner to Pakistan, Dr. Hasrul Sani, who, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan, discussed the fighter against the backdrop of boosting the bilateral relationship in general. “I think the Malaysians might be genuinely interested because Pakistan has a respectable defense industry, with the products being considerably cheaper compared to the West due to cheap labor.”

However, Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has publically denied media reports that the country is considering the JF-17 as part of its Air Force modernization plans last Tuesday. Whether this discrepancy is due to a mistake or speculation on the part of Sani, or whether Kuala Lumpur has changed its mind, is currently unknown. One possibility is that China has requested that Pakistan withdraw its offer to Malaysia, due to tensions in the South China Sea.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

Editorial: Sri Lanka to Buy Eight Sino-Pak JF-17 Fighter Jets

By Franz-Stefan Gady

Sri Lanka and Pakistan agreed to the deal on the second of day of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Colombo.

During a three-day state visit to Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sealed a landmark deal for the purchase of eight Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft.

This defense deal would make Sri Lanka the first international customer of the fighter jet, although reports have also emerged this week that Nigeria will likewise acquire three PAC/CAC JF-17 Thunder multirole fighters in 2016, based on information obtained by a Nigerian newspaper.

As of now, there is no official confirmation of the deal, which might imply that a legal contract has yet to be signed. Pakistan has sought deeper defense ties with Sri Lanka for some time. “I conveyed our desire for more frequent port calls, participation in military exercises and defense seminars and training of military personnel,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif purportedly said while in Sri Lanka this week, according to Defense News.

The agreement over the procurement of the JF-17 fighter jets happened despite fierce Indian opposition. As I reported in October 2015, in an attempt to outdo Islamabad, New Delhi has been trying to sell its Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to Sri Lanka (See: “Outwitting Pakistan: India Offers Sri Lanka Its Newest Fighter Jet”).

However, Sri Lankan defense officials were hesitant and, among other things, allegedly pointed out that the Tejas LCA is not even in service yet with the Indian Air Force (IAF). Indeed, only one fighter aircraft has been delivered to the Indian Air Force so far and the aircraft, developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency in cooperation with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), only achieved initial operational clearance in December 2013.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

News Story: Pakistan Signs JF-17 Agreement With Sri Lanka

By Usman Ansari

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan and Sri Lanka have signed an agreement for an initial eight JF-17 Thunder multirole combat aircraft. The agreement comes amid Pakistani and Sri Lankan efforts to boost defense co-operation, and in the face of heavy Indian opposition.

The news broke late Tuesday on the second day of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's three-day visit to Colombo. It had been widely speculated Sri Lanka would sign a deal for the JF-17 to start replacing its current fleet of Chengdu F-7, IAI Kfir and MiG-27 aircraft.

India has lobbied long and hard against the deal that has been speculated for some years now. It even reportedly offered its own HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft in place of the JF-17. 

However, media reports citing diplomatic officials state Sri Lanka will try assuaging New Delhi's anger with warship orders from Indian shipyards.

There has been no official confirmation of the deal, though it has been widely reported.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Editorial: India’s New Fighter Jet Will Make International Debut in Bahrain

By Franz-Stefan Gady

The Tejas fighter jet will perform a flight demonstration during the Bahrain International Air Show in January.

India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will conduct a flight demonstration during this year’s Bahrain International Air Show held from January 21-23, The Business Standard reports based on information obtained from India’s Ministry of Defense.

“The show will witness flying demonstration of the ‘Tejas’, the latest and state of the art Light Combat Aircraft, the ‘Four-plus’ generation and highly cost effective fighter aircraft,” a defense ministry spokesperson said on January 1.

The display and flight demonstration of the Tejas fighter jet can be interpreted as a direct response to Pakistan’s attempt to sell its jointly-developed Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft on the international arms market.

However, whereas Pakistan has already inducted the JF-17 into the Pakistan Air Force, only one fighter aircraft has been delivered to the Indian Air Force so far. “A fighter participating in an international air show is scrutinized like a Miss Universe contestant. Every mole of the Tejas will be scrutinized in Bahrain,” cautions an Indian military aviation expert interviewed by The Business Standard.

Read the full story at The Diplomat