AikiRooster
PainMaster.
This is very bad News for Americans as well as disturbing.
By Charles R. Smith
Special to The Epoch Times
Jul 01, 2005
Russian missile makers have recently tested a new weapon they hope to
sell to China. The newly developed Russian missile is designed to attack
naval targets, and well suited for attacks against U.S. carriers.
According to Aviation Week and Space Technology, flight testing is
underway on a variant of Russia's Raduga Kh-59M (NATO AS-18 Kazoo)
anti-ship missile. Flight trials of the modified Kh-59 began in 2004, using a
SU-30MK2 aircraft already sold to Beijing.
The Chinese naval (PLAN) air arm began taking delivery of the first
batch of 24 SU-30MK2s strike-fighters in mid-2004. The newly modified
missile has been fitted with an active radar seeker, advanced guidance
systems and a special computer interface allowing it to use targeting data
from the Su-30MK2 fighter.
The modified Kh-59 missile is fitted with a Saturn 36MT turbojet engine
and its range has been extended to 186 miles or 288 KM.
Missile Story
"The Raduga Kh-59MK is a serious story that is just beginning," stated
Richard Fisher, Vice President, International Assessment and Strategy
Center.
"It is significant that it is being tested on the prototype of the
Chinese version of the Su-30, a strong indication that this 288 KM range
active-guided anti-ship missile will soon be joining PLA Naval Air Force
Su-30MKK2 units," stated Fisher.
"It was originally pitched as the weapon to accompany the Su-30MKK3,
which features a new radar from a bureau in competition with the normal
Sukhoi radar provider. The Su-30MKK3 program died a quiet death last
year, according to Russian sources with vested interests in its demise.
The Kh-59MK, however, will survive, and Raduga officials say it will be
ready for export in 2006," noted Fisher.
PLAN forces are very familiar with Russian missiles. China has already
purchased the Zvezda Kh-31A (AS-17 Krypton) air-launched anti-ship
missile from Moscow. The ramjet powered Kh-31 can reach a top speed of Mach
2.8. The PLAN is currently working on manufacturing the Kh-31 and has
already introduced a modified version, the KH-31P, with a range in
excess of 100 miles.
The PLAN has acquired several Russian Sovremenniy destroyers armed with
the latest versions of the Raduga 3M80 Moskit anti-ship missile (NATO
SS-N-22 Sunburn). The Moskit can cruise at 3 times the speed of sound
and can be armed with a 200-kiloton nuclear warhead. Each PLAN
Sovremenniy class destroyer is armed with eight Sunburn missiles.
The addition of the subsonic Kh-59 to the PLAN aviation inventory will
give it deadly combination of weapons that can pin down naval targets
at long range and then swiftly attack them from a variety of directions.
The build up of Chinese naval attack forces has not escaped notice in
the west.
Chinese Naval Build-up
"This adds yet another layer to China's building anti-carrier forces,
which will soon include 8 Russian NPO-Machinostroyenia electro-optical
and radar satellites; 12 Kilo submarines- 8 armed with 220km range CLUB
anti-ship missiles; Xian JH-7A fighter-bombers armed with Russian Kh-31
anti-ship missiles; and according to late reports, an eventual total of
6 Sovremenniy class missile destroyers," said Fisher.
In addition, Russia and China have reached an agreement covering the
purchase of 100 Klimov RD-93 engines for the Chengdu FC-1 strike fighter
jet. According to the Russian financial daily Kommersant, the deal
reportedly bars re-export of the engines.
The FC-1 is being developed by CAC-1, formerly Chengdu Aircraft Corp.,
with partial funding by Pakistan. The FC-1 draws its design lineage
from the Super-7 fighter program, a cooperative development between
Chengdu and then Grumman Corp. The agreement was signed in 1988, but fell
apart after Beijing's violent reaction to the Tiananmen Square
demonstrations in 1989.
However, the FC-1 incorporates many features from the U.S. F-16
Fighting Falcon design. The F-16 features appeared during the 1990s after
Pakistan transferred a single F-16A fighter to China in exchange for DF-11
missile technology.
Russia has also contributed to the FC-1 project. The FC-1 reportedly
incorporated several features of the now defunct MiG-33 lightweight
fighter project rejected by the Russian Air Force. The Russian MiG design
bureau dedicated several teams of engineers to the Chinese fighter after
the fall of the Soviet Union. A single modified MiG-29 engine, the
Klimov RD-33, dubbed the RD-93, powers the FC-1.
New Jet Fighter for Beijing or Islamabad?
"There appears to be some confusion about the ultimate destination of
the 100 Klimov RD-93 engines for the Chengdu FC-1 fighters," stated
Richard Fisher.
"Most sources note China wants to sell them to Pakistan, which has a
stated requirement for 150, but the Russians in several articles say they
will not allow flat resale of the engines. The reported reason is
opposition by India, which buys much more Russian weapons than Pakistan,"
noted Fisher.
"Chengdu, however, has tried hard to sell the FC-1 as the successor to
the PLA's Chengdu J-7 fighters, but there have been no solid reports
that this indeed will happen. The third alternative possibility is that
China will 'produce' its own version of the RD-93 in such a way as to
absolve the Russians of any guilt from its sale to Pakistan. This story
is not over," said Fisher.
The continuing arms sales by Moscow are a growing concern to Washington
and its Asian allies. The Chinese arms build up is clearly aimed at
challenging the U.S. armed forces in Asia and in particular the U.S. Navy
in the Pacific.
However, future weapons purchases remain unclear because of Beijing's
desire to acquire more advanced armament from the west. For example, the
pending decision by the European Union to sell arms to China may very
well be more damaging to world peace than the current weapons deliveries
from Moscow.
"The Russians badly need the hard currency that their deteriorating
arms industry can provide, but do not help their own defense posture on
their eastern flank by selling them to the Chinese," stated John Shaw,
former deputy under secretary for international technology security in
the George W. Bush Defense Department.
"Look for lots of sales of last generation equipment, but recognize
that others can provide upgrades that are better than the state of the art
in Russia-for a fat fee," concluded Shaw.
China's Weapons - Bought and Sold - Are a Threat
Charles R. Smith
Monday, April 11, 2005
Recent global events have resulted in one-step-forward and one-step-back for Beijing. The news that China acquired the advanced Raduga Kh-55 cruise missile from the Ukraine in 2001 is viewed as a possible step forward for China's new high-tech military.
Several Kh-55 missiles - also known to NATO as the AS-15 "Kent" - were delivered to Beijing without nuclear warheads. The former Ukrainian head of weapons exports, Volodymyr Yevdokymov, has been charged over the illegal arms sale to Beijing. The Kh-55 has a range over 1,500 miles and is armed with an advanced 200-kiloton nuclear warhead that is less than 2 feet in diameter. Chinese weapons engineers, equipped with advanced U.S. super-computers and stolen nuclear designs, can easily manufacture a small diameter atomic weapon to arm the tiny force of Kh-55 missiles.
However, the Chinese purchase does not seem to be aimed at adding an instant force of nuclear tipped missiles. Instead, it would appear the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is more interested in examining the Kh-55 technology. In fact, the PLA does not have the technology to operate the Kh-55.
The Kh-55 is equipped with a combination of an inertial guidance system coupled with a Doppler radar terrain following image guidance package. Thus, a Kh-55 requires high-resolution radar or satellite imagery and specialized pre-targeting guidance input from its launching platforms. China currently does not have the access to the advanced imagery and its bombers and warships do not have the proper targeting systems to provide the specialized guidance data.
Yet, China does currently have its own cruise missile program, the DH-10, in the final stages of testing. The DH-10 reportedly does not have a guidance system similar to the Kh-55. The DH-10 reportedly uses a combination of GPS type guidance and western laser ring gyro technology. It would seem that China's purchase of the Kh-55 may have motivated by "threat" analysis - trying to determine if they might face such a missile in any future conflict with Russia or perhaps India.
EU ARMS BAN WILL CONTINUE
Meanwhile, China has suffered a clear step-backward in its efforts to lift the European Union (EU) arms embargo. The embargo was to be lifted before the end of Luxembourg's term at the EU presidency. However, the decision now appears to hit the EU floor in June when the United Kingdom takes over the helm.
Given the political atmosphere between Washington and London, it is unlikely the EU would vote to lift the ban until 2006. Defense analysts inside both capitals noted that the tense situation over the current joint production of the F-35 JSF fighter would simply not allow Britain to be at the EU top spot when any ban is lifted.
There are many reasons why such a ban should remain in place. Interestingly, it is not just conservative - national defense - oriented lobbyists that oppose lifting the EU ban.
For example, the Federation of American Scientists, a liberal group long known for its opposition to nuclear weapons, has come out against lifting the EU ban on arms sales to China.
"Indeed, troubling transfers of Chinese military and dual-use equipment are numerous," Matt Schroeder of the Federation of American Scientists, wrote recently.
DRAGON FIRE
"In 1996, an 16-month Federal sting dubbed 'Dragon Fire' culminated in the confiscation of 2,000 fully automatic Chinese AK-47 assault rifles that had been illegally imported into the United States from China. Massive arms shipments interdicted on U.S. soil are usually en route to Latin American guerrillas or drug cartels. Not this time," noted Schroeder.
"According to customs officials, the dealer (a Chinese immigrant reportedly working with two large Chinese defense firms) thought the ultimate recipients were 'gang bangers' in the United States," noted Schroeder.
"The dealer also reportedly offered 60 mm mortars, rocket launchers, and 'Red Parakeet' shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles to undercover agents, who told him that they would be sold to right wing radicals in the U.S. and terrorists in Ireland and Latin America," wrote Schroeder.
"During the investigation, the dealer repeated that the 'Chinese government knew exactly what was going on.' This claim has not been substantiated, but court documents indicate that officials from two large, state-controlled Chinese companies were involved in the deal.
Commenting on role of China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO), the Department of Justice stated that '[t]he shipment of weapons from the Dalian plant of NORINCO involved the active participation of that firm's PRC-based vice president, export manager and other officials.'"
Schroeder is not the only one to discover that China wanted to sell weapons to terrorists inside the U.S. According to a 1997 Rand Corp. report, Norinco was heavily involved with the PLA arms firm Poly Technologies and the effort to smuggle fully automatic AK-47 rifles into the U.S.
"Poly's U.S. subsidiaries were abruptly closed in August 1996. Allegedly, Poly's representative, Robert Ma, conspired with China North Industries Corporation's (NORINCO) representative, Richard Chen, and a number of businessmen in California to illegally import 2000 AK-47s into the United States."
"Unfortunately for them," states the Rand report. "Their 'customers' turned out to be undercover U.S. Customs and BATF agents, posing as members of a Miami syndicate. Poly's representative, Robert Ma, fled the country one step ahead of Federal law enforcement officials who had a warrant for his arrest, and his current whereabouts are unknown."
One point worth noting - the U.S. Customs officials were clear that the Chinese officials had to call back to Beijing to get permission to ship the machine guns. The Clinton administration never pursued the Beijing connection.
NORINCO
Norinco is an example of what China will do with any arms or weapons technology it acquires. Norinco is a firm highly favored by Beijing and the PLA generals who own the arms maker. Norinco has also been at the lead of Chinese arms proliferation in global terms.
Norinco came under investigation in 1998 for selling chemical-weapons materials to Iran for weapons of mass destruction, according to testimony before a Senate Governmental sub panel. Norinco has come under fire for other transfers, including the sale of ballistic missile technology to Iran.
In May 2003 the Bush administration slapped a two-year ban on Norinco imports as punishment for engaging in "missile technology proliferation activities." The ban costs NORINCO $100 million a year in lost U.S. sales.
Assistant Secretary for Verification and Compliance Paula DeSutter described NORINCO as a "serial proliferator" that escapes punishment from Beijing despite the open complaints from Washington.
"For some time, we have been alerting the Chinese Government to our concerns about the activities of Norinco. Nonetheless, the Chinese government has taken no action to halt Norinco's proliferant behavior," Sutter testified in July 2003.
BAN PLA INC.
The Bush administration is considering extending the Norinco ban. In fact, it should be considering a ban on all PLA owned businesses in the U.S. Over 3,000 front companies provide conduits for Chinese army intelligence, compete illegally against legitimate U.S. firms for loans and American business - and they serve as fronts for illegal imports such as the AK-47 machine gun deals.
While Washington presses the Europeans to stop dealing with the PLA we too should put up a "closed" sign here in the U.S. Its time to put the PLA out of business.
By Charles R. Smith
Special to The Epoch Times
Jul 01, 2005
Russian missile makers have recently tested a new weapon they hope to
sell to China. The newly developed Russian missile is designed to attack
naval targets, and well suited for attacks against U.S. carriers.
According to Aviation Week and Space Technology, flight testing is
underway on a variant of Russia's Raduga Kh-59M (NATO AS-18 Kazoo)
anti-ship missile. Flight trials of the modified Kh-59 began in 2004, using a
SU-30MK2 aircraft already sold to Beijing.
The Chinese naval (PLAN) air arm began taking delivery of the first
batch of 24 SU-30MK2s strike-fighters in mid-2004. The newly modified
missile has been fitted with an active radar seeker, advanced guidance
systems and a special computer interface allowing it to use targeting data
from the Su-30MK2 fighter.
The modified Kh-59 missile is fitted with a Saturn 36MT turbojet engine
and its range has been extended to 186 miles or 288 KM.
Missile Story
"The Raduga Kh-59MK is a serious story that is just beginning," stated
Richard Fisher, Vice President, International Assessment and Strategy
Center.
"It is significant that it is being tested on the prototype of the
Chinese version of the Su-30, a strong indication that this 288 KM range
active-guided anti-ship missile will soon be joining PLA Naval Air Force
Su-30MKK2 units," stated Fisher.
"It was originally pitched as the weapon to accompany the Su-30MKK3,
which features a new radar from a bureau in competition with the normal
Sukhoi radar provider. The Su-30MKK3 program died a quiet death last
year, according to Russian sources with vested interests in its demise.
The Kh-59MK, however, will survive, and Raduga officials say it will be
ready for export in 2006," noted Fisher.
PLAN forces are very familiar with Russian missiles. China has already
purchased the Zvezda Kh-31A (AS-17 Krypton) air-launched anti-ship
missile from Moscow. The ramjet powered Kh-31 can reach a top speed of Mach
2.8. The PLAN is currently working on manufacturing the Kh-31 and has
already introduced a modified version, the KH-31P, with a range in
excess of 100 miles.
The PLAN has acquired several Russian Sovremenniy destroyers armed with
the latest versions of the Raduga 3M80 Moskit anti-ship missile (NATO
SS-N-22 Sunburn). The Moskit can cruise at 3 times the speed of sound
and can be armed with a 200-kiloton nuclear warhead. Each PLAN
Sovremenniy class destroyer is armed with eight Sunburn missiles.
The addition of the subsonic Kh-59 to the PLAN aviation inventory will
give it deadly combination of weapons that can pin down naval targets
at long range and then swiftly attack them from a variety of directions.
The build up of Chinese naval attack forces has not escaped notice in
the west.
Chinese Naval Build-up
"This adds yet another layer to China's building anti-carrier forces,
which will soon include 8 Russian NPO-Machinostroyenia electro-optical
and radar satellites; 12 Kilo submarines- 8 armed with 220km range CLUB
anti-ship missiles; Xian JH-7A fighter-bombers armed with Russian Kh-31
anti-ship missiles; and according to late reports, an eventual total of
6 Sovremenniy class missile destroyers," said Fisher.
In addition, Russia and China have reached an agreement covering the
purchase of 100 Klimov RD-93 engines for the Chengdu FC-1 strike fighter
jet. According to the Russian financial daily Kommersant, the deal
reportedly bars re-export of the engines.
The FC-1 is being developed by CAC-1, formerly Chengdu Aircraft Corp.,
with partial funding by Pakistan. The FC-1 draws its design lineage
from the Super-7 fighter program, a cooperative development between
Chengdu and then Grumman Corp. The agreement was signed in 1988, but fell
apart after Beijing's violent reaction to the Tiananmen Square
demonstrations in 1989.
However, the FC-1 incorporates many features from the U.S. F-16
Fighting Falcon design. The F-16 features appeared during the 1990s after
Pakistan transferred a single F-16A fighter to China in exchange for DF-11
missile technology.
Russia has also contributed to the FC-1 project. The FC-1 reportedly
incorporated several features of the now defunct MiG-33 lightweight
fighter project rejected by the Russian Air Force. The Russian MiG design
bureau dedicated several teams of engineers to the Chinese fighter after
the fall of the Soviet Union. A single modified MiG-29 engine, the
Klimov RD-33, dubbed the RD-93, powers the FC-1.
New Jet Fighter for Beijing or Islamabad?
"There appears to be some confusion about the ultimate destination of
the 100 Klimov RD-93 engines for the Chengdu FC-1 fighters," stated
Richard Fisher.
"Most sources note China wants to sell them to Pakistan, which has a
stated requirement for 150, but the Russians in several articles say they
will not allow flat resale of the engines. The reported reason is
opposition by India, which buys much more Russian weapons than Pakistan,"
noted Fisher.
"Chengdu, however, has tried hard to sell the FC-1 as the successor to
the PLA's Chengdu J-7 fighters, but there have been no solid reports
that this indeed will happen. The third alternative possibility is that
China will 'produce' its own version of the RD-93 in such a way as to
absolve the Russians of any guilt from its sale to Pakistan. This story
is not over," said Fisher.
The continuing arms sales by Moscow are a growing concern to Washington
and its Asian allies. The Chinese arms build up is clearly aimed at
challenging the U.S. armed forces in Asia and in particular the U.S. Navy
in the Pacific.
However, future weapons purchases remain unclear because of Beijing's
desire to acquire more advanced armament from the west. For example, the
pending decision by the European Union to sell arms to China may very
well be more damaging to world peace than the current weapons deliveries
from Moscow.
"The Russians badly need the hard currency that their deteriorating
arms industry can provide, but do not help their own defense posture on
their eastern flank by selling them to the Chinese," stated John Shaw,
former deputy under secretary for international technology security in
the George W. Bush Defense Department.
"Look for lots of sales of last generation equipment, but recognize
that others can provide upgrades that are better than the state of the art
in Russia-for a fat fee," concluded Shaw.
China's Weapons - Bought and Sold - Are a Threat
Charles R. Smith
Monday, April 11, 2005
Recent global events have resulted in one-step-forward and one-step-back for Beijing. The news that China acquired the advanced Raduga Kh-55 cruise missile from the Ukraine in 2001 is viewed as a possible step forward for China's new high-tech military.
Several Kh-55 missiles - also known to NATO as the AS-15 "Kent" - were delivered to Beijing without nuclear warheads. The former Ukrainian head of weapons exports, Volodymyr Yevdokymov, has been charged over the illegal arms sale to Beijing. The Kh-55 has a range over 1,500 miles and is armed with an advanced 200-kiloton nuclear warhead that is less than 2 feet in diameter. Chinese weapons engineers, equipped with advanced U.S. super-computers and stolen nuclear designs, can easily manufacture a small diameter atomic weapon to arm the tiny force of Kh-55 missiles.
However, the Chinese purchase does not seem to be aimed at adding an instant force of nuclear tipped missiles. Instead, it would appear the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is more interested in examining the Kh-55 technology. In fact, the PLA does not have the technology to operate the Kh-55.
The Kh-55 is equipped with a combination of an inertial guidance system coupled with a Doppler radar terrain following image guidance package. Thus, a Kh-55 requires high-resolution radar or satellite imagery and specialized pre-targeting guidance input from its launching platforms. China currently does not have the access to the advanced imagery and its bombers and warships do not have the proper targeting systems to provide the specialized guidance data.
Yet, China does currently have its own cruise missile program, the DH-10, in the final stages of testing. The DH-10 reportedly does not have a guidance system similar to the Kh-55. The DH-10 reportedly uses a combination of GPS type guidance and western laser ring gyro technology. It would seem that China's purchase of the Kh-55 may have motivated by "threat" analysis - trying to determine if they might face such a missile in any future conflict with Russia or perhaps India.
EU ARMS BAN WILL CONTINUE
Meanwhile, China has suffered a clear step-backward in its efforts to lift the European Union (EU) arms embargo. The embargo was to be lifted before the end of Luxembourg's term at the EU presidency. However, the decision now appears to hit the EU floor in June when the United Kingdom takes over the helm.
Given the political atmosphere between Washington and London, it is unlikely the EU would vote to lift the ban until 2006. Defense analysts inside both capitals noted that the tense situation over the current joint production of the F-35 JSF fighter would simply not allow Britain to be at the EU top spot when any ban is lifted.
There are many reasons why such a ban should remain in place. Interestingly, it is not just conservative - national defense - oriented lobbyists that oppose lifting the EU ban.
For example, the Federation of American Scientists, a liberal group long known for its opposition to nuclear weapons, has come out against lifting the EU ban on arms sales to China.
"Indeed, troubling transfers of Chinese military and dual-use equipment are numerous," Matt Schroeder of the Federation of American Scientists, wrote recently.
DRAGON FIRE
"In 1996, an 16-month Federal sting dubbed 'Dragon Fire' culminated in the confiscation of 2,000 fully automatic Chinese AK-47 assault rifles that had been illegally imported into the United States from China. Massive arms shipments interdicted on U.S. soil are usually en route to Latin American guerrillas or drug cartels. Not this time," noted Schroeder.
"According to customs officials, the dealer (a Chinese immigrant reportedly working with two large Chinese defense firms) thought the ultimate recipients were 'gang bangers' in the United States," noted Schroeder.
"The dealer also reportedly offered 60 mm mortars, rocket launchers, and 'Red Parakeet' shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles to undercover agents, who told him that they would be sold to right wing radicals in the U.S. and terrorists in Ireland and Latin America," wrote Schroeder.
"During the investigation, the dealer repeated that the 'Chinese government knew exactly what was going on.' This claim has not been substantiated, but court documents indicate that officials from two large, state-controlled Chinese companies were involved in the deal.
Commenting on role of China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO), the Department of Justice stated that '[t]he shipment of weapons from the Dalian plant of NORINCO involved the active participation of that firm's PRC-based vice president, export manager and other officials.'"
Schroeder is not the only one to discover that China wanted to sell weapons to terrorists inside the U.S. According to a 1997 Rand Corp. report, Norinco was heavily involved with the PLA arms firm Poly Technologies and the effort to smuggle fully automatic AK-47 rifles into the U.S.
"Poly's U.S. subsidiaries were abruptly closed in August 1996. Allegedly, Poly's representative, Robert Ma, conspired with China North Industries Corporation's (NORINCO) representative, Richard Chen, and a number of businessmen in California to illegally import 2000 AK-47s into the United States."
"Unfortunately for them," states the Rand report. "Their 'customers' turned out to be undercover U.S. Customs and BATF agents, posing as members of a Miami syndicate. Poly's representative, Robert Ma, fled the country one step ahead of Federal law enforcement officials who had a warrant for his arrest, and his current whereabouts are unknown."
One point worth noting - the U.S. Customs officials were clear that the Chinese officials had to call back to Beijing to get permission to ship the machine guns. The Clinton administration never pursued the Beijing connection.
NORINCO
Norinco is an example of what China will do with any arms or weapons technology it acquires. Norinco is a firm highly favored by Beijing and the PLA generals who own the arms maker. Norinco has also been at the lead of Chinese arms proliferation in global terms.
Norinco came under investigation in 1998 for selling chemical-weapons materials to Iran for weapons of mass destruction, according to testimony before a Senate Governmental sub panel. Norinco has come under fire for other transfers, including the sale of ballistic missile technology to Iran.
In May 2003 the Bush administration slapped a two-year ban on Norinco imports as punishment for engaging in "missile technology proliferation activities." The ban costs NORINCO $100 million a year in lost U.S. sales.
Assistant Secretary for Verification and Compliance Paula DeSutter described NORINCO as a "serial proliferator" that escapes punishment from Beijing despite the open complaints from Washington.
"For some time, we have been alerting the Chinese Government to our concerns about the activities of Norinco. Nonetheless, the Chinese government has taken no action to halt Norinco's proliferant behavior," Sutter testified in July 2003.
BAN PLA INC.
The Bush administration is considering extending the Norinco ban. In fact, it should be considering a ban on all PLA owned businesses in the U.S. Over 3,000 front companies provide conduits for Chinese army intelligence, compete illegally against legitimate U.S. firms for loans and American business - and they serve as fronts for illegal imports such as the AK-47 machine gun deals.
While Washington presses the Europeans to stop dealing with the PLA we too should put up a "closed" sign here in the U.S. Its time to put the PLA out of business.