Photos of Chinese carrierborne AEW emerges

After being caught on the ground by Google Earth, the first photos of China's future carrier-borne Airborne Early aircraft, based on the Y-7 transport, have recently emerged.

With four vertical stabilizers like the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, which would allow it to fit inside an aircraft carrier's hangar deck without the complexities of a folding tail, this test bed seems lack the tail hook and it is unclear if it has folding wings, but with China's carrier ambitions still in it's infancy, there should be some time to allow China's aircraft manufacturers to sort those out.

VIDEO: Chinese Navy Ka-28 near miss while landing in rough seas

Interesting video lifted off a Chinese TV broadcast of a Chinese Navy Kamov Ka-28 naval helicopter almost coming to grief while attempting to land on a Type 054A frigate, the Xuzhou (徐州), judging by the "530" painted on the helideck. According to the report, the ship and helicopter were from the East Sea fleet, and at the time of the initial landing attempt, surface wind speeds were 10m/s and at Sea State 3. According to the interview with the pilot in the clip, a gust of wind from the rear port quarter caught the Kamov as it came in to land, tossing the hapless helicopter (and crew) around and forcing the landing to be aborted. Two more attempts were made before the helicopter landed on the fourth attempt, after the sea had calmed down, more than an hour after the first attempt.

Chinese navy operating shipborne helicopter UAVs

Click on thumbnail for higher-resolution image (Japanese Ministry of Defense)

For the second year running, Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force assets have photographed Chinese naval forces operating ship-based Unmanned Air Vehicles during the People's Liberation Army Navy's annual run through the Miyako Straits between the Japanese islands of Miyakojima and Okinawa. What's more interesting is that this time the Chinese were operating helicopter UAVs, with one, and possibly up to 3 aircraft off the deck of Type-054A Jiang-Kai II frigate Zhou San (舟山).

Schiebel Camcopter S-100 (Photo: Wikipedia User Stahlkocher)

Greg Waldron over at Flightglobal mentions that the UAVs are most likely Austria's Schiebel Camcopter S-100, with China known to have obtained obtained 18 examples two years ago.

Link: Japanese MoD release (15 May 2012)

Varyag sea trials a success; to enter PLAN service in 2012?

Varyag at sea. (Photo: Digitalglobe)

The Deputy Naval Commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army has said that sea trials for China’s first aircraft carrier were carried out smoothly and the Navy is planning for the refurbished former Varyag to enter service this year. The ship made it's maiden voyage last August, with further sea trials having been carried out since then.

It's worth noting that the state media in China has not referred to the carrier by the name "Shi Lang" (施琅) which many Western press outlets have called it. Deliberate obfuscation, or is the name really a figment of the West's imagination?

Google Maps reveals China's new carrier-based AEW

Click on thumbnail for higher res image

Google Earth/Map's latest imagery of China's Xi'an-Yanliang airfield, home of the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (西安飞机工业) and the China Flight Test Establishment, has revealed what appears to be a Airborne Early Warning (AEW) platform based on the Xi'an Y-7 transport aircraft. There were already reports (and blurry photos) purporting to be the Chinese Y-7 AEW on Chinese defence sites and forums a while back and this latest satellite photos would lend further credence to those reports. Speculation is that the Y-7 AEW is to be a carrier-based AEW platform, similar to the E-2 Hawkeye in U.S Navy service.

Hat-tip to @Combatair on Twitter.

China's carrier-based J-15 fighter photographed at base with ski jump

More photos have appeared of the Chinese Shenyang J-15 carrier-based fighter have appeared on the internet over the past few days, including a series of seemingly surreptitiously-taken photos shot of a J-15 taxiing past the photographer's location. The latest to appear is aircraft 553, while a surprisingly good quality photograph of aircraft 556 has also been seen on Chinese websites. British military aviation magazine Combat Aircraft Monthly has noted on Twitter that unconfirmed reports have said that up to 5-6 J-15s are currently undergoing testing.

(NOTE: Some of the following images have slightly higher-resolution versions available by clicking on the thumbnail)





In contrast with J-15s snapped earlier at a different location already painted and carrying national insignia, both 553 and 556 are in yellow chromate primer finish, and sport numerous photo calibration markings. Closeup shots of 553 also show a arrester hook peeping out from the lower rear fuselage.







Of some additional interest is the (unknown) base 553 was snapped at, of which a general overview can be seen here



But the noteworthy part is just to the left of the tower in the photos, which is



Various reports in the past few years (see here and here) have previously hinted at ski jumps being built at Chinese airbases, but this would be the first confirmation that one exists. This would also lend weight to the conclusion that the rumoured carriers China is/will be building, in addition to refurbishing the former Soviet Admiral Kuznetsov-class carrier Varyag will utilise the STOBAR method of launch and recovery of carrier-based fixed-wing assets.

PHOTO: Varyag at sea

Click on thumbnail to view high-resolution image. (Photo: Digitalglobe)

Commercial satellite company DigitalGlobe says it has managed to take a picture of China's first aircraft carrier during its sea trials in the Yellow Sea. Stephen Wood, director of DigitalGlobe's analysis centre, said the vessel had been photographed on 8 December off the Chinese coast approximately 100km (62 miles) from the port of Dalian by one of the company's orbiting satellites.

Transforming the Varyag from hulk into an operational PLA Navy carrier

Click on the above image for the story of how the former Ukrainian aircraft carrier Varyag was transformed from an incomplete, abandoned hulk to China's first operational aircraft carrier. (Note: Link leads to external site)

Spotters badge to Alvaro Munoz-Aycuens on Twitter.

On the back of recent news that the Varyag has left Dalian for her second set of sea trials, the above link is a good recap of the Varyag's story.

Chinese MPA/ASW aircraft based on Y-8F-600 sighted

Photos have appeared on the internet of a new Chinese Maritime Patrol/Anti-Submarine variant of the AVIC-Shanxii Y-8F-600, a modernized version of the Y-8 transport, which is itself a clone of the Soviet/Russian Antonov An-12. The photos seen so far appears to show a weapons bay, chin-mounted surface-search radar, Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) turret immediately in front of the weapons bay and a Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) boom on the rear fuselage, which does not have a cargo ramp.

Aviationweek's Bill Sweetman has a little more about this on his blog, as has Feng on http://china-pla.blogspot.com/ which has more photos of the beast(s).

VIDEO: Chinese JH-7 fighter bomber crashes at airshow

A Chinese-built Xi'an JH-7 Flying Leopard fighter-bomber has crashed during a demonstration at an airshow in Pucheng, Shaanxi Province in northern China. A video of the crash (see embedded video above) released by CCTV, China's state broadcaster, appears to show the aircraft suddenly departing controlled flight and plunging nose-first into the ground, resulting in a fireball. One crewmember was seen to eject, reportedly with injuries, however another pilot was reported as missing. More reports from The Bangkok Post and CNN.

The JH-7 is in service with both China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force (PLANAF). First entering service in the 1990s, the new type replaced the elderly Harbin H-5 (Ilyushin Il-28 'Beagle' copy) and Nanchang Q-5 (Chinese built derivative of the MiG-19/Shenyang J-6). Considered a relatively limited ground attack platform powered by locally manufactured derivatives of imported Rolls-Royce Spey engines, an improved variant, the JH-7A, introduced a lighter, composite platform, new avionics and radar, precision strike capability and increased payload. 114 aircraft have been built so far and serve in the precision attack and maritime strike roles.

Pentagon's 2011 report on China's military; J-20 operational by 2018

The Pentagon's annual report to Congress on China's military and security developments is out. It can be found here.

Meanwhile Greg Waldron over at Flightglobal has nicely summed up what the report says about the J-20.

Varyag makes maiden voyage from Dalian for sea trials

Varyag pictured pierside in Dalian, 17th April 2011. Photo © Reuters

The former Soviet Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier Varyag, refusbished by China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has left its berth at Dalian, China at 5.09am on Wednesday the 10th of August 2011 for its maiden sea trials. It is expected that the sea trials will last a few days.

The Chinese government's official news agency Xinhua has reported that “China’s refitted aircraft carrier left its shipyard at Dalian Port in northeast Liaoning Province on Wednesday morning to start its first sea trial. Military sources said that the first sea trial was in line with schedual [sic] of the carrier’s refitting project and would not take a long time. After returning from the sea trial, the aircraft carrier will continue refit and test work.”

Meanwhile, Andrew S. Erickson over at The China Signpost has highlighted a few things to watch out for during the still-unnamed carrier's maiden voyage.

Varyag sailing imminent; first Z-8 helicopter arrives on board

The writing has been on the wall the past few weeks, but signs are pointing to the former Soviet/Russian aircraft carrier Varyag, now owned by China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), making it's maiden voyage for sea trials from Dalian, China before the next week is out. From the Chinese government officially acknowledging that the ship exists and will be used as a training carrier with a view to building more such ships, to daily eyewitness reports online of activity on board, things are definitely moving along.

Meanwhile, Kyodo's Chinese website has released photos, dated August 5 2011, showing a Changhe Z-8 helicopter (licence-built Aerospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon) operating from the Varyag/Shi Lang.




Photos © Kyodo

It has been reported that the ship will be renamed, after a Qing Dynasty admiral who conquered Taiwan in 1681, but that has not been officially confirmed.

PHOTO: Shenyang J-15 PLA Navy carrier-based fighter

High quality photos have been appearing on the Internet from China of the J-15 carrier based fighter being developed for the People's Liberation Army - Navy (PLAN). Click on the thumbnails for higher resolution images.

First official appearance of PLA Navy's J-10AH in China's state media

China Defense Blog has some screen grabs of the PLA Navy's Chengdu J-10AH fighter off a CCTV feature on the J-10 and photos of the J-10AH taken from outside Chengdu Aircraft's facility.

China's state run press publishes photos of carrier Varyag/Shi Lang

Despite "leaked" photos all over the internet following the progress on the refit/reconstruction of the former Soviet Navy carrier Varyag (now Shi Lang in Dalian, China, the official Chinese press has never acknowledged the presence of the carrier. That has now changed, which may indicate that work is approaching completion and she will join the PLAN fleet soon.

Z-8 AEW helicopter in PLA Navy colours

China Defense Blog has published a photo of the Changhe Z-8 helicopter with a suspected AEW radar array in PLA Navy markings. It is believed that Z-8 Airborne Early Warning variant is earmarked for use in the PLAN's expected first carrier air wing.

China's carrier Shi Lang (ex-Varyag) refit progressing along

Greg Waldron over at Flightglobal has put up more photos and a short write-up over at the Asian Skies Blog about recent progress on the refit/construction of the Shi Lang, China's soon-to-be first aircraft carrier. The ship is the former Soviet Navy's Kuznetsov-class carrier Varyag.

Chinese Navy Y-8s approach within 50km of Senkakus/Diaoyutai

Japan has expressed concern, but will not lodge a formal complaint over an incident when two PLA Naval Air Force Y-8 maritime reconnaissance/patrol aircraft approached with 50km (30 miles) of the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyutai group of islands. The Y-8s were intercepted and escorted out of the area by JASDF F-15s.

China may build up to five aircraft carriers

Aviationweek has a Richard D. Fisher, Jr. (Senior Fellow with the International Assessment and Strategy Center) article about China's aircraft carrier development and ambitions. Mr Fisher believes that China plans an eventual force of five carriers, including two nuclear powered vessels.