Chinese weapon development - the next Great Leap
Forward
China is now the worlds largest importer of
armaments and a very large
proportion of those are of Russian origin.
Traditionally much of China's
own production has
been either direct copies of or at the very least heavily
influenced by Soviet designs. However not only
is China now producing
many of the latest weapons systems with Moscow's
encouragement,
indigenous designs are appearing in every greater
quantities and quality,
though in one recent development the Luoyang
Institute of Electro-Optical
Equipment or AVIC Research Institute Number
613 in Henan Province has
apparently made a quantum leap in Chinese
capability by successfully
producing a copy of the secret fire-control
software and systems integration
package for the advanced Sukhoi Su-27 fighter being
manufactured under
licence in China following a $2.5 billion deal in
1996 at a rate of some 20-25
aircraft per year. An additional deal worth
probably $3 billion was signed in
1999 involving the delivery of upto 80 Su-30MKK, a
highly sophisticated
long-range strike-fighter version of the
Su-27, from the Irkutsk plant and upto
250 under licence at the Shenyang production
facility.
Russia had refused to supply China with the latest
electronic package for
the Su-27 and Su-30MKK and the
Russian FSB internal security service
had reportedly foiled several attempts by Chinese
agents to illegally obtain
the equipment or details of the technology. Now
however as an additional
highlight of the startling advances made in
Beijing's military scientific and
technological capability, Chinese engineers have
solved the problem of
providing the Peoples Air Force with near
state-of-the-art technology.
This is not the only recent advance of note, for
although the United States
stepped in to prevent its ally Israel from selling
further highly potent air-to-air
missiles and radar systems to the Chinese, it
appears likely that Beijing
managed to obtain certain highly valuable material
and plans before
Washington enforced its embargo on Israel. Indeed
certain aspects of
the Chinese rebuilding of Saddam Husseins shattered
air defence systems
may owe more than a little to the technology
gained by China's flirtation with
the Israeli arms industry.
China develops a genuine anti-Carrier
capability
China has also made considerable advances in
ship-to-ship missile
systems of
particular importance for a possible amphibious attack on
Taiwan or in pursuing Beijings determination to challenge the United
States control of the sea lanes around China. China is
actively pursuing
the production and further development of a range of potent systems
including the CSS-C-7 SADSACK,a medium ranged subsonic cruise missile
that can be employed as a ship or air launched system and has appeared
in a coast defence version as well;
the CSS-C-8 SACCADE, a
naval
land-attack and anti-ship cruise missile; and
CSS-C-3 SEERSUCKER,
a medium range air-, ground- and ship-launched
cruise missile which is
part of the on-going development program of
the older CSS-C-2 SILKWORM.
The CSS-C-8(YJ-2/C802) in particular, now has an
enhanced range of some
140 kms at a speed
of 0.9 mach, carrying a warhead of 165-170
kg at just
5 metres above
sea level in its final approach to its target.With a low radar
signature this weapon provides China with a viable
anti-ship capability which
worries US Naval
planners heavily reliant upon carrier battle
groups.
Some observers have claimed that this weapon is in
the same class as
HARPOON and if reports that it has a hit
probability as high as 75% or
more, would undoubtedly make it potentially one the
most effective naval
systems in the world today.
China is now very definitely in the forefront of
military technology. It has cleverly
combined well chosen importation, with indigenous
development and a
determined industrial and technological espionage
campaign. Those in the
West, and particularly the United States who
persist in downplaying both
China's capability and the inherent threat posed by
Beijings long-term
intentions do so at great risk. China is not
only enhancing its conventional
military power, its nuclear, chemical and
biological warfare programs, and its
strategic missile capability, it also has developed
an impressive space program
of satellite
launching and cyber-warfare techniques that have been largely
ignored by the West.
Have no doubt, China is or very soon will be a genuine
threat to US
influence and force projection in much of Asia and while the
War on Terrorism continues to distract America, China is making a new
Great Leap forward
in military power.
Richard M. Bennett and INSIGHT