China's Military - The Real Thing or A Potemkin Village

As far back as 1279 AD, under the rule of Khubila Khan, the Chinese have been conquered and ruled by foreign powers. China's early experience with foreign governments left a bad taste of economic colonialism in its mouth. Autonomous regions and concessions, which carved up China's sovereignty, led to forced trade and an opium war. Territory was lost and the national treasury depleted to indemnify the victors for war reparations. China, historically, has been harried by foreign powers-exposing its industrial weakness and national vulnerability. Where self-importance once reigned, doubt and a national inferiority complex permeate the Chinese consciousness.

Today, while maintaining the largest standing army of approximately 2.3 million soldiers (contrast with America's 1.4 million) and a comparatively credible nuclear arsenal, China has taken another "Great Leap Forward" in the modernization of its security forces to counteract this national psychosis.

There are two schools of thought as it concerns China's regional and global intentions. The first suggests that China has no hegemonic interest-that she has never ventured, for conquest, outside her borders and any interest she might communicate in this arena are for regional stability and noninterference, and to impugn China in any other fashion or to paint China as a regional/global menace-is to make her a regional/global menace. "... [B]elligerent policies risk creating a self-fulfilling prophecy-treat China as an enemy and it will be one." (Ross 33)

The second suggests that China has always had revenge in mind, for historic indignities, and an evil/godless resolve to eventually dominate the world. Every shift she makes in policy, strategic or economic, must be viewed with this intent in mind. "... [C]hina's willingness, even eagerness, to improve the Sino-American mood represents a tactical gesture rather than a strategic one... Beijing has tempered its confrontational rhetoric and retreated from some of the actions that most annoyed Washington... 'For a relatively long time it will be absolutely necessary that we quietly nurse our sense of vengeance,' General Mi Zhenyu, Vice Commander, Academy of Military Sciences in Beijing wrote. 'We must conceal our abilities and bide our time.'" (Bernstein/Munro 20)

To further this objective, China has made every attempt to acquire technological advantages the United States might offer into its military portfolio. To this aim, accusations of espionage, dubious, if not illegal, Chinese campaign contributions, and a fifth column at the White House reverberate throughout the conservative political spectrum. Waving this bloody shirt of political corruption the opposition party has conjured images of a Manchurian Candidate with the inscrutable Chinese as the queen-of-diamond protagonist.

Against this backdrop the questions are manifold and the assessment difficult as to the military course China has plotted. Towards which two objectives has her ship of state's compass been boxed? Is China's military buildup warranted as a regional power or does she have global ambitions? Is China's military capability commensurate with her strategic interests and does it represent a threat or legitimate growth? A definitive answer to these questions would require the deftness of Houdini and the clairvoyance of Kreskin; however, a culling of the two positions might ferret out suppositions that could lead to reasonable conclusions.

Position one hypothesizes that China, for centuries, has remained within its borders, and has never posed a threat to any of her neighbors. The Great Wall, built to prevent the Mongol hordes from entering China, exemplifies her defensive posture. Moreover, China has historically shunned contact with the outside world, neither desiring nor seeking trade or the capacity for exploration on the high seas. China's egocentric thinking can be underscored by her name-the Middle Kingdom. Where all roads once led to Rome, China simply believed itself to be the center of the world with no need to venture out from its shores.

Ironically, because China enjoyed her isolationist position with no penchant for empire expansion, she unwittingly opened herself to foreign devils looking to expand their global tentacles. The opium war of the 1840s was such an example. The British, suffering from a trade imbalance due to their insatiable appetite for Chinese tea (through their East Indian holding company), sought to traffic in opium with the intent of creating such a demand by addicting enough people to a substance that could be easily manufactured for trade; thereby, reversing a disastrous trend of trade deficit to a trade surplus. When China interdicted this drug trafficking of British opium, her inferior junks were no match for the superior steam-propelled British frigates resulting in the defeat of China's fledgling fleet. As punishment, the Chinese were compelled to indemnify the British, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, and transfer possession and control of Hong Kong to England.

In 1860, further humiliating land losses were forced upon China with the loss of the Kowloon peninsula (to the British) and the territories north of the Amur River and east of the Ussuri (to the Russians). China's weakness to defend her territory was further exposed by the Japanese in 1895 when the two countries clashed on the Korean peninsula. The resulting defeat shrunk China's territory even more-from the loss of Taiwan, the Pescadore islands, and the New Territories. All this territory was lost on the imploding Qing Dynasty watch of 1644 to 1911.

Smarting from these historic indignities, China has sought to match the military strength of her would be conquerors. Position one promotes China's military buildup/modernization program as defensive and reasonable while presenting no regional/global threat-especially in the context of past humiliations. This is borne out by China's inferior weaponry both quantitatively and qualitatively.

"Various experts estimate the Chinese are spending somewhere between $24 billion and $87 billion a year on their military (depending on the complicated ways this can be calculated). But, if we use one of the more plausible figures of $36 billion, that means China spends less on its military than does Japan-constitutionally a pacifist state, forbidden to maintain offensive armed forces." (Burnstein and Keijzer 2) And whether China can pass the quality control giggle test is uncertain. Is China's military cash outlay getting the most bang for its buck? "When China in 1996 conducted missile tests into the Taiwan Strait in a transparent effort to intimidate Taipei. The gravest danger was the munitions' obsolescence. Robert Ross notes: 'The missiles were so primitive that they could have veered off course and hit Taiwan.' China's most advanced domestically produced fighter, the F8-11, is the equivalent of a late-1960s U.S. warplane, Ross adds, and even this primitive plane has yet to enter fully into production. The Su-27 aircraft China has bartered from Russia are less advanced than what the U.S. sells to Taiwan, and far less advanced than what Japan co-produces with the United States for its defense. Two Kilo-class submarines China purchased from Russia in 1995 were laid up in the harbor two years later with serious problems stemming from poor maintenance... Some believe China is moving to develop an aircraft carrier, but developing and outfitting even a single 1970s vintage aircraft carrier is a decade-long undertaking." (Burnstein and Keijzer 2)

The above quote suggests China to be far behind in sophisticated weaponry not only as it relates to Japan, Taiwan, and smaller regional nations in general, but also, as it relates to the United States, specifically. China's inability to match first world military know-how exposes her flank to strategic assaults. What is China's modern war experience? The twentieth century has presented her with border skirmishes, such as, India in 1962 and Vietnam in 1979, where she was for all intents and purposes able to prevail. What modern military strategies did she employ, other than her predictable antiquated human-wave assaults, in these theaters that would concern a first rate world power? And sea power, what credible navy does she have? "The Chinese navy would lose a battle in this region against Singapore, Malaysia, or Indonesia, all of which possess advanced American or Bristish aircraft." (Ross 37) In what naval battle has she demonstrated her prowess? "China lacks the ability to conduct sustained military operations more than 100 miles from the Chinese shoreline. China is a formidable land power, but in maritime Southeast Asia, where U.S. interests are most at stake, China is militarily inferior even to such countries as Singapore and Malaysia.

Fast forward to the 21st Century reveals that China has made vast technological strides in its so-called inferior military. She also has a burgeoning space program with the not so subtle name and message for its booster rockets--the Long March, which symbolizes an historical one year march by Mao Zedong and his army into the mountains fleeing Chiang Kai-shek and his army allowing a rag-tag defeated army time to regroup and prevail over a more modern equipped army. In a further demonstration of China's improved military prowess, for the first time in its history, China has outfitted an abandoned Soviet aircraft carrier enabling it to project its military might far from its tethered shores. China's gains, economically and militarily, have allowed it to modernize in all facets of its military. She appears, for the time being, to be content with improving its defenses, making money while simultaneously improving the quality of life for its people.

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What Is Missile Guidance?

Missile Guidance is a general term which describes the range of strategies for guiding a missile to its objective. There are several guidance methods to attain a high "Single Shot Probability of a Kill" ( SSPK ), which is the common way of measuring of success. The precision and accuracy of the missile is essential in its efficiency at producing an excellent SSPK. Tracking additionally provides an essential function. High-quality tracking data can considerably influence SSPK. As soon as a missile is launched the primary handover errors at launch are propagated for the entire flight of the missile. These errors are either recovered by Missile Guidance or they constantly build over the entire flight. Missile Guidance is divided into two broad categories of guidance systems, Go-Into-Location-In-Space (GOLIS) and Go-Onto-Target (GOT).

Go-Onto-Location-In-Space ( GOLIS ) guidance systems are only able to target non moving targets and are used to supplement location info. These kinds of missile guidance systems consistently feature a guidance computer system and also typically have a missile tracker. These are called self-contained guidance systems. The missile tracker's function often is totally autonomous, dependent on natural sources or dependent on artificial sources. The 5 GOLIS guidance systems are presented below.

Go-Onto-Target Systems (GOT) may pursue both moving and constant targets and also always consist of three subsystems: Target tracker, Missile tracker, along with a Guidance computer. For Remote Control Guidance the guidance computer and target tracker are put on the launching platform. Updates, like current radar position are relayed by means of radio. Command Guidance controls the missile entirely from the launch platform by transmitting all controls instantly to the missile. The two variants are Command to Line-Of-Sight (CLOS) and Command Off Line-Of-Sight (COLOS).

Command to Line-Of-Sight (CLOS) uses on the angular coordinates between the missile along with the target to guarantee impact. The missile is confined to the line of sight ( LOS ) between the launcher and target and any existing errors are corrected. Manual CLOS is utilized to control missiles against vessels and also slow-moving bombers. Improvements in engineering have left manual CLOS ineffective and not used. Semi-Automatic CLOS is computerized apart from the operator monitoring the target. Semi-Automatic CLOS is often utilized against ground targets like tanks or bunkers. With Automatic CLOS the target tracking, missile tracking as well as missile control are fully automated.

Command Off Line-Of-Sight ( COLOS ) does not depend on angular coordinates like CLOS. It instead utilizes both the target as well as missile tracker to assess distance. COLOS is always automated, the trackers are not required to be the exact same orientation and radar is typically utilized as the main sensor. Two types of COLOS guidance are Homing and Fire and Forget which are explained at length below.

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Military Surplus Vehicles!

The military surplus vehicles are jeeps, trucks and cars which were at some point of time being used by the military before they were available for the common people in auctions live or online. The military vehicles have actually reached to the mass chiefly through internet. The military vehicles are having incredible power to receive the word out of them. Theese vehicles are available at cheaper prices and better deals therefore it does not affect the fame of the military vehicles. Now you have come to know about the military surplus vehicles in a lot more detailed note, at least you know what these vehicles actually are. You have won half of the battle already.

Military Surplus Vehicle Auctions!

Both live and online military vehicle auctions are generally stocked along with different forms of formerly used military surplus vehicles such as aircraft, ambulances, motorcycles, jeeps, trucks and cars, it is for sure that they are totally demilitarized before they are placed on to auctions for sale. You do not have to bother about their working because typically they are well maintained by the military organizations and are always in good running position. In case there is some problem in the working, then the problem is immediately reported to the able bidders before the auction begins. Therefore there is no cheating at all. You are probably in safer hands.

Before you register your self for the auction, extract as much details about the vehicle as you can before making you bid. It will surely not hurt you if you search out a little.

Why military surplus vehicles are auctioned?

You must be eager to know the reason why these military surplus vehicles are auctioned to the general people which once served the nation in a valuable manner. It is little curiosity-rising thing because the military organizations have paid so much for the vehicles in order to strengthen their army and other organizations.

• The initial reason is so simple, that is the vehicles are old enough. With the passage of time these vehicles have reached their peak time and now they will not work as strongly as they use to be just like a perfect wine.
• The second main reason is the technology. With the advancement in the technological field the older vehicles are not demanding and are not able to serve the military requirements as the modern machines can do. In order to give away the hassle of installing GPS services, safety modifications and physical vehicle alterations into the older vehicles, the military organizations opt for newly built and fully technological and latest military vehicles.

Do you find it difficult to search for the used military vehicles? Click here to get the best information about used military vehicles and Military Surplus Vehicle.

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AMSAS-1 Anti-Missile Swarm Annihilation System - For Surface Warfare

Protecting a ship at choke point, along disputed territory, or even in the open sea is more difficult than one might assume. You see, in the new era of naval surface warfare we have to deal with incoming missile swarms, hundreds or even thousands of anti-ship missiles. Defending against the onslaught of incoming projectiles and missiles is tough, you have to be 100% right all the time, and there is NO margin for error. Okay so, let's talk.

If a ship is defending against a missile swarm and if it is successful, that doesn't mean that it won't eventually run out of projectiles to take out each incoming missile. At that point, it will not be able to defend itself, thus the next strike will prove fatal. Now then, in this scenario what can we do? Well, if a land based operation is out of range from the ship, it also probably has more missiles, while the ship would have to re-dock at a port to take on more defensive missiles. Thus, the law of attrition has the land based attacker at the advantage.

Therefore, I propose the following new strategy to defend against such an attack;

1. Develop a 3-Phase 3-D Mapping of Surface Ship Safety Zone 
2. Upon Missile Swarm Detection Have Anti-Missile Projectile Meet First Incoming Wave at outer border 
3. Anti-Missile Projectile Disperses Highly Explosive Flake-Chafe with Incendiary Gas 
4. Have Laser Set Off Safety Boundary Chain Reaction and Explosion to Detonate First Swarm Wave 
5. Allow subsequent Swarmed Missiles to Hit the Created Debris Field from the First Incoming Wave

This way, we end up taking out most of the missile swarm with only two defensive missiles. Thus giving us the advantage, even if we have to defend multiple swarm missile attacks, and at that rate, the laws of attrition now favor our defensive position and not the land based enemy attacker. Can this work you ask? Well, if you study the Russian's weapon called "The Father of All Bombs" you will see that they employee a similar strategy, no they don't use it for a missile swarms - they use it for a massive explosion igniting the air surrounding the target - many megatons.

In this case we are creating a massive explosion in front of the missile swarm which will cause all of the swarming missiles to detonate, and a debris field to take out the remaining missiles trying to get through. Interestingly enough, when we run the strategy through a war game computer simulation, it actually works. Therefore I thought you should know. So give a big heads-up to Iran, missile swarms on the US military won't work. Please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Military Technologies. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

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Canada's Navy Needs Light Weight Stealth Unmanned Electronic Robotic Underwater Surveillance

The Nation of Canada has an insufficient Navy to protect its borders. The new paradigm and dynamics of modern warfare makes much of Canada's Navy obsolete in protecting itself. The Canadian Navy is sufficient however for humanitarian efforts, disaster relief and peace keeping operations around the world in conjunction with the assistance of allies. Does this mean that the Canadian Navy is worthless?

No, not at all, what we are indicating is that it is overdue for major upgrades in technology, training and tactics. Are the Canadian Naval Vessels decent platforms for these new deployable technologies? Well, yes in some cases and in other cases no. In other words in many cases completely new from the waterline up and down platforms will be needed. Canada has some 28,000 miles of shoreline and to protect itself it will need sufficient surveillance and underwater early warning devices.

These devices need to be able to patrol grids and communicate as needed in real time with satellites, each other and current Naval Vessels and military stations. A system of unmanned underwater vehicles working in a net-centric system or artificially created grid is the answer. These vehicles must be long-range and of a unique fuel source that allows extremely long periods between servicing. Indeed, they must have robust military + or space grade components.

The technology deployed must be stealthy and low-density to prevent detection, as well as silent. The units must not have a larger signature than a sea lion. Once a target is confirmed, the vehicle may be compromised and eliminated by the threat, therefore the other units in the net-centric grid must learn from such disruption in the over-all system or net through advanced artificial intelligent programming. When a threat is detected this technology needs the ability to communicate with a combination of systems through nodes or motes and/or an uplink to satellite, base stations or vessels.

Why are we discussing this? Several reasons, one there is a rising Naval Threat and change in the power base of Naval Power. Namely, China, as the Treasure Fleet sails again. Also, let's not forget the incredible oil reserves in the North, many nations have their sights on that oil and may go to extreme lengths to get at it. Canada is also a fly over point for stealthy Russian made perhaps Chinese owned bombers; in the event of an economic melt-down, escalated Taiwan-China conflict or any number of other potential conflicts, a Chinese - US war is within the realm of possibility.

Can Canada remain a neutral party? Doubtful, as its economy is tied to the United States and to the EU for trade and it is allied with NATO. Association gives it strength, but Canada has huge resources and in the future such scarcity is an issue. If we look at prior conflicts we see wars over resources are nearly as common as wars fought over religion. Can Canada make Russia an ally by buying SU-37s Advanced Russian fighter planes? There has been talk amongst the Canadian powers-that-be, this may prove a mistake and alienate the US Industrial Military Complex, which has the very technology that Canada will need in the future.

Can Canada's technological infrastructure and research facilities create, build and design these Unmanned Underwater survelliance systems in house and in country promoting its own industry, and technology centers? Yes, it appears so, and with a little help from the other advanced research and technology companies in the EU and US in collaboration, Canada should have no problem.

How urgent is this need? Well, it is fairly urgent and the Canadian Naval Power is much over due for an inflow of monetary resources and technological upgrades, it really cannot wait. If this program gets the fast track it could easily surpass similar programs in other nations that have had difficulty in implementing because of the learning curve. Canada can jump on this technology now saving a good portion of the major R and D expense and still have an operational world-class system in place by 2011. Waiting to start is perhaps the biggest obstacle for Canada, and this is due to the anti-war sentiment of many of its citizens and a number of leaders in its parliament.

Nevertheless, Canada can no longer wait, as the risk is not worth it any longer; at least this is the opinion of the Online Think Tank.

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That New Russian Fighter Plane Design Sure Looks Familiar!

The Russians now have a new fighter plane to compete with the United States' F-22 Raptor, and the Russia Stealth Aircraft also a fifth generation fighter plane looks like the real thing, or is it Memorex? Indeed, the newest fighter aircraft design from Russia looks awfully similar to one of the America versions of the stealth fighter which competed for the JSF Contract.

Many folks marvel at the Russian aerospace designs and rocket technology, and yet, when looking closer things look eerily familiar, specifically many appear to be outright copies of US aerospace designs. This is well-known by military analysts. Indeed, not long ago, I met a post cold war US-Russian scholar, and I just had to ask him about all this. His name is Jesse Giraldo, perhaps you've heard of him.

Here is the question I asked Mr. Giraldo; "Are you concerned with the new Stealth Fighter copy of Northrop's JSF design bid entry into the Joint-Strike-Fighter fly-off, in Russia; " and here is what he had to say about the whole thing;

Not at all. In fact I find it a bit humorous that this stealth fighter was built in direct response the Air Forces F-22 raptor. It's juvenile but it honestly just sounds like Putin needed a new 5th generation fighter jet to "one up the west". I suppose it is crucial to remind the world that Russia is still capable of challenging the U.S in terms of military but I really doubt the jet lives up to the fanfare. The claims he's making of improved maneuverability and performance at 1/3 of the cost also strikes me as dubious. Of course I doubt the Russian military will be releasing any technical data to backup any of these grandiose statements so all anyone can really do right now is speculate.

Indeed in my opinion, I do agree with Giraldo, and believe the design is good with thrust vectoring, but I question the small vertical (angled) stabilizers, and flutter challenges, we will see. Of course, it is a copy of the Northrop design. You know the Russians seem to have made a version of almost every major aerospace design the US has ever come up with, including their version of our Space Shuttle, B-1, etc. Giraldo agreed stating; "Russia seems to take great pleasure in reverse engineering our creations."

Yes, and the cold war was really all about "our Germans vs. their Germans," as all those scientists in NAZI Germany either went to Russia or came here. Well, at least they seem to enjoy each other's company in the Space Efforts? I've been at least a little impressed with Russian innovation over the years, considering they don't have as much to work with as our abundance and wealth here provides. It's just too bad their spies are busy stealing all of our technology. And let's not even talk about the Chinese and their intellectual property thievery. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is the Founder of the Online Think Tank, a diverse group of achievers, experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, thinkers, futurists, academics, dreamers, leaders, and general all around brilliant minds. Lance Winslow hopes you've enjoyed today's discussion and topic.

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Stealth Fighter Jets Of The World Currently In Development

When it comes to stealth fighter jets, the only one that is in service right now is the F-22 Raptor, used by the United States. Quite a few of them are being developed around the world though.

The F-22, which is the best fighter jet at the moment, is no longer being produced because it costs a bit too much, but it's a highly capable model nonetheless. It can be used to project air superiority, but it can also be used for multirole purposes, attacking ground targets, or conducting intelligence work.

The US has another project in the works, the F-35, which will be used both as a fighter and as a bomber, and it's a joint project between multiple countries, with versions designed to fit the needs of each of them. There are even versions which are designed to land and to take off vertically, without the need for a runway. Once it starts full production, it will probably one of the most valuable airplanes of the world.

China has the Chengdu J-20 in the works, a model which has advanced stealth characteristics, but for now it's still in the testing phase. The first flight of the J-20 was in 2011. This airplane is a single seater, with twin engines, comparable to the Sukhoi T-50 and the F-22.

The Sukhoi PAK FA T-50 is another stealth aircraft that is being tested right now, this time in Russia. Once it starts production, it will be the place to replace the much respected Mig-29 and Su-27 models. Russia develops it together with India, and each of them will buy 200 of these stealth planes.

Japan also has a stealth fighter jet in the works, a model called ATD-X Shinshin, from Mitsubishi. Right now it's still a project though, with the first flight for it being scheduled in 2014. It's not a country that you would expect to have a fighter jet, but they are preparing for the world of tomorrow, when the countries that have this technology implemented will definitely have an advantage in case of a conflict. With the enemies that Japan has in the area, North Korea and China being among them, it's only logical for them to make this step.

For the moment, the United States Air Forces have the advantage, thanks to the stealth fighter they already have deployed, and because they have a second model, the F-35, in development. With an advance of a decade ahead of the other countries, they are set for domination in this area for the foreseeable future.

The stealth fighter jets capture the imagination of many, thanks to their capabilities. If you're looking to discover more about them and find out which is the best fighter jet, know that you're one of the many that do the same. Airplanes like the F22 Raptor, or the Japanese Mitsubishi ATD-X Shinshin fighter jet have been incredibly popular ever since they were announced. Enjoy the rest of the articles on this topic.

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Women's Self Defense in the Military

There are no women's self defense classes in the military. Why you ask? The military does not discriminate against gender and teaches women the same self defense techniques as men. Women's self defense in the military usually starts off at book camp. Here after weeks of physical conditioning and indoctrination into the military life style, the women get their first chance at women's self defense classes. These classes will show this new warrior how to take out an attacker in various ways. The woman will learn self defense using her hands, her bayonet, her rifle, and her grenades. Women's self defense takes on new levels in the military and once trained the woman becomes a deadly fighting machine.

The first women's self defense technique taught is hand to hand combat. Here the woman learns to use her hands, legs, feet, and head as a weapon when in close proximity of her enemy or assailant. She will learn the pressure points that will not only injure but demoralize her enemy. Using all the extremities of her body the woman solider will be able to take down a man twice her size. With a combination of martial arts and other lethal methods, the woman will be able to take a man off his feet and disable him from further attack. The hand to hand training takes place in about two days, far more women's self defense than you would get in a hour class at the YMCA.

The next phase of women's self defense in the military is bayonet training. Here the soldier will learn how to kill a man using her bayonet either on her rifle or in her hand. She will learn that the bayonet can slash the throat of her attacker by coming down at an angle in a downward motion. She will be taught how to stick the bayonet into her attacker's body, twist it to cause the most internal damage possible, and then pull it from his body. She will also be taught to use the butt of her weapon to deliver a powerful downward stroke that will kill or knock out her enemy.

Also during the boot camp experience, the soldier will learn universal women's self defense methods that will allow her to fire her rifle and throw a grenade. Even though a woman is not legally allowed to fulfill combat roles, in the event of ambush or unrecognized enemy threats a woman can be forced into combat just as a man. She needs to know how to use her rifle and to use other military weapons to protect herself and her fellow soldiers. The lack on knowledge of women's self defense techniques can get her and her comrades injured or killed.

The branch in the military dictates the extent of women's self defense classes a woman will receive. Some branches are more stringent than others. Remember that woman's self defense is used to define that it is a woman that learns the craft and not specific to either gender.

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Chinese Acquiring US Military Helicopter Technology - That's Nothing New

A couple of years ago, we had a Canadian company subsidiary of a US Helicopter manufacturer inadvertently sell military technology to the Chinese government. The Chinese had told them that they were running a state-owned company that would build commercial helicopters to transport people. Sure, that made sense at the time, but the Chinese only really wanted the jet turbine technology for military helicopter uses, and the Canadian company said they were misled. Were they?

Well, that remains to be scene, and the company denied intentionally transferring state-of-the-art jet engine technologies to the Chinese for military usage. Now then, without taking sides in that investigation or later fine and prosecution - I'd like to point out that the Chinese use various methods to get information;

1. Corporate Espionage
2. Computer Hacking Strategies
3. Industrial Relations Deals With Companies
4. International Trade Deals With Other Governments

There was an interesting article I pulled out of my files the other day, you might say I have a little research library here for my writing on many topics. The article appeared in Air Combat Magazine in the May/June issue of 1989; "Chinese Chinooks - The Chinese People's Liberation Army Orders Six International Chinooks," and there was a picture attached which showed a Boeing CH-47D being off loaded from a C-5 Galaxy. Boeing even stuck around to train the PLA pilots.

These helicopters had night vision pilot technologies, modular hydraulics, newly designed fiberglass reinforced rotor blades, and had a 54,000 lb. maximum gross weight. These helicopters had two 4500 turbo Textron Lycoming motors which could operate in -65 degrees to 125 degree weather. Basically able to get to Tibet and Back or fly over the mountains into India, Pakistan, or Afghanistan if needed. If that isn't incredible technology for the Chinese back in 1989, I don't know what would be.

What I am saying is this, China would have gotten that technology anyway, and no that doesn't make it okay that they pulled a fast one, or found a company willing to look the other way, that is also unacceptable behavior, but what it shows you is how intent the Chinese are in having the best of everything in every industry including all the technology the US can produce in our industrial military complex. If they don't already have it, they will. And this is the reality, something I hope you will please consider and think on. No one is innocent when it comes to illegal military technology transfers.

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The History of the Apache Helicopter

As the world's foremost attack helicopter, the AH-64 Apache had been designed to survive in combat situations. It was built with what turned out to be an award-winning design by Hughes Helicopters Inc. The Apache prototype was designated YAH-64 and first flew in 1975. Then Hughes in 1976 was granted a full-blown development contract.

The United States Army preferred the AH-64A Apache (new designation) to the Bell YAH-63. Hughes Helicopter was awarded the pre-production contract. This contract was for two of the Apaches. Then the Army gave the approval for full production in 1982. In 1984 the deliveries began out of the plant in Mesa, Arizona. By this time Hughes Helicopters was part of the McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems.

Advanced technologies like the TADS/PNVS were added to bolster the effectiveness of the Apache in supporting the ground operations. The same engines were used in this helicopter as in the Navy's Seahawk (SH-60) and the Army's Black Hawk (UH-60), the T700.

During the 1980s the design was improved by McDonnell Douglas and the AH-64 B had and improved cockpit and upgrades that included a new fire-control system. The funding in 1988 was approved for the multi-stage improvement of the weapon and sensor avionic systems and to add some of the digital systems. But then better technology became available and this program was scratched to make more dramatic alterations.

The Apache, because of it being heavily armed and highly manouverable, became the backbone for ground support, no matter what the weather conditions, for the U.S. Army. Then in 1992 the AH-64D Apache Longbow came on the scene, which was vastly improved upon from the AH-64A. The prototype for the AH-64D Apache Longbow was first flown on the 14th of May in 1992.

Testing was not completed until April 1995 after it had been proven that they AH-64D Apache Longbow had greatly surpassed the AH-64A Apache. In October that year full production was approved for the AH64-D Apache Longbow. Also a contract was approved to upgrade the AH-64 Apaches too. The first of the AH-64D Apache Longbows were delivered March 31, 1997.

It was in August of 1997 when McDonnell Douglas merged with The Boeing Company under the Boeing name. The total cost for the AH-64D Apache program was US$11 billion up to and through 2007. Boeing delivered some 500 of the AH-64D Apaches to various clients across the world by August 2004. This aircraft features the latest in digital communications abilities to enable transferring battle information in real time along with having totally-integrated weapons and avionics. These improvements make this helicopter simpler to maintain, more readily deployed, and even more likely to survive. This helicopter is still in use today in a variety of countries including the United States.

Some specifications are listed below:

Model number: AH-64 
First flight: Sept. 30, 1975 
Height: 15 feet 3 inches 
Length: 48 feet 2 inches 
Rotor diameter: 48 feet 
Ceiling: 21,000 feet 
Power plant: Two of the T700 turboshaft engines from GE providing 1,900-shaft-horsepower 
Range: 260 miles 
Top speed: 192 mph

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Did China's Military Give Stolen US Technology to North Korea and Iran?

Now then, I'm not one to point thinkers, well that's not really true; I will point fingers back at someone who is pointing theirs at me, or at my country for that matter. In fact, recently a few of the protégés coming up in the Communist Party as the elders pass the torch had mentioned that the United States was a sneaky troublemaker causing problems for the expansion plans of the Chinese in the South China seas and other places. I find this problematic because it is a lot like the Obama Administration planing blame games blaming everything on the Republicans.

Secondly, I have a problem with it because we do know that the Chinese sometimes go out of their way to make things tough for the United States when there are disputes over trade, or diplomatic issues. The United States as the world's only superpower currently is entrusted by our allies to help keep the peace, China is definitely an ally. Some, such as those scholars at the RAND Corporation have written papers suggesting that China's international behavior is not hostile. Well, yes and no, it depends if China needs or wants something, such as resources for instance.

Many have said that the North Korean's rocket and the Iranian drone which both appeared in the global media looked very familiar, probably Chinese, but everything the Chinese has looks vaguely familiar to me, why - because it looks like US hardware, or Russian in some cases. In Bill Gertz's book "Treachery" he practically outlines the case for all of this, and he does name names as well, including companies, many of which are also state run companies.

We also know that China has been hacking into our defense contractors, our oil industry, and there is so much corporate espionage going on in the research and development arena in Silicon Valley, Boston, Atlanta, Austin, and Washington DC that it would make your head spin. The Chinese aren't stupid, after all they built the first firecrackers, rockets, fireworks, and they make all of our American flags that we proudly displayed during our Fourth of July. Obviously it's their holiday too, and they are enjoying those financial rewards.

Some have said that the reason that China supports Iran is because it is a thorn in America's side, it keeps us busy. That, plus the Chinese buy oil from Iran, and they are able to sell Iran military hardware and equipment. I would submit to you that the same thing is true when it comes to North Korea. Having the Chinese involved in six party talks is hilarious, after all it is probably the Chinese that gave the North Koreans most of the technology they have today. I find the whole thing laughable, if it wasn't so unfortunate that it is coming from our nation's preferred trading partner.

If I were to advise China on anything, it would be not to piss off the United States of America, and start negotiating from a win-win perspective on things such as trade, rights of the sea, and international banking and monetary policy. If China joins the Western world in a win-win situation we can unite this planet and we won't have to worry about any of the other nonsense going on from rogue nations, no one deserves to have to deal with that crap. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

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The History of Patches in the US Military

It may seem like military patches have been a part of US military dress for as long as the armed forces have worn uniforms, but the patch is actually a pretty recent addition to the military uniform. The military patch was officially introduced during the First World War after it was authorized for limited use by General John J. Pershing and gained popularity during the Second World War.

These patches have since then decorated uniforms around the world; they have been proudly worn by armed forces personnel as well as gained a following in the civilian community as a collector's item.

How are they used?

Patches are used to identify and designate the rank of individuals serving in the armed forces. Each corps, division and brigade has their own, created and assigned to them to be worn on their uniforms, either on the upper left shoulder or on their helmet. The military patch is usually embroidered and attached to the uniform by virtue of sewing or using Velcro.

Their place in battle

Before the First World War, the US military had not yet created or authorized the use of patches in military uniforms. It was during the US Civil War that some Union soldiers began carrying corps, division and brigade identification on their caps and rank stripes on their sleeves. During the war against the Indian nations, the 1898 Spanish-American War and the campaign against rebel leader Pancho Villa and his forces, US soldiers did not wear patches issued by the government.

Becoming official

It was in May 1918 that the Army's 81st Division Wildcats were granted permission to use their first patch. The first official patches were used as a way to boost morale and to create a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie. General "Black Jack" Pershing ordered all divisions to adopt their own patches and this movement then spread to include corps and brigades who also wanted their own insignia to set themselves apart.

The most recognized military patch: The Big Red

Most military patches have gone through many designs and revisions over the years. The 1st Infantry Division holds the distinction of having the longest surviving patch. Informally known as the Big Red One, the division's military patch design consisted of a large red number "1" sewn onto a pentagonal green field; it was created and issued to the 1st Infantry Division on October 1918. It has gained a reputation as being one of the most identifiable military patches ever created.

World War II

In the interim between world wars, the popularity of patches spread. During World War II, nearly all corps, divisions and brigades possessed their own military patches to designate their affiliation and rank.

Their meaning

Each military patch was unique for every division with variations depending on the symbolism that they chose to incorporate into the designs. Today, the patches chosen by NASA, the Pentagon and other defense agencies have come under fire from conspiracy theorists who claim that the symbolism is rife with imaging referencing secret societies and dark occult references.

A patch's design falls under the area of responsibility covered by the Army Adjutant General's Office's Institute of Heraldry. This was an office originally performed by the Army Quartermaster Corps from 1924-62 before being transferred over to the Adjutant General's Office.

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Mig 29 Fulcrum - Soviet Russian Fighter Aircraft

MiG-29 is a 4 TH generation fighter jet aircraft that was designed by the Soviet Union to carryout air supply due to the air superiority it has. It was developed in the 1970s and started operating in 1983. The MiG-29 Fulcrum also known as Tochka Opori in Russian was built with intentions of becoming the single-seat supersonic. It can withstand all-weather, carryout air superiority and it may be the last fighter produced from the Mikoyan Design Bureau.

The main reason for the MiG-29 is to dismantle the air targets from distance of 60 to 200 kilometers along all altitudes, profiles, under any weather, and conditions. It has advanced versions capable of taking the air-to-ground operations. This makes it possible to optimized attacks on static and motion targets when the motions are guided.

There are developments that have taken place in MiG-29 in order to meet the target of a Light Frontline Fighter Project. This included the new operational requirement to replace MiG-21 and MiG-23 to improve the air defense air forces. It led to the production of lightweight fighter to increase the operations under air superiority.

The very first operational unit took place in August 1983. Since then there have been more multi-role upgrades that have taken place through the MiG-29M prototypes. One of the advancements has been in the two under slung engines that have variable inlets. It had a design that could sustain 9 G's, multimode Pulse-Doppler radar, fire-control and electronic warfare systems.

MiG-29 has turbojet engines, it is so powerful, has mass ratio, and great aerodynamic form for improved visibility from the cockpit. The jet cam perform moves and strategies or aerobatics such as flying Inverted, Hammer Head, Roll, Loop, and low Pass among others. You can have aerobatic package experience with Mig 29 from the various aviation companies to get an experience of a lifetime. It has full cockpit's displays and instrumentation that act as guide when flying the jet.

MiG-29 operates by moving up to a maximum altitude, then the fighter jet descends to an altitude of 5 and 6 km. When you get to this altitude then the pilot begins to display his aerobatics. The aerobatics are performed within a wide area in the sky to allow for adequate performance. This can be done as form of air show. During this time you should communicate with pilot in case there may be need for modification of your programs. The flexibility of the jet enables you to adjust your program based on the way you are feeling.

Specifications:

* Maximum speed: Mach 1.225 or 1500km/h, at altitude up to Mach 2.3 
* Range: 3000km with external fuel, with internal 1430km 
* Ferry range: 1,800 nmi (2,070 mi, 3,330 km) 
* Service ceiling: 50,000+ ft (15,000+ m)

General characteristics:

* Crew: 1 
* Length: 17.32m (56ft 10in) 
* Wingspan: 44 ft 8½ in (13.62 m) 
* Height: 15 ft 6in (4.73 m) 
* Wing area: 409 ft^2 (38 m^2) 
* Max takeoff weight: 43,430 lb (19,700 kg) 
* Powerplant: * Uses Two 49,4 kN dry and 81.4kN with afterburn RD-33 turbofans

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China's Military Build Up - Aircraft Carriers, Fifth Generation Fighters, and Anti-Ship Missiles

Recently, I was talking with an acquaintance of mine and somehow we got on the topic of China's military between sips of my Frappachino, while I was staring at my golf-cart out front of Starbucks, and pounding away on the key-board online. There seems to be a discrepancy in what is known in our population, what the news media states, and the reality of the next potential cold war exercise.

So, I asked a few simple questions; Do you believe China is wanting to build an aircraft carrier to project power? It appears they have an old one to look at to help them build one or they can retrofit the used one they have, although rumors claim it's going to be scrapped for steel. China looks to be training pilots to land on aircraft carriers too.

Indeed, J-11 Chinese Fighter Plane looks a lot like the Russian fighter they were supposed to build together - not that the newest Russian fifth generation fiasco, the T-50 isn't a knock-off of one of the JSF prototype version, but still, the game is being taken to a higher level, it's only a matter of time, will, and money - China has all that on their side - we see this in their space program too.

Further, I asked my acquaintance; what are your thoughts on the US selling C-17s to China, that's interesting, of course, we are selling 16 of them to India now at last count too. They'd both have bought A400Ms from the European Union anyway, or Mitsubishi's newest transport, so we may as well get the business, but it is an issue and shows the build-up in the region is not slowing down, but picking up - not to mention the insanity of build up in the Middle East.

And China is rapidly building more ships for its Navy too, and acquiring submarine technology from old retired Russian subs, along with whatever secret information it can steal here in the United States. But Russia giving or selling technology to China isn't the only challenge in the world. For instance, Britain and France sharing an aircraft carrier with standardized equipment - especially in light of Russia buying a Mistral Class warship from them? We know that France and German companies have sold hardware to Syria, Iraq, Iran, Algeria, Libya, and on and on.

It seems no one can or wants to keep military secrets, so we build it and they steal it. Meanwhile, it is the American Consumer who is funding China's military buildup, while here at home our government makes it nearly impossible to do business with all the over-regulation, taxation, and bureaucracy. Indeed, all this is our own doing. But if we don't maintain military superiority, it will be our future undoing. Please consider all that.

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Military Helicopters - Most Common Roles of Military Helicopters

Military Helicopters are primarily used by the Navy and United States Marine Corps to transport troops into a Combat Zone or LZ which is known as a Landing Zone. Sometimes they are known as Hot LZ's, which means a Landing Zone that is heavily engaged in Combat. Sometimes these are used in Combat Search and Rescue as well as Medical Evacuation. Usually NCO's or Non Commissioned Officers use their ground radios to communicate with the Helicopter Pilot to give them their ground location.

Military Attack Helicopters

These machines are armed and are usually used to take out enemy Tanks as well as used in Close Air Support. In the role of CAS, A Marine Corps Forward Observer, which can be a Marine with an MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) of 0861, is used to call in Grid Coordinates of an enemy bunker, a tank, a moving convoy or other enemy target so the Helicopter Pilot in the air will know exactly where to aim their missiles.

Grid Coordinates have to be estimated and adjusted sometimes for moving targets, based on the speed and direction of the moving target. Also note that the US Army has Forward Observers as well. The word Helo is another popular term used by Troops.

Military Transport Helicopters

These are used to place troops in certain combat positions and locations. They are used as a support transport system for combat operations as well as being constantly used in training. Sometimes troops can exit the aircraft by Fast Roping, which troops are attached to a very heavy rope with a D-Ring. Sometimes they exit on Parachute, as in the case of 1st Anglico Troops, the 82nd Airborne and some other elite units. And in some cases they are taken right to the ground and just jump off one of the sides.

Military Observation Helicopters

The purpose of these are to spy on enemy troops and to pickup intel and learn about their tactics. At first they use to use balloons. Later they started using lighter airplanes. The ability for these to stay in one location for a good period of time made them ideal for these missions. Two common Recon Helos were the Taylorcraft L-2 and the Fieseler Fi 156. The line of observation used to be limited to what the aircrew could see. Later on however, Optical Sensor Systems and Infrared Cameras substantially increased this range.

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