Asian Defence & Diplomacy
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Asian Defence & VOL 19 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012 MICA (P) 173/06/2012 SINGAPORE $10 Diplomacy REST OF THE WORLD US$20 06 Special Report China | 12 China’s Airforce | 17 Fleet Management 22 Gunfire Locators | 28 Fighter Radar | 34 Anti-Ship Missiles 240mm Live 275mm Trim 295mm Bleed The multi-role Super Hornet fulfills immediate needs for an advanced, net-enabled fighter with interoperability, maritime awareness and battle-management capabilities. It’s a world-class solution that builds on a partnership with Boeing—and our longstanding commitment to Malaysia’s future that’s stronger than ever. 180mm Live 210mm Trim 220mm Bleed Job Number: BOEG_BDS_F18_2104M_A Approved Scale: 1.0" = 1" Client: Boeing Product: Boeing Defense Space & Security Date/Initials Date: 9/17/10 GCD: P. Serchuk file Name: BOEG_BDS_F18_2104M_A Creative Director: P. Serchuk Output printed at: 100% Art Director: J. Alexander Fonts: Helvetica (Bold), Helvetica (Plain), Helvetica 65 Copy Writer: P. Serchuk Media: Asian Defence & Diplomacy Print Producer: Space/Color: Full Page–4-Color–Bleed Account Executive: D. McAuliffe 3C 50K Live: 180mm x 240mm Client: Boeing 50C 4C 41M Trim: 210mm x 275mm Proof Reader: 41Y Bleed: 220mm x 295mm Legal: Production Artist: S. Bowman Traffic Manager: Traci Brown 0 25 50 75 100 Retoucher: Digital Artist: Art Buyer: Vendor: Schawk PUBLICATION NOTE: Guideline for general identification only. Do not use as insertion order. Material for this insertion is to be examined carefully upon receipt. If it is deficient or does not comply with your requirements, please contact: Print Production at 310-601-1485. Frontline Communications Partners 1880 Century Park East, Suite 1011, Los Angeles, CA 90067 Client - Frontline Job # - 118583 Ver. - AD01A Cyan Magenta Yellow Black Live Trim Bleed CONTENTS CONTENTS Editor: SPECIAL REPORT CHINA William F. Owen 06 Breaching The Great Wall [email protected] China’s Snowballing Military Contributors: Francis Tusa, Gordon Arthur, Edward Hooton, Tom Withington, AIR SYSTEMS Ze’ev Cohen, Peter Donaldson, Reuben F. Johnson 12 Flying Dragon Rising How Will China Build a Future Executive Publisher & CEO: Air Force? Vittorio Rossi Prudente [email protected] Chief Operating Officer: LAND SYSTEMS Siva Sachi [email protected] 17 AFV Whole Fleet Management Gaining Greater Results? Art Director: Arthur Chan 22 Marching towards the sound? [email protected] Gunfire Location Systems Web Designer: Elmer Valencia [email protected] AIR SYSTEMS 28 Passive to Active - Analogue to Digital: Circulation Executive: Khairul Naem Modern Fighter Radar Upgrades [email protected] SEA SYSTEMS 34 Skimming the Asian Oceans Anti-Ship Missiles Development ASIAN DEFENCE & DIPLOMACY is a monthly publication for diplomats and professionals in the defence, security and academic fields. Opinions expressed by contributors in ASIAN DEFENCE & DIPLOMACY do not necessarily represent those of the publisher or editor. ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES USA & Canada Contact: Josh Mayer Europe, Middle East, South Africa & South America Tel : 972-816-6745 Fax : 972-767-4442 Global Business Press Pte. Ltd. Contact: Vittorio Rossi Prudente Email : [email protected] Level 34, Centennial Tower, Tel: +39 049723548 Fax: +39 0498560792 3 Temasek Avenue, Singapore 039190. Mobile: +39 335.6119295 Switzerland Tel : +65 6549 7706 Fax : +65 6549 7011 Email: [email protected] Contact: Robert Rottmeier Email : [email protected] Tel : +41 21 617 4412 Fax : +41 21 617 0921 Web : www.gbp.com.sg ASEAN, People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Mob : +41 79 210 4466 Email : [email protected] Hong Kong & Australasia Contact: Siva Sachi Israel Tel: +65 6549 7706 Fax: +65 6549 7011 Contact: Tamir Eshel Mobile: +6012-905 6825 Tel : 972-544-508028 / 972-9-8911792 Email: [email protected] Fax : 972-9-8919965 Email : [email protected] WWW.ASIANDEFENCE-DIPLOMACY.COM NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2012 ASIAN DEFENCE & DIPLOMACY 3 A truly dedicated Ship-Borne Helicopter The new twin-engine multi-role, multi-mission, maritime aircraft. Advanced day/night all weather operational capability. In production for the UK Royal Navy, on time and on budget. LEADING THE FUTURE agustawestland.com AD and Diplomacy AW159.indd 1 15/10/12 20:02 SPECIAL FEATUREIN FOCUSCHINA More Air Sir? The more we emphasise that Asian Defence and Diplomacy is a magazine for Asia and not about Asia, the more significance this seems to have. Particularly relevant to this is the on going debates about air power. While very few doubt that air power is highly relevant to Asian defence thinking and planning, the thorny issue of cost will constantly raise its head. In very stark terms, if bigger economies mean bigger defence budgets, then Asian countries will become the main markets for military aircraft in the foreseeable future. Russia, India and China are all set to be leading world economies. Indonesia’s economy is building, as is Vietnams, and Japan’s and South Korea’s economies are likely to remain significant. Moreover, recent events and disputes have shown Asia to be not as politically stable as some seemed to have thought. China’s street level anger with Japan may be age- old, but it is still powerful and apparent, to the degree that it might drive policy. Who owns what island does seem to be a potential source of conflict, that could provide a reason for war, just as seemingly mundane as that which sparked at least two recent wars, in the Lebanon in 2006 and in Georgia 2008. In this environment air power cannot be discounted, as has been the case in some recent conflicts, in terms of one air force seriously challenging another with near parity in capabilities. Thus how money gets spent now, or how it may have been spent in the recent past could well have a significant imp act of the nature of any air operations, which take place. A small number of very capable aircraft may suffer when faced with a greater number of less capable opposition. This is not just true for air-to-air engagements, but almost every role you can apply airpower to. Arguably, Asia is set to become the potential air power laboratory of the future, with the money and the defence need to spend it because it matters in ways that simply do not exist elsewhere or just remain unrealised! What gets procured now and how air arms see it as being deployed deserves close attention, and Asian Defence and Diplomacy will certainly be watching closely. Asian Defence & Diplomacy William F. Owen, Editor WWW.ASIANDEFENCE-DIPLOMACY.COM NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2012 ASIAN DEFENCE & DIPLOMACY 5 SPECIAL FEATURE CHINA Breaching The Great Wall – China’s Snowballing Military By Gordon Arthur SEREPTEMB witnessed unprecedented onally been a land power, as typified by the Chinese ury after regional competitor Japan 21,196km Great Wall constructed to keep took steps to nationalise three Diaoyu out would-be invaders. Even today, China (Senkaku in Japanese) islands in the East relies on landlocked buffer zones such as China Sea. In a wave of nationalistic fervour, Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. Only thousands of protestors took to the streets to now, as China has grown into the world’s condemn Japan. The hawkish Global Times second-largest economy, has Beijing’s focus TOP: Thanks to rapid published a joint statement by ten retired turned outward. The country is dependent shipbuilding in recent years, generals calling for military operations on imported oil and natural resources, plus the modern Type 054A frigate against Japan. Meanwhile, the state-run 90% of its exports travel by sea. The leadership now forms the backbone of Beijing Evening News wrote this chilling is anxious about foreign containment as the PLAN inventory. statement: “Just serve [Japan] with the main the USA implements its “strategic pivot” (PHOTO: Gordon Arthur) course of nuclear missiles and all the troubles to the Asia-Pacific region. This concern is will be saved.” These reactions are testament understandable – US Marines in Darwin, OPPOSITE page: Entering naval vessels in Singapore, more submarines operational service in 2005, to both the growing capability of the People’s the J-10A fighter is China’s Liberation Army (PLA) and to a new national in the Western Pacific, and closer alliances most modern truly indigenous assertiveness. This article examines the with South Korea, Japan and the Philippines fighter in PLAAF service. growing might of the Chinese military and its – as the USA buttresses its regional strategic (PHOTO: Gordon Arthur) 2,355,000 personnel. position. 6 ASIAN DEFENCE & DIPLOMACY NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2012 WWW.ASIANDEFENCE-DIPLOMACY.COM SPECIAL FEATURE CHINA China is no longer willing to rely on others to safeguard its economy and guarantee freedom of movement. This explains the PLA’s involvement in multinational anti- piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden since December 2008, which incidentally has provided China the perfect opportunity to establish a longstanding presence in the Indian Ocean. It has also established commercial ports in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka that could potentially offer future bases of operation. Furthermore, the PLA Navy (PLAN) has demonstrated a capability to conduct limited deployments of modern warships beyond the second island chain in the Pacific. China has become a major contributor to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions, with 1,797 troops currently deployed. The communist country is also becoming a serious exporter of UAVs for military use. For example, the last mainstay of the PLAN’s three fleets is the Type arms, which helps generate revenue and Zhuhai Air Show featured around 25 UAV 054A frigate, of which number fourteen is cultivate friendships with other countries. designs, although few have progressed into being built. Shipbuilders are also busy amassing China offers generous repayment options, service. The WJ-600 is known to be in PLA Air an impressive fleet of up to 80 catamaran- technology transfer and increasingly Force (PLAAF) service, while hangars for BZK- hulled Type 022 fast attack craft.