Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

SoylentNews is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop. Only 18 submissions in the queue.
posted by Fnord666 on Friday December 15 2017, @11:45AM   Printer-friendly
from the at-least-it's-in-the-air dept.

Has the People's Republic caught up?

The Chengdu J-20 marks the first entry of a multirole stealth fighter into China's armed forces. According to the Department of Defense (DOD), China views stealth technology as a core component in the transformation of its air force from "a predominantly territorial air force to one capable of conducting both offensive and defensive operations." Designed for enhanced stealth and maneuverability, the J-20 has the potential to provide China with a variety of previously unavailable air combat options and enhance its capability to project power.

As an advanced multirole stealth fighter, it is speculated that the J-20 can fulfill both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat roles for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army Navy (referred to as either Naval Aviation or the PLAN-AF). According to PLAAF Senior Colonel Shen Jinke, the J-20 will enhance the overall combat capability of China's air force. A 2016 report by the DOD states that the J-20 represents a critical step in China's efforts to develop "advanced aircraft to improve its regional power projection capabilities and to strengthen its ability to strike regional airbases and facilities." In 2014, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission described the J-20 as "more advanced than any other fighter currently deployed by Asia Pacific countries."


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday December 15 2017, @02:04PM (5 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday December 15 2017, @02:04PM (#610277) Journal

    According to the U.S. Navy, the carrier fleet (or other ships) are extremely vulnerable to relatively cheap missiles and drones. Which is why they are trying to deploy lasers on ships.

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 4, Informative) by zocalo on Friday December 15 2017, @03:48PM (3 children)

    by zocalo (302) on Friday December 15 2017, @03:48PM (#610319)
    And Zerg rushes; there was an exercise [cuttingedge.org] where the Red Team leader's strategy was to swarm a US Carrier group with small fast attack boats on a suicide charge and managed to "sink" a good chunk of the fleet before someone hit the pause button. And French submarines [theaviationist.com] - there also an incident near Okinawa [warhistoryonline.com] when a Chinese sub surfaced in the middle of carrier group performing air ops. And even random civilian shipping minding its own business (or incompetent officers/poor operational practice depending on which version you want to believe).

    The US Navy is good - very good - at what it does, but it's far from invincible or infallible.
    --
    UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
    • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday December 15 2017, @04:21PM (2 children)

      by JoeMerchant (3937) on Friday December 15 2017, @04:21PM (#610334)

      Purely strategic wargames that place two opponents with equal economic resources to start with and build differing types of forces to engage the enemy with consistently come out with Zerg rush as the win. Lots of fast, cheap little units, a mix of ground, sea and air win, with or without nukes in the conflict. Throw in nukes as an option and the vehicles that are just robust enough to reliably deliver a nuke are the game winners.

      Politically, historically it has been the capital ships, the awe inspiring carriers and submarines with enough firepower to devastate all the cities on a continent, that seem to carry the weight in negotiations and posturing. Nobody is impressed by a big standing army - the US thoroughly humiliated Saddam Hussein with a smaller but more technologically capable invading force. However, two guys on a skiff almost sunk the Cole, and since then the big battleships have been mothballed.

      Reality and politics have the tiniest intersections and overlaps.

      --
      🌻🌻 [google.com]
      • (Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Friday December 15 2017, @05:19PM (1 child)

        by Nerdfest (80) on Friday December 15 2017, @05:19PM (#610365)

        Ordering soldiers into a Zerg Rush in a real battle will turn out a bit differently than in exercises, for most, if not all military forces I'm betting.

        • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 15 2017, @06:42PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 15 2017, @06:42PM (#610395)

          Tell that to survivors of D-day. Cannon fodder rushes are a common thing.

          It might be harder these days as people are realizing that wars are about money and not right/wrong, but history shows that the tactic works out alright.

  • (Score: 2) by driverless on Sunday December 17 2017, @12:05PM

    by driverless (4770) on Sunday December 17 2017, @12:05PM (#610963)

    According to the U.S. Navy, the carrier fleet (or other ships) are extremely vulnerable to relatively cheap missiles and drones. Which is why they are trying to deploy lasers on ships.

    Wouldn't it be cheaper to deploy lasers on sharks?