Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: Gunner98

The article states:

The AH-4 is purportedly very similar to the U.S.-made BAE Systems M777 155 mm/39 caliber ultra lightweight towed howitzers

Based on the photo, it looks like a strait up rip off of the M777

http://media.defenceindustrydaily.com/images/ORD_M777_Canadian_Under_CH-47_lg.jpg

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USS Coronado (LCS 4), an Independence-class littoral combat ship, launched a Harpoon Block 1C anti-ship missile during RIMPAC 2016, the world's largest international maritime exercise current taking place off Hawai.

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The French Navy (Marine Nationale) aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R 91) will be deployed again to conduct strikes against the Islamic State (ISIS also called Daech) in October. French President Francois Hollande gave a "Fall" time frame, the Defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian later said the deployment would take place in October. This will be the third time in two years that the flagship of the French Navy is deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of operation "Chammal".

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Lockheed Martin recently conducted a successful controlled flight test of the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) surface-launch variant from the Self Defense Test Ship at Pt. Mugu Sea Range, California.

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In another example of the high interoperability between the French Navy (Marine Nationale) and the US Navy, the Horizon-class AAW Destroyer Forbin (classified as "Frigate" in the French Navy) is currently at the head of a combined mission with US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) and USS Mason (DDG 87) with the occasional presence of Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG-61) as well.

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Our colleagues from Eastpendulum are reporting that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) conducted large scale naval drills in the South China Sea. The naval exercise involved close to 100 vessels, submarine, aircraft from the PLAN air force and coastal defense (land based) units during 4 days (between July 7 and 11, 2016).

Based on the pictures and videos of the exercise released by the PLAN, several vessels and systems can be identified:
» Destroyers: Type 052C Lanzhou (hull number 170), Type 052D Hefei (174), Type 052B Guangzhou (168) Type 051C Shenyang (115) and Sovremenyy-class destroyers Ningbo (139).
» Type 054A Frigates Hengyang (568), Huangshan (570), Yuncheng (571), Sanya (574) and Yueyang (575)
» Type 056 Corvettes Luzhou (592), Chaozhou (595) and Huizhou (596) and Type 056A Corvette Suqian (504)
» Type 039 and Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines (SSK)
» J-10AH, J-11BH, JH-7A and Su-30MKK fighters as well as H-6G bombers
» HQ-9 medium-to-long range air defense missile system
» YJ-62 coastal defence units
» The new YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship cruise missile launched from an H-6G
[...]
According to an official PLAN statement, the objective of this large scale exercise was to evaluate the integrated capability of the various units of the Chinese navy in case of a local conflict. The presence of the Commander of the Chinese navy, Admiral Wu Shengli, and officials of the General Staff throughout the maneuvers demonstrates the importance of this naval exercise.

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ORIGINAL: AlGrant

Chinese AG600 - worlds largest amphibious aircraft.
http://defence-blog.com/news/china-is-rolling-out-ag600-amphibious-aircraft-makes-its-official-debut-in-zhuhai.html

...So let's just imagine you need to get some troops ... err sorry visitors .... to a remote little island in a bit of a hurry!

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Based on pictures that have been just released by Chinese spotters, it appears that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) next in-line Type 052D Destroyers (NATO reporting name Luyang III class) will be fitted with the H/PJ-11 close-in weapon system (CIWS) instead of the smaller H/PJ-12 currently fitted on existing vessels of the class.

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Chinese media show footage of possible HQ-19 test

Richard D Fisher Jr, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
27 July 2016

In a television report about China's development of anti-ballistic missile (ABM) capabilities, Chinese state media revealed for the first time details of a test the People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted of what appears to be an HQ-19 anti-missile system.

The release of the video footage by China Central Television on 24 July comes just a few days after Beijing failed to convince Seoul and Washington not to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) air defence system in South Korea. While the exact date and location of the test is unknown, Chinese newspaper People's Daily Online reported the following day that the PLA had tested the HQ-19 system in 2010.

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Chinese media show footage of possible HQ-19 test

In a television report about China's development of anti-ballistic missile (ABM) capabilities, Chinese state media revealed for the first time details of a test the People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted of what appears to be an HQ-19 anti-missile system.

The release of the video footage by China Central Television on 24 July comes just a few days after Beijing failed to convince Seoul and Washington not to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. While the exact date and location of the test is unknown, Chinese media outlet People's Daily Online reported the following day that the PLA had tested the HQ-19 system in 2010.

The report contained a vague profile of what may be the HQ-19. It shows over-exposed footage of an ABM system similar to that described on Chinese online forums as the HQ-19. The first such image emerged in January 2014, and a subsequent graphic featured in a 2015 academic article by PLA analyst Henri Kenhmann.

If credible, this graphic indicates that the HQ-19 is a two- or possibly three-stage ABM. Chinese sources also suggest that development of the HQ-19 began in the early 1990s under the aegis of the 863 Programme and that it may have been tested for the first time in 2003.

The HQ-19 is reported to have a performance comparable with that of the US Army's THAAD system, but there had been no open-source reports indicating that it had been deployed.

The TV footage was part of a report on Chinese missile defence pioneer Brigadier General Chen Deming. The report focused on Chen's role in ABM development in the former General Armaments Department, which is now part of the Strategic Support Force. It mentioned his ABM work early in the past decade, his participation in the 11 January 2007 anti-satellite test, the 11 January 2010 mid-course ABM test, as well as a subsequent 27 January 2013 ABM test.

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China says pressing ahead with own anti-missile system

China's Defence Ministry confirmed on Thursday that it was pressing ahead with anti-missile system tests after pictures appeared on state television, amid anger at South Korea's decision to deploy an advanced U.S. anti-missile system.

An announcement by South Korea and the United States this month that they would deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) unit has drawn protests from China, which warned that the system would destabilize regional security.

The decision by the United States and South Korea is the latest move to squeeze increasingly isolated North Korea, but China worries the system's radar will be able to track its military capabilities. Russia also opposes the deployment.

Pictures broadcast this week on Chinese television were the third time since 2010 that China has publicly indicated tests of its own anti-missile system, state media said.

"To develop suitable capabilities for missile defense is necessary for China to maintain its national security," Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a regular monthly briefing, when asked about the footage.

"It will improve the self-defense capability of China and is not targeting any specific country and will not affect international strategic stability," he added, without elaborating.

South Korea and the United States have said THAAD would only be used in defense against North Korean ballistic missiles and they have tried to assuage Chinese concerns, without apparent success.

A senior U.S. administration official said on Tuesday, at the end of a visit to China by U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice, that the decision to deploy THAAD did not threaten China's security.

Yang repeated that China would consider taking unspecified measures to maintain strategic balance, and dismissed assertions that THAAD was no threat to China.

"As for the technical excuses from the United States and South Korea, experts can easily see how believable this is," he said.

North Korea has launched a series of missiles in recent months, the latest last week when it fired three ballistic missiles in what it said was a simulated test of preemptive strikes against South Korean ports and air fields used by the U.S. military.

China's military is undergoing an ambitious modernization program that has included tests of anti-satellite missiles.

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For Type 346:[4][5][14]

Total number of faces: 4
Bands: S and C
S-band array size & shape: octagon with 4 meter diameter
C-band array size & shape: ≈ 0.8 to 1 square meter rectangular ea.
Number of S-band arrays: 4 (1 per face)
Number of C-band arrays: 8 (2 per face)
Maximum search range (km): > 400
Weight (t): < 16 above deck
Scan: 120°
Elevation: 0° to 90°
Cooling: Air (Type 346), Liquid (Type 346A)

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ORIGINAL: AlGrant

Found this on Twitter.
Not sure how accurate it is but worth a look.
https://twitter.com/alert5/status/761431599502077954/photo/1

"This chart helps you to identify all Chinese variants of the FLANKER"

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ORIGINAL: Hongjian

https://amti.csis.org/build-it-and-they-will-come/

CSIS report about the construction of hardened shelters on those artificial islands in the South China Sea, seemingly capable of hosting regiment-sized air-groups including large bombers and AWACS/Tankers.

Most notably, all islands also have those mysterious hexagonal structures distributed all around on the shores. My hunch is that they will house defensive weapons of some sort - maybe CIWS or DP-naval-gun mounts. Some say that they might even be for VLS launchers carrying short/medium range self-defense SAM.