Latest news with #PLA
Business Wire
4 hours ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Emerald Ecovations Launches New Line of Sustainable Molded Fiber and PLA Compostable Foodservice Products
HUNTINGTON, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Emerald Ecovations, a leader in sustainable solutions for foodservice and janitorial industries, proudly announces the launch of over 50 additional compostable molded fiber and clear PLA Plant to Plastic ® foodservice items. This innovative lineup furthers Emerald Ecovations' commitment to supporting green practices across foodservice industries. 'We are thrilled to introduce these groundbreaking products, each designed with the dual goals of environmental responsibility and performance excellence,' said Ralph Bianculli, CEO of Emerald Ecovations. 'Our molded fiber and PLA solutions help our customers significantly reduce their environmental footprint, directly contributing to measurable savings in trees, water, plastics avoided, and compostable waste diverted from landfills.' The new molded fiber products, proudly manufactured in the USA, include clamshells, plates, burrito bowls, and lunch trays. These products use miscanthus, a rapidly renewable plant which Emerald Ecovations believes deeply in, having recently acquired a miscanthus facility in Arkansas. These tree-free items significantly contribute to combating deforestation and are compostable. Unlike many products in the market, Emerald Ecovations' molded fiber solutions contain no added PFAS chemicals, ensuring safer and healthier foodservice operations. Complementing the molded fiber collection, the new PLA product line—featuring clear cold cups, salad bowls, deli containers, and clamshells—addresses the urgent need to eliminate petroleum-based plastics. Derived from renewable plant sources, these PLA products offer superior clarity, durability, and certified commercial compostability, effectively helping to reduce plastic pollution and landfill usage. To further support the rollout, Emerald Ecovations will host an informative webinar showcasing product details, benefits, and sustainability impact. Product images and further information will be available on request. Products are accessible immediately through Emerald Ecovations' distributor network or by direct inquiry at About Emerald Ecovations Emerald Ecovations is on a mission to end deforestation and plastic pollution by providing sustainable products for everyday essentials such as coffee cups, paper plates, toilet paper, and more. Our products are tree-free, plastic free, & toxin free.
Daily Tribune
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Chinese Embassy Celebrates 98th Anniversary of the People's Liberation Army in Bahrain
TDT | Manama The 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was celebrated at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Bahrain last night. The event was hosted by H.E. Mr. Ni Ruchi, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Colonel Wang Tao, Defense Attaché of the Chinese Embassy in Bahrain. Strong ties In his welcome speech, Colonel Wang Tao highlighted the strong ties between China and Bahrain, including the recent visit of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to China and the discussions held between the two countries' leaders. Colonel Wang Tao spoke about China's commitment to peace and global cooperation. He said, 'China has been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order.' He also noted that China is the largest contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping missions among the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the second largest financial contributor.
South China Morning Post
16 hours ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
China's fifth-gen J-35: rare close-up images suggest stealth jets ready for Fujian carrier
Rare close-up images of two PLA Navy J-35 stealth fighters flying in close formation have surfaced online, giving the clearest view yet of China's next-generation carrier-based aircraft. A military observer said the markings and flight characteristics offered the strongest evidence yet that the J-35 had entered production and was approaching operational readiness for deployment aboard China's latest aircraft carrier. Unlike previously circulated ground-based photos, the latest images appear to be air-to-air studies in tight formation. Their clearly visible identification marks suggest the fifth-generation fighter jets have entered initial production, according to former People's Liberation Army instructor Song Zhongping. The images, which first began circulating on China's X-like Weibo at the weekend, show the jets bearing clear 'Chinese navy' markings on their fuselages and 'Flying Shark' insignia on their tails – the strongest visual indication yet of formal naval integration. These markings, along with the official serial numbers '0011' and '0012', suggested the fighters were part of a low-rate initial production run, Song said. 'The Flying Shark insignia confirms the J-35 has joined the navy's carrier aviation force,' he said. 'It indicates the aircraft may have been in active service and is building combat and logistical support capabilities.'
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
China's New Drone Wingmen Look Set For Military Parade Unveiling
Satellite imagery of preparations for a major upcoming military parade in China shows that new 'loyal wingman' type drones, or at least mockups thereof, are set to be revealed. A video clip has now emerged that is also drawing new attention to Chinese crewed-uncrewed teaming developments. Google Earth recently updated its library to include a satellite image taken on June 11, 2025, of a military base in Yangfang, a suburb northwest of the Chinese capital Beijing. China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) regularly uses the facility to stage assets and train for large-scale parades. In June, Chinese authorities announced that a parade marking the 80th anniversary of the country's victory over Japan in World War II would be held on September 3, and that it would feature unspecified 'new-type combat capabilities.' Nearly two weeks ago, video also emerged showing mysteriously unidentified vehicles concealed underneath large, box-like structures, prompting speculation that a new armored vehicle will also be unveiled at the event. Related Stories Air Massive Stealth Flying Wing Emerges At Secretive Chinese Base Massive Stealth Flying Wing Emerges At Secretive Chinese Base By Tyler Rogoway Air China's Massive WZ-9 Divine Eagle Drone Now Operating From South China Sea Base China's Massive WZ-9 Divine Eagle Drone Now Operating From South China Sea Base By Joseph Trevithick, By Tyler Rogoway News & Features Clone Of Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Drone Displayed By China Clone Of Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Drone Displayed By China By Joseph Trevithick The June 11 image, which began circulating online last week, shows hundreds of vehicles, including what look to be self-propelled artillery pieces and transporter erector launchers for large ballistic missiles, and other materiel in neat rows at various areas of the Yangfang base. Of particular interest are drones under wraps on trailers at the northern end of the facility. The PLA has unveiled new and updated uncrewed aircraft designs in this same way at past parades in Beijing. Though the resolution of the satellite image is low, what look to be GJ-11 Sharp Sword stealthy flying-wing uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAV), as well as what may be either Wing Loong or CH-4/5 Rainbow-series medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) types, are present. A BZK-005, another MALE design, looks to be visible, too. However, there are five airframes visible in the June 11 image that do not readily align with known Chinese types, and that look to be in line with loyal wingman-type designs. Four of them look to be tailless with modified diamond-like delta and cranked-kite wings, while the last one has what appears to be a more traditional wing and tail arrangement. The designs range in length from approximately 30 to 38 feet (nine to 12 meters), and in wingspan from 20 to 35 feet (six to 11 meters). Additional analysis of drones seen in the satellite image by Andreas Rupprecht, a Chinese aviation expert and contributor to this website, and Rick Joe, a long-time tracker of Chinese military developments, aligns with that of TWZ. Hmm ? Clearly visible are a GJ-11 in front, something like a GJ-1/2 or Ch-4/5 second (left) and a BZK-005 (right ?) … all others are new to me and look like loyal-wingman (aka high-tier MUMT or CCA) UCAVs. @ — @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) July 16, 2025 GE from June shows a UAV contingent may be part of the Victory Day parade in Sept (like 2019 parade).We see GJ-11 pattern (boxed red), and a ?MALE airframe (black).Multiple new airframes that may be CCA in nature (blue) also trucks are 12.5m long, for scale. — Rick Joe (@RickJoe_PLA) July 17, 2025 Just this past weekend, a video also began circulating online showing what looks to be a tailless aircraft with a modified diamond-like delta platform flying in formation with a Y-8/9-series turboprop. The clip also shows a second Y-8/9 trailing behind by itself. An additional still image, which looks to be a frame from a separate video showing the same tailless design, has also emerged. Where and when the video or the separate still image were taken is unclear, but what is visible in both has some very broad similarities with one of the designs seen in the June satellite image of Yangfang. For the first time, one of China's tailless CCA (Collaborative Combat Aircraft) UAV/UCAVs has been spotted. — International Defence Analysis (@Defence_IDA) July 20, 2025 As it seems, we maybe have first footage – including a brief video – showing for the first time one of China's CCA UAV/UCAVs accompanied by a Y-8/ the video: via @lyman2003 from Weibo)@HarpiaP — @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) July 19, 2025 The possibility has been raised that the recently emerged video and still image may show one of China's two new stealthy crewed combat jets, either the Chengdu J-36 or the Shenyang design referred to variously as the J-XDS and J-50. However, the planform does not directly match that of either of the next-generation fighters, and it also looks to be smaller based on its size relative to the accompanying Y-8/9. Questions have also been raised about whether filters enabled by default on many phone cameras may have 'transformed' an existing aircraft type, like a J-16 fighter, into a 'new' design. This seems especially unlikely given the absence of vertical tails or any artifacts thereof. There are no immediately clear signs of any other kind of manipulation. It is also interesting to note that another next-generation fighter-like airframe or mockup with a modified diamond-like delta platform emerged at Shenyang's main plant earlier this year, as TWZ was first to report. That design does not appear to align with the J-XDS/J-50, but also looks to be longer (roughly 50 feet/15 meters) than any of the possible loyal wingman drones seen in the satellite image of Yangfang. Regardless of what is seen in the June 11 satellite image, as well as the video and still image that more recently emerged, the PLA is very actively pursuing multiple types of loyal wingmen-type drones, and crewed-uncrewed teaming capabilities, in general. The aforementioned GJ-11 UCAV is understood to be a centerpiece of those efforts, but other lower-tier uncrewed designs intended to operate closely with crewed aircraft have also been shown in China in recent years. This includes China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's (CASC) FH-97 and FH-97A, designs at least heavily inspired by the Kratos' XQ-58A Valkyrie and Boeing Australia's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, respectively. Un passage dans un reportage de CCTV-7 montre la possible collaboration entre un J-20 biplace et des #drones GJ-11 à faible observabilité.La représentativité est à confirmer. — East Pendulum (@HenriKenhmann) October 12, 2022 In addition, the two-seat J-20S stealth fighter is now regularly depicted in official graphics as an airborne drone controller, something TWZ has long highlighted as an ideal role for the aircraft. The KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, based on the Y-9 turboprop, is also often discussed as part of this future crewed-uncrewed air combat ecosystem. The concept, at least, of using H-6 missile carrier aircraft as airborne launch platforms for lower-end tactical uncrewed air vehicles has also been put forward. I suspect there may not be a single dedicated cca/MMUT platform Rather different CCAs for varying roles of ISR/EW and A2A/G combat etchttps:// — Húrin (@Hurin92) July 5, 2025 H-6K drops multiple drones — 彩云香江 (@louischeung_hk) October 12, 2022 Chinese drones initially developed for use in close cooperation with crewed platforms could also operate ever more independently, including in networked swarms, as time goes on. The PLA is actively pursuing advanced autonomous aviation capabilities, driven in part by developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning. More broadly, China continues to cement its position as a global leader in advanced uncrewed aviation developments. In June, TWZ first reported on the emergence of what could be a very large, low-observable, flying-wing, long-endurance unmanned aircraft. Furthermore, the PLA's pursuit of stealthy flying wing UCAVs like the GJ-11 stands in particular contrast to the U.S. military's abandonment of interest in similar capabilities years ago, at least in the unclassified domain. The U.S. Air Force, at least publicly, continues to be outspoken about eschewing UCAVs in favor of less-exquisite, but also lower-cost designs to pair with crewed aircraft. Two so-called Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), the General Atomics YFQ-42A and Anduril YFQ-44A, are in development for the Air Force now and are set to fly for the first time this year. The service, as well as other branches of the U.S. military, is expecting to ultimately field multiple CCA types acquired through iterative development cycles. There has also been a recent surge in PLA crewed aviation developments, including the emergence of the J-36 and J-XDS/J-50 last December. A new jet-powered airborne early warning and control aircraft, based on the Y-20 cargo plane and referred to as KJ-3000, also emerged that month. The J-20S and a navalized variant of the J-35 stealth fighter also look poised to enter operational service. As the PLA continues to prepare for the upcoming parade in September, new details about ongoing loyal wingman-type drone developments, as well as work on other previously unseen capabilities, may begin to emerge. Contact the author: joe@ Solve the daily Crossword
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
J-7 Fighter Jet - A Reverse-Engineered MiG-21 But With A Chinese Touch
A China-built F-7 fighter jet, operated by the Bangladesh Air Force, crashed into a college building in Dhaka, killing 19 people - The pilot, 16 students and two teachers. The aircraft, often referred to as 'Grandpa Fighter Jet', was developed in the 1960s by China, initially in partnership with the Soviet Union, but later, when Sino-Soviet relations soured, Beijing reverse-engineered the MiG-21 and built J-7 or F-7 (the export variant). Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe operate the aircraft, which was designed from the mighty MiG-21F-13 variant. Bangladesh has 36 F-7 aircraft, which is the export variant of J-7. Meanwhile, Pakistan is the biggest operator of F-17 with at least 120 aircraft. Most of the aircraft in China's inventory are copies of American and Russian-made fighter jets. Produced Under Agreement Or Reverse Engineered? In 1961, China's Mao and the Soviet Union's Nikita Krushchev signed an agreement to produce the MiG-21 in China under a licence. The MiG-21, along with some technical documents, were sent to the Shenyang factory in August 1962, but the deteriorating ties between the two powers led to a lapse in the agreement, and China went ahead without Soviet assistance. MiG-21 is the world's most mass-produced fighter jet. At one point, it was one of India's leading fighter jets. The technical documents, according to China, were incomplete; however, the Soviets denied the charge. The engineers at Shenyang began to reverse engineer the MiG-21F-13 variant of the Soviets and ended up identifying and solving 249 problems in the aircraft, and made at least eight technical documents for the aircraft. In 1964, the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation began the production of the first aircraft named J-7I, which looked almost the same as the MiG-21, which has a swept delta wing design and an air inlet in the nose. But internally, the two varied. MiG-21 was designed around a simple airframe. It was inexpensive and went supersonic. The objective in designing the aircraft was for point defence with its air-to-ground attack capabilities. The Chinese wanted to follow the Soviets and suited the PLA's strategy - Having a large number of fighters to challenge the West, especially around Taiwan, their Achilles Heel. China Brings Its Changes The Chinese did not copy-paste MiG-21 but made certain changes that impacted the J-7's aerodynamics. They identified an issue with the hydraulic system of the MiG, because of which 70% of the aircraft were grounded in squadrons, and the location of the fuel tanks, which caused instability. However, it was China's most mass-produced aircraft with several operators in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. It was the backbone of the PLA Air Force at one stage. The mass production of J-7 helped China develop and manufacture aircraft at fast pace to outnumber the US. The first J-7 variant - J-7I was very similar to the MiG-21F-13 version. Credit: The MiG-21 carried most of its fuel in the forward fuselage, and after a flight of about 45 minutes, the aircraft was unstable. The Chinese repositioned the fuel tanks in J-7, and added larger drop tanks to provide longitudinal static stability - A jet's tendency to return to its original pitching altitude after it is moved up and down. However, the 1960s were one of the most tumultuous periods for China. Mao's policies, like the 'Great Leap Forward' and the 'Cultural Revolution', not only impacted industrial growth and manufacturing in the country but also caused famines because of directives like collectivisation of farming etc. The Chinese managed to mass-produce J-7 only in the 1980s under Deng Xiaoping. The first J-7 variant - J-7I was very similar to the MiG-21F-13 version. The Chinese used the WP-7 engine, which was similar to the Russian R-11 Turbojet. The J-7 had a 30mm cannon, just like the Russian NR-30, and it had a PL-2 Air-to-Air Missile (AAM), similar to the Russian AA-2. But it had complications in its ejection seat. The 1980s for J-7 The Chinese developed the J-7II variant later, with improved ejection seat and better engine - WP-7B. Almost 20 years had passed since the inception of the aircraft, and the 1980s saw significant improvements in the jet. The later variants were equipped with the WP-13 engines. In the mid-1980s, Pakistan requested a J-7 variant with greater radar capability. Both the standard Chinese radar and the British Marconi radar were plagued by ground clutter, and China lacked experience with air-to-ground radar. In 1984, Pakistan provided support by assigning American-trained F-16 pilots to train Chinese personnel on ground attack radar usage. This led to the development of the J-7M, aviation website AirVectors said in a report. Pakistan is the largest operator of the J-7 fighter jets. The Pakistan Air Force helped improve the aircraft's radar. Credit: The Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) designed a zero-zero ejection seat - A seat that can eject even on the ground. It was better than the KM-1 ejection seat the Soviets used during that time. However, the Chinese ejection seat, HTY-5, for J-7 or F-7 was similar to Martin Barker's ejection seat on the J-7M variant, which was even exported to Bangladesh MiG-21 had a forward-opening, forward jettison canopy upon ejection. The Chinese repositioned it for J-7 and used a rear-hinged, upward jettison canopy. The J-7 only matched its Soviet MiG-21 capabilities by the mid-1980s. In 1987, J-7E became the first MiG-21 variant to include a helmet-mounted sight, HOTAS (Hands On Throttle-And-Stick), and a multi-purpose display. Many of these components were British-made, such as the gun sight and display. Further improvements turned the aircraft into a fourth-generation short-range interceptor. The Chinese stopped production of the aircraft in 2013, but it still has many operators. MiG-21 is infamously called the "Flying Coffin" because of its flight safety record, but the two aircraft have a varied crash history. The MiG-21 was developed in 1955 and has undergone several changes, but its production stopped several years ago, and scarcity of parts often posed challenges in maintaining the aircraft. The Indian Air Force inducted MiG-21 in 1963, and it still has two squadrons that operate the aircraft; however, they will be phased by most likely by the end of this year with the induction of the Tejas aircraft.
