Latest news with #SongZhongping
The Star
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
China extends destroyer strike range with airborne early warning system: CCTV
China's most powerful destroyer can now strike beyond visual-range targets with pinpoint precision by linking to an airborne early warning system – the same technology used by the Pakistan Air Force in the recent Kashmir conflict – according to state broadcaster CCTV. On Sunday, CCTV confirmed for the first time that the Type 055 stealth guided-missile destroyer Lhasa could use data links to synchronise with People's Liberation Army's airborne early warning platforms, enabling it to conduct long-range anti-ship and air-defence strikes without relying solely on the ship's radars. Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor and military commentator, said this represented a major advance in operational coordination. 'Battlefield data fusion – what we call 'situation connectivity' – means complete interoperability and seamless information sharing across domains,' he said. CCTV footage showed the Lhasa taking part in a live-fire exercise involving multi-service coordination under the PLA's Northern Theatre Command, firing missiles guided by airborne targeting cues. Shipborne helicopters and sensors fed data into the combat centre for simultaneous sea‑and‑air engagements, the report said. 'We used data links to share battlefield awareness in real time with the early warning aircraft, significantly expanding our detection range,' Wang Mingwei, a senior sergeant on the Lhasa, told CCTV. 'It allows us to identify both air and sea threats far beyond visual range.' Song said the networked capability mirrored Pakistan's use of the same Chinese technology to shoot down Indian fighters near the disputed Kashmir region. In that engagement, Pakistan's J-10CE fighter jets fired PL-15E long-range air-to-air missiles which were guided mid-flight by a ZDK-3 airborne warning aircraft using target data relayed from a ground-based HQ-9B air defence system. This 'A-detect, B-launch, C-guide' strategy, as reported by CCTV shortly after the Kashmir clash, avoided triggering radar alarms on India's French-made Rafale jets and showed how integrated data links reduced dependence on onboard sensors. 'The Pakistani side used a Chinese-style networked strike system that fused ground, air and space-based sensors,' Song said. 'It shows that through full data link integration, platforms don't have to rely solely on their on-board sensors to prosecute engagements effectively – this is modern joint warfare in action.' Similarly, the Lhasa is equipped with the navy version of the HQ-9B system, which has an estimated range of 260km (161 miles). The US military has long assessed the system as effective against medium- and high-altitude targets but less so against low-flying, sea-skimming missiles such as the American AGM-158C long-range anti-ship missile. Song said this limitation was being addressed through newly confirmed joint operations. 'Together, they compensate for Earth curvature, providing real-time guidance for intercepting low-altitude targets hundreds of kilometres away before the enemy even knows what's happening.' He said the same battle data network 'essentially stretches the maximum range of our most lethal weapons, like the YJ-series missiles, to their true limits. With every sensor linked, the PLA can strike first, deep and precisely.' The system supports advanced missiles, such as the supersonic YJ-18 and hypersonic YJ-21, with ranges stretching from several hundred to more than 1,000km (600 miles). This extended range can only be fully exploited through external targeting support – precisely what the integration with airborne warning systems now provides. Song also drew comparisons to a US military concept proposed in 2017 which aims to connect sensors and weapons from multiple domains into a dynamic, system-of-systems modular combat network. 'What the PLA has now demonstrated with the Type 055 reflects many principles of mosaic warfare,' he said, referring to using a combination of diverse combat platforms and systems to overwhelm the enemy. The Lhasa, commissioned in 2021, is the second hull in the Type 055 class and features 112 vertical launch cells, advanced dual-band active electronically scanned array radar and a displacement of around 12,000 tonnes. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China extends strike range of Type 055 destroyer with airborne early warning system: CCTV
China's most powerful destroyer can now strike beyond visual-range targets with pinpoint precision by linking to an airborne early warning system – the same technology used by the Pakistan Air Force in the recent Kashmir conflict – according to state broadcaster CCTV. On Sunday, CCTV confirmed for the first time that the Type 055 stealth guided-missile destroyer Lhasa could use data links to synchronise with People's Liberation Army's airborne early warning platforms, enabling it to conduct long-range anti-ship and air-defence strikes without relying solely on the ship's radars. Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor and military commentator, said this represented a major advance in operational coordination. 02:29 Chinese nationalism surges across social media as viral video mocks downed Indian jets Chinese nationalism surges across social media as viral video mocks downed Indian jets 'Battlefield data fusion – what we call 'situation connectivity' – means complete interoperability and seamless information sharing across domains,' he said. CCTV footage showed the Lhasa taking part in a live-fire exercise involving multi-service coordination under the PLA's Northern Theatre Command, firing missiles guided by airborne targeting cues. Shipborne helicopters and sensors fed data into the combat centre for simultaneous sea‑and‑air engagements, the report said. 'We used data links to share battlefield awareness in real time with the early warning aircraft, significantly expanding our detection range,' Wang Mingwei, a senior sergeant on the Lhasa, told CCTV. 'It allows us to identify both air and sea threats far beyond visual range.' Song said the networked capability mirrored Pakistan's use of the same Chinese technology to shoot down Indian fighters near the disputed Kashmir region.
South China Morning Post
24-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Japan hits rail gun milestone in race to counter China's hypersonic development
Last week's sea trial of Japan's upgraded electromagnetic rail gun is a milestone in the intensifying regional arms race aimed at countering hypersonic missiles from China, North Korea and Russia. Advertisement Observers said that Japan could well become one of the first navies to operate the advanced weapon as part of its air defence capabilities, after the Japanese defence ministry released images of the gun this week, without elaborating. The latest images show a number of modifications to the prototype's first experimental firing in October 2023. The next generation weapon was also sighted earlier this month on board the JS Asuka in Yokosuka port before setting off for the sea trial on April 10. According to Timothy Heath, a senior international defence researcher at the Rand Corporation, Japanese development of the technology was a predictable outcome of China's military investment. 'Given China's enormous inventory of ballistic and growing number of hypersonic missiles that can target Japan, Beijing cannot really be surprised at Japan's determination to build such defensive systems,' he said. Advertisement However, former PLA instructor Song Zhongping said compared with conventional artillery, the electromagnetic gun 'uses a new principle to attack targets, and its attack power and accuracy are relatively high'. 'If Japan develops this type of weapon and deploys it, it will mean that Japan is beginning to pursue an offensive strategy, and the threat posed to other countries and the region will be rather serious,' Song said.
South China Morning Post
21-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
China's sixth-gen stealth fighter test flights reveal high-level manoeuvrability
China appears to be ramping up testing of its two sixth-generation stealth fighters, with numerous sightings reported in recent weeks amid growing geopolitical tensions with the United States Advertisement Videos and pictures purporting to show the two aircraft in the skies over the respective headquarters of their developers in China's southwest and northeast have emerged, with the most recent appearing on Chinese social media on Thursday. In the latest video, the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAIC) fighter – unofficially referred to as the J-36 – can be seen performing sharp turns and other manoeuvres against the sky. If the footage is genuine, it suggests that the aircraft's unique design, which has been compared to the shape of a ginkgo leaf, has been combined with an advanced computer flight control system to achieve 'super-manoeuvrability'. Military commentator Song Zhongping said the J-36's unique design of trailing edge control surfaces and split flaps on the wings of the delta platform, on top of an advanced flight control system, could ensure the fighter's extreme agility. Advertisement 'The aerodynamics of these small flaps enhances the aircraft's lateral movement ability greatly. To work with that, China's flight control programming must already be at a world-leading level,' he said. Song added that the finalised version of the plane would be very likely to be powered by vector thrusting engines, which he said would be a further boost to the J-36's super-manoeuvrability.
South China Morning Post
31-03-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
AI autonomy and endurance of China's Rainbow-9 drone expected to change unmanned warfare
China is drawing attention to the AI-enabled autonomy and long-range versatility of its most advanced Rainbow drone , advances that signal a shift in the future of unmanned warfare, according to a military analyst. Advertisement State broadcaster CCTV this month aired footage of the Caihong-9 (Rainbow-9) – China's latest medium-to-high altitude, long-endurance drone – during a public flight trial at an airfield in northern Shaanxi. The televised segment, which was part of a broader programme on Chinese defence innovation, marked the drone's first public appearance since last year's Zhuhai air show , offering new insights into its endurance, systems integration and strike potential. 02:26 China's biggest air show in Zhuhai features new fighter jets and helicopters China's biggest air show in Zhuhai features new fighter jets and helicopters According to CCTV, the Rainbow-9 completed a continuous flight lasting more than 20 hours while carrying next-generation aviation payload pods. 'This test not only assesses its performance but significantly enhances its future mission capabilities,' the broadcaster said in a programme aired on March 14. Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor and military analyst, said that integrating AI into the Rainbow-9 would 'substantially boost its combat effectiveness and support capabilities across various missions'. Advertisement Song said the Rainbow-9 could control multiple drones simultaneously which could significantly expand both its operational radius and reconnaissance coverage.
