Chinese Master Inflight Refueling

[squorch2]

from http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050914/kyodo/d8ck0jk81.html:

A military newspaper said Wednesday the Chinese Air Force had mastered midair refueling, making China the fifth country in the world to accomplish the risky procedure.

According to the People's Liberation Army Daily, after trials since the 1990s, three warplanes doing an exercise completed the procedure in mid-August. The paper calls midair refueling risky and difficult.

"Midair refueling is an important mark for balancing capabilities for aerial warfare," the paper said. "It's also an important symbol of a country's national defense strengths."

The paper offers a play-by-play description of the successful midair refueling exercise but does not give details such as where it took place or the number of people involved. Photos with the article show two fueling aircraft trailing meters behind the aircraft getting refueled.

France, Russia, Britain and the United States can also refuel planes in midair.

China has said over the past few years it would modernize the military to compensate for downsizing the number of soldiers. Disarmament over the past 20 years has reduced the number of troops from 4.24 million in 1985 to 2.3 million in 2003.

Hoo boy.

 

[Schnugg]

That's nothing...I heard Il Jong Kim was an expert at inflight refuelinig (IFR) and on his very first flight ever. Amazing.

Will the real Dictator please stand up....all 5' 2" of him.

Kidding aside...China is a growing threat to stability in that region of the world, but that's not news to anyone I suppose.

 

[Brett327]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that it wasn't at night and/or in crappy weather. Having a few guys do a couple of day plugs does not magically transform the PRAN into an IFR/bluewater capable force.

Brett

 

[danthaman]

He-row Hans Brix

 

[Lawman]

Anybody got a number on Chinese Tanker assests? Fat lot of good it does them to be able to do it at all if they've only got a couple of Aircraft to do anything with.

 

[mmx1]

An amateur practices until they get it right.

A professional practices until they can't get it wrong.

Guess who's the pro and who's the amateur?

 

[JIMC5499]

Now it comes out. They were practicing this with that EP-3 a few years ago and oopsed. They probably figured that this way they would only have to take a chance on losing one airplane.

 

[HH-60H]

Look at the source "A military newspaper." I suspect this "fact" comes from a Chinese "newspaper" which are notorious for inflating their capabilities.

 

[jamnww]

An amateur practices until they get it right.

A professional practices until they can't get it wrong.

Guess who's the pro and who's the amateur?

Great point...

 

[eddie]

They still should have an eye kept on them... they are one step closer to being proficient, are they not. Slippery slopes have to start somewhere.

 

[Flash]

They still should have an eye kept on them... they are one step closer to being proficient, are they not. Slippery slopes have to start somewhere.

Who is they? If 'they' is the US, what makes you think we do not keep an eye in them? I guess that EP-3 that went down in China was just checking out some good spots to go surfing in the South China Sea, I hear the Spratleys have some wicked waves......Just remember, Charlie don't surf.....

 

[HH-60H]

No, that EP-3 was just on a trip to surrender huge amounts of classified information to the Chinese. Sort of a unilateral information exchange. (I know it wasn't on purpose)

 

[HueyCobra8151]

Wouldn't be the first (or last) "unilateral information exchange" to go down during Clinton's watch...

 

[HH-60H]

LMAO, that's a fact.
Well, hell it's even happening today.
A day or two ago, naturalized US citizens (former Chinese) citizens pled guilty in federal court to selling sensitive technology to 2 chinese "research" firms.

 

[ea6bflyr]

Never under-estimate your adversary. You might be unpleasantly surprised. Now, I personally wouldn't say that they've MASTERED IFR, but they now have that capability in their bag-o-tricks.
ea6bflyr