kursk
WoldDailyNews of September 17, 2003.
TERROR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
Chinese observers aboard Kursk?
Report highlights latest evidence of Beijing-Moscow military cooperation-
By Charles Smith
© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com
Amid rumors that Chinese navy officers were on the sunken Russian submarine Kursk, the relationship between China and Russia continues to be one dominated by advanced weapons.
"Reports of Chinese naval observers onboard the Kursk first appeared in the Taiwan and Hong Kong press," stated one U.S. intelligence source who requested his name be withheld.
"The Russians were certainly staging a naval war show in the Barents. Who was the audience?" he asked.
Instead of quickly squelching the story, both Beijing and Moscow are silent about Chinese naval observers being onboard the sunken nuclear submarine. Repeated calls to the Russian military attache in Washington, D.C., were not returned.
In 1999, the General Accounting Office reported that Russia is the top weapons supplier to China. The loss of the Kursk has not stopped the construction of another Oscar-class submarine in Russia. The K-530 currently sports the name "Belgorod" and is still under construction at the Severodvinsk Shipyard. Work on the new submarine continues, even though the Russian navy is broke and cannot buy the Belgorod. China, however, is reportedly interested in buying the K-530.
Unlike the K-530, there is hard evidence that Russia plans to sell China another nuclear missile-armed warship this year. According to the German navy, the second of two 8,480-ton Russian navy Project 956A Sovremenny destroyers built for China is now conducting trials in the eastern Baltic.
The Chinese navy is expected to take delivery of the second Russian-made warship this fall. A July article published in Jane's Defense contained photographs taken by German navy aircraft of the new warship with its Russian shakedown crew.
China currently operates a single Sovremenny warship across from Taiwan. The first Chinese Sovremenny was originally built for the Soviet navy as the Vazhnyy in 1988. The ship was launched in May 1994 and renamed the Yekaterinburg before work was halted.
The Alexandr Nevskiy, soon to become China's newest warship. Photo courtesy of German navy
In 1996, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) navy negotiated to buy the Yekaterinburg and another 956A-class destroyer named the Alexandr Nevskiy. The Yekaterinburg was delivered to the Chinese navy in 1999, passing through the Strait of Taiwan with a combined Russian/Chinese crew. The Chinese navy is scheduled to acquire the Alexandr Nevskiy by the end of 2000.
Each Sovremenny warship is armed with eight supersonic 3M82 Moskit sea-skimming missiles, NATO code-named SS-N-22 "Sunburn." According to documents obtained from the U.S. Navy using the Freedom Of Information Act, the Sunburn can be armed with a nuclear warhead 10 times the power of the A-bomb used on Hiroshima.
The Sovremenny is not the only Sunburn missile-armed warship to be acquired by China this year. U.S. and Taiwanese intelligence sources say China has also deployed the first Sunburn-armed Tarantul III Corvettes bought from Russia. The Chinese navy reportedly may add up to a dozen more of the potent missile-armed warships from Russian weapons-maker Vympel NPO.
Russian Tarantul III Corvette fires the deadly Sunburn missile.
According to Vympel documentation, the Tarantul III Corvette is considered a small warship, perfect for "littoral" waters. Official U.S. Navy documents state that each "Tarantul can deploy up to four Sunburns in a dual launcher per side configuration."
The new warship arrives into the People's Liberation Army's navy just in time to exercise with China's latest Russian fighters armed with new air-to-air missiles. During a recent exercise directly opposite Japan, the Chinese air force deployed the first SU-30 strike fighter along with a growing force of SU-27 Flanker fighter jets.
The Chinese force of advanced Sukhoi jets is expected to grow to 275 aircraft by 2005 with most of the aircraft manufactured under license in China. A recently published congressional report titled "China's New War Fighting Skills" noted the significant buildup in Chinese military activity.
"During ongoing large-scale military exercises, China has demonstrated significant new joint-service war-fighting skills 'under high-tech conditions' that are steadily altering the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait," states the report.
"The PLA is applying U.S. military doctrine to integrate its relentlessly expanding strategic missile forces, high-performance SU-27 and SU-30 jet fighters purchased from Russia, blue-water navy ships -- including a Sovremenny-class destroyer with deadly SS-N-22 anti-ship missiles, and state-of-the-art secure communications systems purchased from U.S. and other Western companies, in addition to developing advanced information and electronic warfare capabilities."
The Vympel R-77 medium-range missiles is similar to the American AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. Jane's Defense reports that China will acquire the R-77 and produce the missile under license.
In April, Jane's Defense reported that China is also close to finalizing a deal with Russian weapons maker Vympel to acquire the advanced R-77 air-to-air missile to arm the new fleet of Sukhoi jets. The R-77, NATO code named AA-12 "Adder," is also called "amraamsky" by Western defense analysts due to its similarity to the U.S.-made AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.
The AA-12 is considered to be one of the most advanced radar-homing missiles in the world and is, in many ways, superior to the U.S.-made AMRAAM. According to an April report in Jane's Defense, China plans to manufacture the Adder missile as the R-129. PLAAF fighters armed with the new AA-12 missiles could easily destroy Taiwanese fighters armed with shorter range and less powerful air-to-air missiles. The AA-12 is also capable of destroying American fighter aircraft such as the U.S. Navy F-18 Hornet.
The Clinton-Gore administration previously denied the export of the U.S.-made AMRAAM missile to Taiwan this year, overriding congressional recommendations. The administration instead proposed that the AMRAAM missiles could be delivered to Taiwan in case of emergency.
However, the August 2000 congressional report on the Chinese military disagrees with the Clinton-Gore delayed delivery plan. According to Taiwanese military sources, the lack of AMRAAM missiles may be fatal.
"The new generation of PLA jet fighters has made major steps to control the skies with upgraded onboard avionics, EW and radar systems," concludes the congressional report.
"AMRAAM air-to-air missiles should also be delivered to Taiwan immediately, because the five-day delivery period after a conflict begins would be too late."
TERROR IN THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA?
Chinese observers on board the Kursk?
An article by Charles Smith.
The rumor spreads that Chinese officers were on board the Kursk. The relations between China and Russia continue to be dominated by the issue of advanced weapons. This idea of the presence of Chinese naval observers on board the Kursk first appeared in the newspapers of Taiwan and Hong Kong, according to a member of the American intelligence services who prefers to remain anonymous. "The Russians must have used these maneuvers to demonstrate their arsenal. But for whom?" he asks.
Instead of dismissing this story, both Beijing and Moscow have remained silent about the possibility that Chinese naval observers were on board the sunken nuclear submarine. Repeated calls to the Russian military attaché based in Washington have gone unanswered.
In the continuation of the article, the author shows that the Chinese are equipping themselves with various weapons, should acquire a submarine under construction in a Russian shipyard, similar to the Kursk. They are also acquiring the latest Sukhoi fighters, equipped with missiles capable of taking down American F-18s charged with the defense of Taiwan. However, the important information, related to the file I have on the sinking of the Kursk, concerns this confirmed presumption of Chinese observers on board the submarine before it sank in the Barents Sea.
In 1999, the "General Accounting Office" stated that Russia was the main supplier of advanced weapons to China. The loss of the Kursk did not stop the construction of other Oscar-class submarines in Russia. The K-530, named "Belgorod," is still under construction in the Severodvinsk shipyards. Work on the submarine continues despite the fact that the Russians are supposedly short of money and unable to afford such expenses. On the contrary, it is said that China would be interested in buying the K-530.
At the same time, there are strong suspicions that Russia plans to sell China warships armed with nuclear missiles. According to members of the German navy, the second destroyer corresponding to the Project 956A Sovremenny, weighing 8,480 tons, built for China, is now undergoing trials in the east of the Baltic.
It is expected that the Chinese will take delivery of this second warship built by the Russians. An article published in June in the American magazine Jane's Defense contained photos taken by a German navy reconnaissance aircraft showing this new warship and its Russian crew.
China regularly deploys a Sovremenny-class warship near Taiwan. The first unit of this type was built by the Soviets in 1988 for the Chinese as Vazhnyy. The ship was launched in 1994 and renamed Yekaterinburg before the end of the work.
The Alexander Nevsky quickly became China's newest warship. Photos were taken by the German Navy.
In 1996, the People's Liberation Army Navy negotiated the purchase of the Yekaterinburg and another 956A-class destroyer, the Alexander Nevsky. The Yekaterinburg was delivered to China in 1999, passing through the Taiwan Strait with a mixed Russian-Chinese crew. The Alexander Nevsky was acquired by the Chinese in 2000.
Each Sovremenny-class unit is armed with eight supersonic 3M82 Moskit sea-skimming missiles, code-named SS-N-22 "Sunburn" by NATO. According to documents obtained from the U.S. Navy, under the Freedom of Information Act, the Sunburn can be equipped with a nuclear warhead ten times more powerful than the one used on Hiroshima.
Sovremenny-class units are not the only ones equipped with Sunburn missiles. According to Taiwanese intelligence, the Tarantul III corvettes, purchased from the Russians, are also equipped with them. It seems that the Chinese actually have a dozen warships, heavily armed with nuclear missiles, made by the Russian company Vympel NPO.
The Sunburn missile was first fired from a Russian Tarantul III corvette. According to Vympel documentation, the Tarantul III corvette is a small warship, perfect for operating in "littoral" waters. Each of these corvettes can deploy four Sunburn missiles, grouped in pairs on their launchers.
These new warships join the Chinese Navy just in time to exercise with China's Russian fighters armed with new air-to-air missiles. During recent exercises, the Chinese Air Force deployed the first SU-30 along with a growing force of SU-27 Flanker fighters.
The Chinese air force is expected to increase the number of Sukhoi jets it possesses to 275 aircraft, most of which are manufactured in China under license. A recent congressional report, published, focused on China's new weapons, highlighting the significant increase in China's military capability.
During exercises, China has demonstrated its ability to implement sophisticated military techniques, thus showing that the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait is very compromised.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army is applying American military doctrine by aligning high-performance SU-27 and SU-30 jets, from Russia, blue-water navy ships, including a Sovremenny-class destroyer armed with deadly SS-N-22 anti-ship missiles, and state-of-the-art secure communications systems purchased from the United States or other Western countries, while also developing advanced information and electronic warfare capabilities.
The Vympel R-77 medium-range missiles are similar to their American counterpart, the AIM-120. According to Jane's, China plans to acquire the R-77 and produce the missile under license.
In April, Jane's reported that China is close to finalizing a deal with the missile manufacturer Vympel to acquire the advanced R-77 air-to-air missile to arm the new fleet of Sukhoi jets. The NATO code name for the R-77 is AA-12 "Adder." Western defense analysts also call it "amraamsky" due to its similarity to the American-made AIM-120.
The AA-12 is considered one of the most advanced radar-homing missiles in the world and is, in many ways, superior to the U.S.-made AMRAAM. According to Jane's, China plans to manufacture the Adder missile as the R-129. Chinese fighters armed with the new AA-12 missiles could easily destroy Taiwanese fighters armed with shorter range and less powerful air-to-air missiles. The AA-12 is also capable of destroying American fighter aircraft such as the U.S. Navy F-18 Hornet.
The Clinton-Gore administration previously denied the export of the U.S.-made AMRAAM missile to Taiwan this year, overriding congressional recommendations. The administration instead proposed that the AMRAAM missiles could be delivered to Taiwan in case of emergency.
However, the August 2000 congressional report on the Chinese military disagrees with the Clinton-Gore delayed delivery plan. According to Taiwanese military sources, the lack of AMRAAM missiles may be fatal.
"The new generation of PLA jet fighters has made major steps to control the skies with upgraded onboard avionics, EW and radar systems," concludes the congressional report.
"AMRAAM air-to-air missiles should also be delivered to Taiwan immediately, because the five-day delivery period after a conflict begins would be too late."
Number of consultations since October 6, 2003: