PLA conducts major military operation in the Tibetan Autonomous Region

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted a co-ordinated joint military operation in the Autonomous region of Tibet this week. 

 PLA Commanders on field planning.

In addition to the PLA Ground Forces, a contingent from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLA-AF) also participated in the operations. The exercise was supervised by officials from the Tibetan Military District, which is a part of the Chengdu Military Region. A number of fighter jets and military helicopters belonging to the PLAAF participated, in addition to hundreds of soldiers from the Ground Forces.

With the latest military drills, the PLA has so far conducted a total of four major military operations in the Tibet region, for the last 6 months. Indian officials have expressed their concerns over many of the drills, which allegedly took place close to the disputed Indo-China border, near the Aksai Chin region. However, the Chinese military officials have claimed that the drills were routine training operations, and said that the operations were by no means directed against any of the neighbouring nations, including India. 

 

Chinese PLAAF fighters  in Tibetan plateau  China in Tibet Chinese military locations in Tibet

Last month, the PLA had conducted a successful test launch of its new Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) in Tibet. Earlier the Ground Forces had conducted major anti-tank drills in the same region. Defence analysts have opined that the heightened Chinese military activity comes as a response to the Indian plans to deploy missiles along the Indo-China border. Earlier this year, the Indian defence authorities had approved a plan, to deploy the BrahMos I Block-III supersonic cruise missiles along the border between the two nations in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. 

 

Tibetan Plateau People's Liberation Army Air Force J-10 Vanguard Vigorous Dragon practicing with precision guided bomb LS-6 & four 4 SD-10 PL-12, BVRAAM PL-8, 10.

Despite the tensions surrounding the deployment of missiles and the conduction of major military exercises, local experts have noted that the relations between the two sides are warming up. In July, an Indian delegation visited several of the PLA’s military facilities in the sensitive Tibetan region, and held talks with the senior Chinese officials. The Chinese defence minister, Liang Guanglie is also likely to visit India on an official trip next month.

Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group to Produce 1,200 J-10 Fighters

J-10A

J-10B Fighter Jet In Production

Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group will produce a total of 1,200 J-10 fighters for the PLA Force to counter F-16 fighters over the Taiwan Strait and Western Pacific, according to our sister paper Want Daily.

The Moscow-based Voice of Russia says the J-10A uses the Lyulka-Saturn AL-31FN turbofan engine imported from Russia due to difficulties in the development of China's WS-10 Taihang engine. The newer J-10B variant will be fitted with the Taihang engine.

Geng Ruguang, senior vice president of China Aviation Industry Corporation, said the development of the J-10, Taihang engine and PL-12 air-to-air missile shows China has become the fourth nation in the world to design and produce its own advanced fighter.

Geng said the J-10B's active phased array airborne radar enables the fighter to track six targets and engage four of them simultaneously. Geng also said the J-10's radar system can also lock on to US F-16 and Japanese F-2 fighters without difficulty. Furthermore, the PL-12 air-to-air missile designed for the J-10 boasts similar specs to the US-built AIM-120 air-to-air missile used by the F-16A/B fighters of Taiwan's air force.

Taiwan currently has 388 fighters, of which 145 are F-16A/Bs purchased from the United States. The imbalance in the size of the size of the fighter fleets on opposing sides of the Taiwan Strait is a matter of serious concern for Taiwan's security.

Between 2014 and 2015, 36 J-10B fighters will also be supplied to the Pakistan Air Force under the name FC-20.

 

Chinese "Death From Above" Fighter J-10B HQ Photos