Exported J-7

The F-7s that Zimbabawe posseses are only the early versions - not the later more advanced versions. These are 30 years behind S. Africa's fighters. They'll probably be replaced by FC-1s if Mugabe can get hold of them.

I cannot find the site but I read this week on the net SAAF has 27 Cheetah Cs and Ds. The Ds are from 1986, therefore 20 years old. The Cs are from '92.

I have come across sources saying there has been "some Chinese technical people" in Zimbabwe for a while (years) now "modenising" the defence forces - some at Thornhill AB, Gweru where there has been addition of facilities. What exactly I don't know but the lack of press freedom and general accountability of the government, military projects tend to be kept under covers. Equipment acquisitions are announced after they have been delivered.

I was looking at telephone book listing yesterday under Ministry of Defence, and there is a listing for a JY-9 radar station. Now, checking the internet that said the JY-9 is a gapfiller radar. There are not other record what-so-ever I can find about Zimbabwe buying defence radar equipment or what the whole network is about.

Also, Janes mentions Zimbabwe getting HQ-2 SAMs last year. No other information is available on this deal or possible acquisition. My interest and following all this up especially at forums like here is i believe things are happening (course not of interest to the more prominent military powers) but and Mugabe managing to keep them cover so he is not accountable.

There are 52 MRL70 (BM21s) in the inventory - they just appeared, nothing about their acquisitions.

Currently the South African Air Force (SAAF) has 15 Atlas Cheetah C & 13 Cheetah D fighters. (28 total). There's also some Cheetah-E interceptors in storage, but I think they're going to be sold to Chile.

To replace these aircraft, S. Africa ordered 19x Single-seat Gripens and 9x 2-seat Gripens, plus 24 BaE Hawk mk120's as jet trainers.

The SAAF is facing some racial tensions as white officers are quitting for civian jobs, and the government is trying to promote more black pilots. There was actually a deal between S. Africa and Zimbabwe to send Zimbabwe pilots over to train S. African black pilots (!) in 2005. The Gripen pilots are being trained in Sweden.

So I don't understand why Mugabe might have anything to fear from S. Africa? Zimbabwe is not facing any dangers of military invasion. Most of the mess is caused by Mugabe's own policies. Rather than asking Malaysia to help pay for his 28 room palace, I think he should've asked Dr. Mahathir to serve as his advisor instead. =p

pngwerume said:

Zimbabwe already has 12 K-8. See 6 of them here:

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The government also announced that they are buying 12 FC-1.

I guess because of the smaller numbers a country like Zimbabwe buys, there is little, if any customisation. So sometimes when i read the general specifications of an aircraft, it is possible the version Zimbabwe has might not be even near the top notch. However, when I think of Zimbabwe having bought her F-7 because of the apatheid Shouth African threat, I would want to think they bought somthing more than just the J-7II.

Even now with the FC-1, I been to forums where the wishful thinking of other members is that Zimbabwe will not be sold SD-10. I then don't want to think my air force is stupid to buy jets to attempt to equal the South African Gripens with advanced avoinics and BVR missiles by buying a "watered down" FC-1. MY WISHFUL THINKING/my hope woiuld be Mugabe went to China and placed the SAAF Gripens' specifications on the table the Chinese offered something to make Mugabe feel secure. Thinking along the same line, I want to think the Air Force of Zimbabwe F-7 will be close in spec to SAAF Cheetahs which they were bought to balance.

Prosper.

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Let's just say that you can see the latest upgrades to FC-1. Zimbabwe will get what it pays for. I don't think China will give it any kind of special discounts. If it wants SD-10, it will have to pay the money for it. ARH missiles aren't cheap. If it wants modern cockpit like the one for Gripen, it can do so with the latest FC-1 cockpit.

pngwerume said:

I have come across sources saying there has been "some Chinese technical people" in Zimbabwe for a while (years) now "modenising" the defence forces - some at Thornhill AB, Gweru where there has been addition of facilities. What exactly I don't know but the lack of press freedom and general accountability of the government, military projects tend to be kept under covers. Equipment acquisitions are announced after they have been delivered.

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Interesting. If China has sent technichians to Zimbabawean air force bases, then that is a sign of major Chinese military aid to Zimbabwe. The large amount of Chinese air defence hardware supplied to that country would suppourt this. Perhaps China has struck some sort of major miltary deal with Robert Mugabe, after all, he is trying to buy aircraft from there. Tell me, how strong are Sino-Zimbabwean realtions at this point? Would they be strong enough for Zimbabwe to be a Chinese ally?

I think they are pretty strong. When the West turned against Mugabe and all the embargoes, 3 years ago he went out and announced he is going to look East (primarily China). Reading news articles this side and when they mention Chinese influence in Africa, they will mention Zimbabwe. In fact, yesterday they were saying Zim/China relations are as strong as they can be with any African nation. Press reports say Mugabe is partly paying by giving the Chinese concessions to mining platinum (of which Zimbabwe is becoming an important player globally) and iron. He is selling off or getting into partnership with Chinese companies to help the ailing state-owned companies especially in the energy and communications sector.

Zimbabwe recently discovered uranium and it would make sense to exploit that hopefully for more than Mugabe's own benefit.

Will see if I can trace some articles from the net and post links.

Some articles:

Thanks for the reply. Interesting to know that Mugabe is China's greatest investor. No wonder they helped him gain power, and no wonder he receives so much suppourt from them. I wonder what would happen if he was overhtrown and replaced by an anti-Chinese government - could China launch an invasion of Zimbabwe, and place a friendly government there, like the Soviets did in Afghanistan? Who Knows. I hope it doesn't come to that.

Getting back to the topic, I think that Mugabe will retire his F-7Ms after a few years. By then, he will probably be able to replace them with F-7MGs, which are more advanced F-7 variants. He may also purchase 5 FC-1s at most, to act as suppourt for the F-7 squadron. By that time, China may have sold alot of its retired F-7s and F-8s to Zimbabwe and other Chinese client states, such as Pakistan, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Myanmar, Sudan, Libya, Cuba - basically any third-world country sympathetic to China that wants these aircraft to help suppourt their air forces.

DPRKPTboat said:

Thanks for the reply. Interesting to know that Mugabe is China's greatest investor. No wonder they helped him gain power, and no wonder he receives so much suppourt from them. I wonder what would happen if he was overhtrown and replaced by an anti-Chinese government - could China launch an invasion of Zimbabwe, and place a friendly government there, like the Soviets did in Afghanistan? Who Knows. I hope it doesn't come to that.

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Why would chinese want to do it? Zimbabwe is a country, no one should interfere in their internal affair. I don't know enough about Mugabe, but if he have a popular support. I don't see him overthrown.

KYli said:

Why would chinese want to do it? Zimbabwe is a country, no one should interfere in their internal affair. I don't know enough about Mugabe, but if he have a popular support. I don't see him overthrown.

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Well Mugabe's policies are already making him unpopular. The people don't protest because they know what would be coming to them. He's caused famine, inflation, bad relations with the west and rigged election polls. If he does get overthrown, what folllows will be a similar scenario to Saddam Hussein after he was toppled. You know, Staues being pulled down,dictator put on trial, etc.
But lets not get dragged into a political discussion. ff The point is there is evidence that China is giving alot of military aid to Zimbabwe, which shows strong suppourt for Mugabe's regime. As pngwerme has told us, China has alot of economic interests in Zimbabwe, so naturally it will want to secure those interests. The Chinese technichians, the Chinese built radar station that isn't listed, the F-7s and the offer to sell FC-1s to Zimbabwe all prove this.