interesting article about problems of PLAAF

Wow, great job! I appreciate the hard work, and it indeed an interesting look at the PLAAF. I had felt that there were some problems before, though my theory was a little different.

高科技练兵汇报表演出现荒唐事

Problems with high-tech training demonstration

　　2000年左右，海空军在东海海域举行名为“高科技练兵成果汇报演习”，向中央领导汇报表演他们这一年 在科技练兵中取得的成果。演习的第一个科目是轰炸机对水面舰船进行轰炸：只见海面上空500米左右的高度飞 来了三架轰？6型轰炸机，它们排成“品”字轰炸队形，以500公里左右的速度，小心翼翼地接近靶船，然后密 集地投下了数十枚空炸炸弹，炸弹整齐地朝靶船降落，然后在距靶船20米的上空整齐地依次爆炸，爆炸产生的水 柱和烟雾激起了在指挥船上参观人群的热烈掌声和欢呼声，但我们这些懂军事的观众却呆若木鸡！我第一个想法是 ：这些空军领导好大胆！他们把中央领导当猴耍！要知道今天举行的是高科技练兵汇报表演，而低空慢速水平目视 轰炸这种科目是英国人在上世纪30年代末创造的，日本人在40年代偷袭珍珠港时为了避免被军舰火力的威胁已 经把它改进为高空水平轰炸和超低空轰炸，而我们空军表演的这种轰炸方式在战时是绝对派不上用场的，这种战法 充其量是用50年代的飞机表演30年代的战法，跟“高科技”根本不沾边。我还在纳闷：中央领导不都是高学历 吗？他们会看不懂这样的弄虚作假？如果看得懂，又不讲，这才是最可怕的，如果我们的领导层整个都养成这种习 惯，台湾恐怕是再也拿不回来了。

Around 2000, PLANAF held "high-tech training results demonstration," for central command, to demonstrate the result of high-tech training. The first demonstration was anti-ship strikes by bombers: three H-6 bombers flying in 品 formation (I'm assuming arrow formation), at about 500km/h, carefully approaches a ship, then drops countless bombs. The bombs fell neatly towards the ship, then explods 20m above the ship, making a neat column of water splashes and causing the targets to smoke, arousing a great applause from observers. But for those of us who actually know a bit about military, we watched in disbelief . My first thought was: those PLANAF leaders are so brave! They're playing jokes with central command! This is supposed to be a high-tech demonstration, but low altitude anti-ship bombing were invented by the Brits in the 30's, and by the 40's the Japanese thought low-alt bombing was obsolete and used high altitude bombing instead when attacking Pearl Harbour to avoid US naval firepower. This demonstration by the PLAAF is completely worthless, basically it's a demonstration of 30's era tactics with 50's era aircraft, this has nothing to do with "high-tech." I also wondered, aren't people from central command supposed to be highly educated? Do they not realise how stupid this is? If they knew it was stupid but didn't say anything then that's scary, if our leaders have this kind of habit then we will never be able to defeat Taiwan

　　好戏还在后面：一架直九舰载直升机，在距离指挥舰不到100米处投下一颗“音响制导”反潜鱼雷，过一会 ，指挥员报告，说是鱼雷准确地击中了水下目标。他的报告，又引起一阵热烈掌声。懂军事的人都知道，这种鱼雷 是靠在水中寻找敌人潜艇的响声来追踪和炸毁敌舰的，你把它扔在指挥舰的附近，指挥舰和负责保卫的军舰群的响 声这么大，早已覆盖了敌潜艇的噪声，这样的表演不是“作秀”又是什么？如果高科技练兵的最高规格表演都能以 这种水平出现的话，美国和台湾有什么理由要怕你？

There's more, a helicopter, about 100m from the command ship, drops a sonobuoy to guide a torpedo. After a while, commander says, the torpedo has hit the submarine target. His report aroused another round of applause. But for those of us who know a bit about military, torpedoes rely on sound signals to seek and track targets, if you drop it so close to the command ship how would it hear the noise made by the submarine? Is this fake or what? If this is the best that our "high-tech" demonstration can do, what have US and Taiwan to be afraid of?

　　而在演习中，我们国家最需要的“撒手锏”战法却没出现。如果我们在表演中能够以一个整团国产新型战斗轰 炸机在海平面高度以超音速方式演练对航母编队的远程奔袭，并对航母战斗群实施导弹的“饱和”攻击，另外再表 演一个在“舰队防空火力圈外”对军舰目标实行精确打击，这样的震撼场面绝对会让美军和台军都胆战心惊。我们 在军事上的无能直接造成了后面出现的情况大家现在都在无奈的忍受：台独分子一遍遍的踏过底线向我挑衅，美国 一遍遍地把航母开到中国附近，声称他们一定会保卫台湾，就这样，老一辈革命家率人民军队打出的威风在今天以 这样方式出现的实力对决中受到了无情的嘲弄

And in the demonstration, "trick up our sleeve?" the tactic that we need most, did not appear. If we could demonstrate an all-out high speed long range supersonic sea-level bomber saturation missile strike, then demonstrate a "beyond enemy air defence threat" long range precision missile strike, this might make USN or Taiwan scared. This demonstration of our lack of ability will ironically lead to what we did not want to happen: Taiwan's declaration of independence and USN's CVBGs sailing one by one to aid Taiwan, like this, our obsolete PLA will ultimately prove that those who redicule it were right

Nice translation guys.

Anyhow, this article must be pretty old. It doesnt give mention to the j-10, and barely any to the MKK. It also does nto talk about peace mission 05, which is seen as the most recent demonstration of the PLA(N)(AF)'s abilities.

Serveral facts atated are incorrect, like the fact China spends 1/3 of it;s military budget on the AF. If this was written 2000-2004, the spending should actually be a bit less than a 1/3. Based on the tone, Im wouldnt be surprised if this was written by a taiwanese guy.

I beg to differ. In fact judging from the writing tone I would strongly believe the writer is a Chinese guy.

I mean...

1979年3月27日清晨，随着祖国西南边陲的一声炮响，压抑在全国人民心中已久的怒火随着惩罚越南小霸战争的开始终于得到了宣泄，在密集炮火的掩护下，十几个还没有达到机械化程度的解放军步兵师在少量坦克掩护下，向着曾在不久前击败美国侵略军，号称陆军战力世界第三的越南军队，发起了规模庞大的进攻，在密集炮火掩护下，他们不顾每天1千人以上这个叫每个中国人心里发颤滴血的伤亡代价，与装备普遍强于自己的越军进行拼死搏杀！前进！前进！战士们踏着战友的遗体，每个黝黑的脸上透露出刚毅的神情，抚摩着脖子上挂的“光荣弹”，背负祖国人民的期望，义无返顾地杀入越南境内。



　　在高平战役进入关键时刻，某装甲营在开进途中接到上级命令，要他们在团长、政委率领下搭载少量步兵，在 3个小时内，杀开一条血路，冲破数十公里距离越军的重重阻拦，不惜一切代价，直插东溪，截断越南某师的退路，并阻止敌人一个王牌师的增援，确保歼灭战的顺利进行。车轮滚滚，马达轰鸣，装甲洪流不顾越南军队和民兵在有利地形上的层层阻击，推开被越军“截头打尾”战法击毁堵住去路的战车，克服被越军炸垮水库洪水沼泽的阻拦，迎着呼啸飞过的反坦克导弹和火箭弹的轰击，坚决地朝东溪杀去！轰！团长的指挥坦克中弹！团长牺牲！轰！政委的坦克中弹！政委牺牲！沙石公路两边的越军埋伏在茂密的原始森林中，象狂风一样射出各种枪弹和火箭，有的暴露在敌人火力下的步兵勇士甚至被敌人的高射机枪子弹拦腰扫断，到处是飞扬的残肢短臂，到处是负伤的战友，许多战士负伤多次，还在用手中的武器还击着越军，准备用自己生命的最后一刻，掩护战车脱离险境，为祖国和人 民流尽最后一滴血。

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I just don't see a Taiwanese guy writing about Chinese soldiers like this. But maybe that's just me.

Yeah and he keeps talking about retaking Taiwan.

I don't think in real life the PLANAF would attack a ship with bombs. Don't we have anti-ship missiles? It'd be really wierd to have them but insist on dropping bombs on a ship from up close

Now that L-15s are out there should be better training... or are they going to raise their L-15s like goldfish too? :rofl:

But I have to agree with the author on the stock Su-27s. Their avionics are not very good. The RWR is not very informative, the radar does not scan from side to side by itself, and there is no ground radar search mode. The NAV system is ok, but since there's only one display screen, using the NAV means you have to switch off the radar. The J-11 cockpit is a bit improved, with an extra screen.

I agree that the writer was chinese. This is due to the way he called PRC as "祖国" (meaning i think the equivalent to motherland) which is what many chinese will call PRC. If the writer was born in taiwan, he would be more likely to call it "中國" (which means china).

In late 1990s, we finally saw Su-27's cockpit. We were surprised, it has none of the MFD and navigation systems that Western 2/3 generation fighters have. It has no HSD. It only has a radar display, everything else are steam gauges. It's not much better than the 30-year behind J-8II's cockpit, is it really a 3rd gen fighter? The RWR is not precise (it only displays in 20 deg increments, can't display radar threats past 90 degrees), old electronics, cumbersome switches, it's worse than 80s Euro/American avionics. We think this is more of a 2nd gen aircraft pretending to be a 3rd gen. It has no all weather precision attack capability like our internet friends boasted before, especially not in the electronic age of today, no wonder people of the world think Su-27 is only the “刀马旦” (I think that's a movie)， of the information age, which means, other than the cobra manoeuvre (which is only good for show), it's not very useful. This explains why the Taiwanese became increasingly bold, looking down on our Su-27s

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Already you have a major technical flaw in the article. Sorry but pics of the Su-27 cockpits show that China's Su-27SKs are indeed equipped with the standard L006 Beryoza that gives a full 180 degrees warning. In fact, the Su-27SKs got RWRs right at the sting of the tail and you can see them with any picture of the tail. The Beryoza and the very similar Sirena-3 for the MiG-29 it is derived from, are actually very competent RWRs and quite informative if you understand how they really work.

And we already have a pic that shows the cockpit having at least one MFD on the Su-27SK, and two MFDs on the J-11s (upgrade). The cockpit certainly has a HUD though not as nice as some Chinese made ones, and it got an HMS, peer to peer datalinks, and an IRST at a time when only very few Western fighters can have them.

The whole article seems very suspicious and downright the technology item mention is already caught as being dead wrong.

I say this is a fan hoax. Real authentic stuff would show new information that we have not known before and would not contradict existing information that is established as fact.

Hey Crobato, do you have pics of the Chinese Su-27SK cockpit? I don't think I've ever seen the L006 before. Does it tell the specific type of the threat? Instead of the category, e.g. does it tell you it's an F-15 instead of "fighter" like on the old Su-27 RWRs? Also, does it show all threats simultaneously as opposed to one at a time? Does it give range estimates?

I know the J-11 cockpit looks much cleaner, but I readthat only one of the screens is an MFD, the other is an extended display

Also, the author never said it doesn't have an HUD. He said it doesn't have an HSD (if that's what 空情显示系统 translates to)
Su-27 does have a steam gauge style HSD but not the modern LCD styles like on most Western fighters. It has a nav system but I'm talking about the HSD that displays enemy SAM range circles, bogeys detected by your allies and datalinked to you (though that's displayed on radar screen), waypoints, territories, etc.

Thanks to everone translation of that article. To me whether it is true or not remains in question . It could be written by a disgruntled PLA ex-member. Or a ROC military type trying to down play the ablity of the PLA forces. Or just a work of fiction by some ROC type that hates his brothers in the PRC. Best bet is that is is part truth and part exxageration.

Thanks again!

Oh hey! I think both "high-tech demonstration" incidents the author talked about is actually from the 2005 Sino-Ruso exercise. The ASW helicopter dropping a torpedo from close to the command ship, and the bombers attacking ships with bombs instead of missiles and the bombs exploding just above the ships, they're here in this video if anyone haven't seen it yet



They're around the beginning.

My interpretation is that they're really just doing this to make it look good. In reality no idiot would charge at a ship in a bomber and drop bombs.

The author probably was a spectator at the exercises because he described them in more detail, but I think he's just an amateur military analysist