Posted on 05/28/2010 2:40:03 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
A senior U.S. military intelligence official confirmed that China will be capable of deploying an advanced fifth generation fighter comparable to the U.S. F-22 within eight years, years ahead of previous Pentagon assessments.
“We're anticipating China to have a fifth-generation fighter ... operational right around 2018," said Wayne Ulman of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. He made the comments before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on May 20.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, in defending his decision to end production of the F-22, stated last year that China "is projected to have no fifth-generation aircraft by 2020."
Such advanced fighter bombers are cutting edge weapons that provide asymmetric warfare capabilities such as advanced propulsion, radar invisibility and high-speed maneuverability.
The comments by Ulman contradicted an assessment by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates who stated last year that China "is projected to have no fifth-generation aircraft by 2020" and only a "handful" by 2025. Gates made the comments in defending his decision to end production of the F-22 at 187 aircraft as part of his budget-cutting initiative.
Chinese Gen. He Weirong, the deputy commander of the Chinese Air Force, told Chinese state-run media in November that the new advanced jet would fly soon despite U.S. intelligence projections that it will not be ready for combat for at least 10 years.
“The capabilities of China’s air forces, particularly those of the PLAAF have improved dramatically over the course of the past decade,” said Ulman, a senior China analyst at NASIC. “From an overly-large, technologically inferior force, the PLAAF is emerging as a well-equipped and increasingly well-trained force with some identifiable shortcomings and weaknesses.”
China’s Air Force has grown in size and sophistication with advanced surface-to-air missiles and radar and new offensive-oriented missions.
(Excerpt) Read more at east-asia-intel.com ...
The F-22 will be resurrected in 2013 like the B-1 was in the Reagan administration.
The saddest part is that Obama/Gates totally shut down the F-22 line instead of maintaining a 7 plane per year production rate which would have preserved the tooling and, more importantly, the trained skill set to ramp up if necessary.
Restarting the line from scratch will be virtually impossible - and even if successful - terribly costly.
If Congress funds it in early 2011, about all Obama can do about it is kick Rahm. Heh heh heh...
There should have been many more produced before that line was shut down.
“Here’s to hoping we have at least one more Reagan Recovery in us.”
Amen to that!
With all the money saved when mac daddy canceled this he was able to purchase an entire mountain of hand sized rock that the military can throw at the enemy as they are shooting at our troops.
I'd pay real money to see that.
But, they’ll have lots of them. Remember the inferior American tanks during WWII?
Didn’t you see “Connections”?
Social mobility and the ability to take various parts and make connections.
In china a gardner saw the king napping in the garden throne. The gardner covered him with the king’s robe.
When the king awoke and asked who covered him, and was told it was the gardner, the king had the gardner executed for exceeding his station.
“Remember the inferior American tanks during WWII?”
Ronsons...
Good points about keeping costs in perspective.
Exactly.
We depend on air superiority for the success of our armed forces. For our ground troops, our ships at sea, and nearly every single thing you can relate to.
We have been spoiled, because we have had adults in charge most of the time who understood this necessity, and worked towards maintaining it. We have had air superiority in every single engagement of any kind from the end of WWII up until today.
If we do not maintain control of the skies and cede that to our next enemy, we will see American blood shed in ways we have not seen since WWII.
We won’t be able to supply and transport our troops by air. Helicopters are sitting ducks for the enemy if they control the air. We won’t even be able to medevac.
Our supply columns will be destroyed, as will our tank formations. Our ships at sea will suffer the same fate.
In the same way that nearly the entire food chain from livestock down to corn is dependent on water, military power is dependent on air power. Without it, you cannot have and project military power.
It is really that simple, and it is why we must buy more F-22s and F-35’s. But we know that isn’t going to happen, the same way we know that transiting this economic and leadership crisis unscathed isn’t going to happen.
I think this is BS. The only thing China has been good at in terms of weapondary is copying and stealing.
Well, you are half right. Take a look at what they are producing. Su-27s and SA-10 derivatives. I don’t think you’d call those junk, and they are cranking them out by the bushel.
If they do manage to produce an aircraft that is 50% effective against the F-22 it will not be good. I have been an “anti-F22” guy for quite some time due to the delays and cost over runs. With the current fielded stuff and upgrades in the pipe I have grudgingly changed my mind. At $103M a copy (I know... I know...) it will come in cheap compared to the initial batch of F-35s. Oh yeah, and it’s already through OTE and in production, with developed tactics, weapons, pilots, logistics and most importantly; maintainers!
But that would have went to line guys who are highly skilled mechanics and engineers, many who made their way in life on their own. Not SEIU dupes that are owed and these guys do not need new structures of re-distributors that shuffle paper and create nothing.
These F22 guys and gals actual produce a good and service, a highly value added one to boot....
Remember they hate the producers, look at the kids of these types no doctors, or engineers. Chelsea Clinton didn't take engineering, she is a rain maker for a Hedge Fund. I rest my case, she produces nothing, other than trying to make a quick buck.
LOL, we could pay down the debt.
Well, they probably weren't planning to until we canceled the F-22 and they saw an opportunity.
East Asia Intel has been ahead of the curve in regards to information in regards to China and North Korea.
U.S. Intelligence Believes China Will Have New Jet Fighter Ready by 2018
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