Landing on a Postage Stamp in the Dark: China’s Navy Trains for Nighttime Operations with Carrier Based Aircraft
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has released footage of pilots training for night time landings on aircraft carriers, which are considered some of the most difficult operations due to the darkness which adds to the difficulty of landing on a small moving runway.
Such landings have been compared by US Navy pilots to landing
on a postage stamp in the dark. The PLA Navy is only the fifth in the world
known to have carried out such operations.
Night landings played a vital role in allowing carrier groups
mounting surprise attacks, as well as allowing fighters to return from long
distance operations conducted in the afternoon.
The ability to perform night landings can thus significantly
improve the versatility of an aircraft carrier and is considered a worthwhile
pursuit despite being considered the very hardest type of operation for naval
pilots.
Pakistan left with only two submarines on active duty
Technical problems and the need for midlife refits have left
the Pakistan Navy with only two submarines on active duty. Three of the five
Agosta class submarines are either being upgraded or have defects, making them
far from seaworthy. Currently, only two submarines– an Agosta 90B and an Agosta
70 are available till the middle of next year.
The PNS Hurmat, an Agosta 70 type submarine, has a dodgy
starboard engine as well as problems with its ESM or Electronic Warfare Support
Measures system, making it virtually blind and non-operational from the
beginning of summer.
The PNS Saad, an Agosta 90B submarine is in dry dock, being
refitted from April and will be out of action for three years to ensure the
usage of Sea Hake torpedos and the Babur 3 submarine-launched cruise missile.
STM Turkey is refitting the PNS Khalid, the other Agosta 90B
submarine.
As China has not delivered eight submarines and won’t for a
while, the Pakistan Nevy has only two available: PNS Hashmat and PNS Hamza.
It’s not just the submarine fleet: three major warships have
varying difficulties. The PNS Khaibar, one of two guided-missile destroyers has
problems, including too much vibration from April, while two of the four
Chinese designed frigates — the PNS Saiff and the PNS Zulficar — have limited
air-defence capability, the latter for years as the Chinese made surface to air
missile or SAM isn’t functional.
The Zulficar also has a radar problem as does the smaller PNS
Azmat, the fast-attack missile boat. The Jurrat, another missile boat has
problems with its electronic warfare support measures system.
Overall, there is a shortage of spares, another serious
problem. India, in comparison, is better placed with three new Scorpene
submarines, and three more to follow, plus four German made HDW and eight older
Russian Kilo class submarines. This is apart from the nuclear submarines in the
fleet.
T-14 Armata: Russia To Induct Its ‘Most-Capable’ Tank By Year
End, Eyes Potential Customers In Asia & Middle East
The tanks state trials will come to a close next year. Serial
production of Russia’s latest T-14 ‘Armata’ tank will begin in 2022.
Armata is a fundamentally new concept. The Armata is touted
as a heavy tracked universal platform designed to carry different kinds of
military weapon systems, including the T-14 Tank and the T-15 Infantry Fighting
Vehicle.
T-14 is specifically designed for offensive roles in direct action
operations. It can also be deployed to aid the offensive efforts of motorized
rifle sub units and neutralize enemy encampments and troops operating in open
spaces.
The tank’s main armament is a 125mm smooth bore cannon which
is capable of firing anti tank guided projectiles. The T-14 houses
state-of-the-art onboard equipment including a combat information and control system,
radar stations, various sights and comes equipped with a unified tactical
control system.
UP defence corridor: 2 firms invest 580 crore to make drone
In a major push to the defence corridor in Uttar Pradesh, the
Yogi Adityanath government announced on Thursday that two companies are
investing over Rupees 580 crore to make drones.
The companies - Encore Research Lab LLP and Allen & Alvan
Private Limited - are investing 550 crore and 30.75 crore, respectively to set
up plants in Aligarh node to make drones. These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
will not only help the Indian security forces, but can be used in disaster
management, enhancing security and agriculture.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the officials to
remove all the bottlenecks and ensure that companies do not face any hurdles in
procuring land, or in other procedures for setting up their units.
