Recently in Military Category

Last week at the Avalon air show I had a unique opportunity to fly aboard the RAAF's new KC-30A while it conducted the air-to-air refuelling of two F/A-18C aircraft.  I was super busy at the show, so only now do I have the chance to post my photos and a video of the trip.

Riding the KC-30A (AKA Airbus Military A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport) is, well, like flying in an airline. Aside from the lack of IFE, the interior is identical to that used by Qantas in its A330s. 

Immediately below is a video of the takeoff that gives a good perspective of the Avalon show: static park, chalets, and the C-17 used in the flying display. Just below this is a clip blogger Mike Yeo (@thebaseleg) put together that shows the refuelling itself.  He also wrote a great blog entry about the trip. 

For readers with a more than passing interest in Asia Pacific military affairs, Chinese Aerospace Power, Emerging Maritime Roles is the book for you.  Edited by China defence experts Andrew Erickson and Lyle Goldstein, the book is a series of essays and papers about China's capabilities and possible intentions in regard to the use of air and space assets in a war off its coast. It also spells out the implications of this for the US air force and US navy.

 The book is divided into five sections:

1) Chinese Aerospace Development, Emerging Maritime Roles

2) Chinese ISR and counter-ISR

3) Contrasting strategies: protecting bastions or projecting power?

4) Maritime strike: air-launched cruise missiles

5) Maritime strike: ballistic missiles

6) Maritime implications of Chinese Aerospace Power

What's not to like?

For those who think China would be a pushover for the USA, the book provides sobering reading. In the event of a conflict, China is gearing up to fight intense, high-technology conflicts close to its shores. The crux of China's strategy would be to reduce enemy air bases in the region with ballistic and cruise missiles.

In regard to American warships, the much touted DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile would not necessarily be used to sink ships, but possibly shower them with sub munitions. A rain of bomblets falling upon an aircraft carrier's deck would create havoc and certainly result in a mission kill. One of the writers in the book says the test of such a system - presumably against a fast moving ship far out at sea - would be a public relations coup similar to China's test of an anti-satellite missile in 2007.

Even if the DF-21D does not prove as effective as advertised, firing off volleys of ballistic missiles toward the general vicinity of American carrier battle groups would force AEGIS escorts to expend valuable anti-ballistic missiles. Eventually the magazine capacity of these  warships would be exhausted, again resulting in a mission kill for the carrier group.

Chinese Aerospace Power also discusses areas of weakness. China appears to have a long way to go before it can mount successful joint forces attacks, say involving ballistic missiles and air-launched cruise missiles striking an enemy base simultaneously.  For long range strikes, there is also some question about the speed of its sensor-to-shooter abilities: i.e. it may identify a target, but does it have the command and control structure to shoot quickly enough? China also has a long, long way to go in key areas such as long range anti-submarine warfare, airborne early warning & control, and air-to-air refuelling.

Nonetheless, this a timely and well written book that puts issues around China's airpower in useful perspective. 

It's been a big few weeks for China, with the emergence of a new fighter (J-21? J-31? F-60?) and this week's christening of the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier. It's a good sign they didn't name it Shi Lang after the historic admiral who invaded Taiwan in 1683. Of course, they could always call their next (and certainly more capable) aircraft carrier after this grand individual.

The big question, of course, is when the Liaoning will commence flight tests. In the below Youtube interview with the ship's captain I listened carefully for a first flight date, but he kept mum on this. I guess the reporter was under orders not to ask. For my part, I would have pressed him hard on this.

With luck Beijing will give the commencement of flight ops the same heavy coverage given to the christening. Perhaps Hu Jintao or Wen Jiaobao will fly out to the ship to watch Su-33s performing arrested landings and ramp-assisted take offs.

Though the Liaoning will never be as capable as a US carrier, it sounds like it will be more fun. Buried in an article entitled "Q&A about aircraft carrier "Liaoning Ship"" on the defence ministry web site, I found this paragraph about the crew's R&R options:

"The aircraft carrier "Liaoning ship" has messes, supermarket, post office, laundry rooms, gym, rubbish disposal stations and so on. Even the bars have both the noisy type and the quiet type. Therefore, the life is relatively convenient on board."

Sadly, the US Navy has no bars - either noisy or quiet - on any of its ships. This extends back to 1914 and secretary of the navy Josephus Daniels, a rabid abolitionist.

How cool would it be to stand on the bridge of the Liaoning, beer in hand, observing Su-33s? Wow.

Bangkok: city of great food, smiling people, awesome massages, and much more. During a recent weekend there my friend suggested we take his five year old son to the Royal Thai Air Force museum out near Don Muang airport.

"My son especially likes this big transport plane with a ramp at the back," said he.

His son's favourite aircraft turned out to be a Fairchild C-123B Provider that has seen better days. Its engines are gone and the seats have no cushions, but there are still plenty of switches to flip in the cockpit and a great jump seat outside the cockpit door above the ladder.  Its cargo hold seemed to be as wide, if not a bit wider, than that of a C-130. For me, the coolest part of the C-123B turned out to be the Fairchild logo proudly displayed on the rudder pedals.

Other highlights include an F8F-1 Bearcat. I had no idea that the RTAF flew this beast of a piston fighter, and that they received 204 of the type, which served from 1951-1960. There was also a great old Supermarine Spitfire XIV with a big Thai roundel. The RTAF had 34 of the type in the early fifties, including four PR19 reconaissance examples.

There were also a range of cool helicopters, such as the Westland WS-51 Dragonfly, Sikorsky Yr-6A, and Hiller UH-12B Raven.

The collection included some locally developed and produced aircraft that likely can't be found anywhere else in the world. For instance, how many aviation geeks are aware that the first aircraft completely designed and built by Thais was a two seat biplane called the Baribatra? The type served from 1927 to 1940.

For serious military aviation geeks the RTAF museum is well worth a visit.

The New Zealand Defence Force has released photos of RNZAF Bell UH-1H Iroqouis helicopters being loaded onto a RAAF Boeing C-17 for transport to Papua New Guinea to help out in election monitoring.

Though I've seen the C-17 at air shows and had a chance to walk around inside, I'm still blown away by how massive the cargo hold is. The UH-1H is a pretty big helo, but it is dwarfed by the C-17.

Boeing recently said that India, which has confirmed orders for 10 C-17s, could buy 6-8 more.