正文
SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- China on Friday hailed the development of its Jian-10 fighter jet, aircraft engines and air-to-air missiles as a sign it had soared into the top levels of aerospace defense technology.
China "has become the world's fourth country that is capable of developing on its own advanced fighter planes, engines and missiles," Geng Ruguang, deputy general manager of China Aviation Industry Corp., was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.
Geng made the comments at a news conference in Beijing on Friday where the state-run aerospace company, known as AVIC I, unveiled a model of the Jian-10, Xinhua said.
It didn't name the other three countries ranked alongside China, although analysts said Geng was likely referring to France, Russia and the United States, all leading exporters of high-tech military aircraft.
Geng's announcement seemed intended to underscore the growing sophistication of China's domestic arms industry, which has struggled following the imposition of a ban on weapons sales by the United States and European Union after the bloody 1989 crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement.
It also reflects China's attempts to develop homegrown technology and intellectual property to avoid paying licensing fees to foreign companies. China is now heavily reliant on Russia for weapons and military technology but has being seeking to scale back that dependency.
Calls to AVIC's Beijing headquarters seeking additional information rang unanswered Friday.
Friday's public announcement seems to indicate a growing confidence in the Jian-10 on the part of the government and its developers, said Robert Karniol, Asia Pacific bureau chief for Jane's Defense Weekly.
While more than one dozen of the planes are known to have been deployed with Air Force units, officials have until now mostly avoided public acknowledgment of the program, he said.
"It does represent some achievement on China's part. It reflects a growing sophistication," Karniol said.
However, he added that the plane has yet to be proven in combat and some claims as to its capabilities may have been overblown. China has also traditionally had little success with engine development and it wasn't clear what criteria Geng had been using when he ranked China alongside other nations in sophistication, Karniol said.
Several other countries, including Britain and Sweden, have also developed sophisticated fighter aircraft, he said.
Almost 20 years in development, the Jian-10 is a latest-generation multi-role fighter bomber believed to have been developed with Israeli help using the U.S. F-16 fighter as a template. The plane was reportedly being manufactured by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp. in southwestern China, a company believed to be controlled by AVIC I.
Overseas defense analysts say China was believed to have ordered up to 300 of the planes for the People's Liberation Army Air Force. However, that number may have been reduced due to the purchase of advanced Russian models such as the SU-27 and SU-30 from Russia.
Along with the Jian-10, Geng pointed to China's development of the Taihang turbofan engine and air-to-air missiles, which he didn't further identify.
While early models of the Jian-10 are powered by the Russian AL-31FN turbofan, later versions are to be fitted with the Taihang.
Geng also said China had achieved aerospace breakthroughs in the development of its ARJ-21, which is meant to be the nation's first contender in the market for regional jets. The plane, which reportedly is to seat 78 to 105 passengers, is made by AVIC I. The company hasn't said when it expects to bring its first models to market.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/05/china.jet.ap/index.html
China "has become the world's fourth country that is capable of developing on its own advanced fighter planes, engines and missiles," Geng Ruguang, deputy general manager of China Aviation Industry Corp., was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.
Geng made the comments at a news conference in Beijing on Friday where the state-run aerospace company, known as AVIC I, unveiled a model of the Jian-10, Xinhua said.
It didn't name the other three countries ranked alongside China, although analysts said Geng was likely referring to France, Russia and the United States, all leading exporters of high-tech military aircraft.
Geng's announcement seemed intended to underscore the growing sophistication of China's domestic arms industry, which has struggled following the imposition of a ban on weapons sales by the United States and European Union after the bloody 1989 crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement.
It also reflects China's attempts to develop homegrown technology and intellectual property to avoid paying licensing fees to foreign companies. China is now heavily reliant on Russia for weapons and military technology but has being seeking to scale back that dependency.
Calls to AVIC's Beijing headquarters seeking additional information rang unanswered Friday.
Friday's public announcement seems to indicate a growing confidence in the Jian-10 on the part of the government and its developers, said Robert Karniol, Asia Pacific bureau chief for Jane's Defense Weekly.
While more than one dozen of the planes are known to have been deployed with Air Force units, officials have until now mostly avoided public acknowledgment of the program, he said.
"It does represent some achievement on China's part. It reflects a growing sophistication," Karniol said.
However, he added that the plane has yet to be proven in combat and some claims as to its capabilities may have been overblown. China has also traditionally had little success with engine development and it wasn't clear what criteria Geng had been using when he ranked China alongside other nations in sophistication, Karniol said.
Several other countries, including Britain and Sweden, have also developed sophisticated fighter aircraft, he said.
Almost 20 years in development, the Jian-10 is a latest-generation multi-role fighter bomber believed to have been developed with Israeli help using the U.S. F-16 fighter as a template. The plane was reportedly being manufactured by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp. in southwestern China, a company believed to be controlled by AVIC I.
Overseas defense analysts say China was believed to have ordered up to 300 of the planes for the People's Liberation Army Air Force. However, that number may have been reduced due to the purchase of advanced Russian models such as the SU-27 and SU-30 from Russia.
Along with the Jian-10, Geng pointed to China's development of the Taihang turbofan engine and air-to-air missiles, which he didn't further identify.
While early models of the Jian-10 are powered by the Russian AL-31FN turbofan, later versions are to be fitted with the Taihang.
Geng also said China had achieved aerospace breakthroughs in the development of its ARJ-21, which is meant to be the nation's first contender in the market for regional jets. The plane, which reportedly is to seat 78 to 105 passengers, is made by AVIC I. The company hasn't said when it expects to bring its first models to market.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/05/china.jet.ap/index.html
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