Posted on 04/05/2010 9:56:15 PM PDT by myknowledge
Last week, Russia delivered 15 additional batteries of S-300 surface-to-air missiles to China, making good on an about 2 billion dollar deal signed in the mid-2000s. Yet despite the publicity surrounding the sale, the Russian-Chinese arms transfer relationship is in trouble.
Recent years have seen a precipitous fall in Chinese purchases of Russian military equipment and technologies. Whereas until a few years ago Beijing was buying large quantities of Moscows surplus Soviet-era military products, during the past few years the Chinese have declined to purchase any major weapons systems from Russia.
China has already acquired about a dozen S-300 batteries from Russia under contracts signed in previous years. But the S-300 is a Soviet-era air defence system, with each battery consisting of four truck-mounted launchers each holding four missile tubes. And, although the late-model versions of the S-300 (dubbed The Favourite by Russians) delivered a few days ago are highly capable, the Russian military is phasing out the systems use. Russian units are replacing it with the more effective S-400 (code-named Triumph by NATO), which has additional capabilities against stealthy targets as well as some ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, Russias defence industry is now developing an even more advanced surface-to-air missile system, the S-500, which is potentially capable of intercepting targets in outer space flying at hypersonic speeds of five kilometres a second.
(Excerpt) Read more at the-diplomat.com ...
Chengdu J-7E
Chengdu J-10
Shenyang J-11
Type 99 MBT
Yuan class SSK
WZ-551 APC
Type 052 Luyang class DDG
Norinco QBZ-95 assault rifle.
CAIC WZ-10
*PING*
Competing commies.
Now world will have overcapacity of conventional weapons, half of which could be from China.
There is an age-old way of eliminating surplus weapons. Using them against one another. However, millions will perish. All this is happening in the midst of the worst economic crisis in several decades. This is a deadly mix.
Well, no. The newer systems are not being imported. That's the point of the article. Falling-out over copying? The Chinese co-produce the Almaz S-300 PMU/SA-10/SA-N-6 "Grumble" under license.
The Russian MKB Fakel S-300 PMU2 "Favorit" was not part of the deal. That is the missile that supposedly can intercept hypersonic targets travelling at 6000 mph and altitudes up to 100,000'.
The Almaz/Fakel S-400 "Triumf"/SA-20 is a smaller missile compatible with the launchers used for the S-300/SA-10 system, with the advantage that a container/launcher holding 4 of the S-400 can be loaded into a single tube of the four-tube S-300/SA-10 erector-launcher. Systems integration and interoperability have been built in. This is an extremely potent missile system with performance claimed up to the limits of the ABM Treaty and an effective range of about 70 miles, compared to (d/o variant) 90-120 miles for the original S-300PMU/SA-10.
The discontinuation of production of the older, 90's models of the SA-10 series was prompted by Russian defense retrenchment during the later 90's.
Cold link:
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/airdef/s-400.htm
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/airdef/s-300pmu.htm
I think China isn’t buying Russian military goods because:
1. they’ve reverse engineered it
2. they’ve improved on the originals
3. can build it cheaper and with a better quality than Russia
Good article!
According to this article, Russian won't sell them because China will make fairly close copy or some little better, and market them overseas.
Same thing with the S-300PMU-1 (SA-20A Gargoyle) area-defense SAM system. They developed the HQ-9 and augmented a radar control system based on that of the Patriot. Now they're contemplating on exporting it to third world clients, such as Pakistan,, to bolster their air defense nets.
Russia is being take to the technological cleaners.
I have to wonder if their products they make for themselves are better than the crap they send to the States?
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