2011-09-03 (China Military News cited from http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20110903.aspx">Strategypage.com) -- September 3, 2011: Taiwan has revealed that it is developing clones of the U.S. Predator and X-47B UAVs. Taiwan is cut off from most major foreign arms suppliers. Even the United States is sometimes intimidated by Chinese pressure. As a result, Taiwan is developing and building more and more of the high-tech weapons it cannot easily obtain abroad. Taiwan is one of the most industrialized nations on the planet, and can manufacture just about any modern weapon.
The Predator design is not particularly difficult, although the flight control software and numerous tweaks made as the result of several hundred thousand flight hours is something the Taiwanese may be quietly negotiating for. The Chinese can’t interrupt the transfer of something they don’t know about.
The X-47B is another matter, and the Taiwanese may be able to trade tech for this one. It was earlier this year that the U.S. Navy X-47B UCAV (unmanned combat air vehicle) made its first flight. It was only three years ago that the navy rolled out the 15 ton X-47B. This pilotless aircraft has a wingspan of 20 meters (62 feet, whose outer 5 meter/15 foot portions fold up to save space on the carrier). It carries a two ton payload and will be able to stay in the air for twelve hours. The U.S. is far ahead of other nations in UCAV development, and this is energizing activity in Russia, Europe and China to develop similar aircraft. Even tiny Taiwan is in now, but Taiwan has the technical capabilities, and self-preservation motivation, to move faster than anyone else. If Taiwan began demonstrating a jet powered UCAV similar to the X-47B, but with better thought out and more reliable capabilities, Taiwan would have something valuable to trade, something so valuable that Chinese threats would be drowned out.
September 3rd, 2011 at 9:09 am
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September 3rd, 2011 at 11:17 am
to Ako Madamosiya
Have you actually red the article? It states that the Taiwanese UAV's are CLONES of the Predators and the X47B ie those are copies.
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September 3rd, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Taiwan has no real military industry, Japan is much the same way. While Taiwan is filled with brilliant people involved in civilian inventions, much the same way with Japan, neither of the two are really that much involved in military goods.
China on the other hand is very good in pushing military technologies such as the ASAT, ASMB, and stealth fighters.
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September 3rd, 2011 at 12:44 pm
Ako, Taiwan cannot develop weapon systems independently. Their Hsiung Feng missles had Israli origin. Their "indigenously developed" fighter had significant input from Locheed. Their Cheng Kong frigates are copies of the Oliver Hazard Perry. Afterall, most defense technologies are borrowed or stolen from other nation's designs, especially in the initial stage of development. Israel and South Africa copied the Mirage jet design from France to build their own fighters. Israel got their first missile design from France. Japan received their pre-WWII shipbuilding, tank and aircraft technologies from Britain. Japans's F-2 fighter is based on the F-16. Japan's and South Korea's Aegis destroyers are coped from the US. Britain and France owe their SSBN and missile designs to the US. Russia copied the B-29, the C-47 from the US and the German Type XXI submarine. The first-generation American rockets were developed from German technology. The US had to borrow Britain's Harrier design for the VTOL aircraft used on their amphibious assault ships. The steam catapult, landing mirror and angle-deck designs used on US carriers were all first developed by Britain.
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September 3rd, 2011 at 5:29 pm
TienFei, don't underestimate Japan and Taiwan. The Japs are known for their deception and treachery. It is one of the most industrialized and technologically advanced nations, that much I have to admit. They can easily convert their civil industry into weapon factories. Besides, we don't know if there are hidden bases and factories in their mountains. They may have already built thousands of advance fighters and even nukes just waiting to attack. They are not watched and controlled as they should, because the U.S wants to use it to counter China. Never trust them and never underestimate them. They are as dangerous as ever. China needs to be ready, able and willing to destroy their entire island if necesssary. What happened in 1937 must never happen again.
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September 3rd, 2011 at 6:24 pm
Its not possible. Civilian technology can be dual use but given the direction their tech tree has gone, it would be almost impossible to convert what they possess to anything that can rival China. Retraining a brain surgeon into a rocket scientist is not a simple task even if he possesses the IQ for it. If it had been so simple, then the refusal to ship F16s to Taiwan would have resulted into a fully indigenous Taiwanese airforce. Neither Taiwan or Japan is capable of producing a turbofan engine, avionics, or the weapons systems that goes into a fighter plane.
Then you have to take into consideration of the total industrial capacity that China possesses. During WW2 almost half of all steel production was allocated to building tanks, aircrafts, and warships. But China's total steel production is larger than all first world countries combined. Currently, almost half of the world's steel is produced in China. So even if they magically developed the know how to produce advance weaponry, they and everyone else would still lack the mass production capacity that China possesses.
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September 3rd, 2011 at 6:30 pm
But you are right, China should never let its guard down. Which is why I suggested that China's military spending should continually be heightened. Start building SSBNs and major surface combatants the same way the mother in law drops dumplings into boiling water. I give other nations in Asia the benefit of the doubt, but would continuously mass produce. Not necessarily because its aimed at them, but because those weapons would be aimed at america. Assuming the agenda had suddenly changed due to a reversal in positive feelings. All the weapons that had been designed to combating americans can easily be re-targeted.
But I assume it wont come to that. Either way, mass production should always be paramount, good feelings or not.
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September 4th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
If there is one thing that China and the rest of asia can agree on is the shared hatred for the Japanese, especially Korea. If the Japs decide to go militarism again, I think it may actually bring the rest of asia closer to China. I personally think China needs more sub rather than surface vassels. Combination of large stealthy submarine force and carrier killer missiles are more useful in preventing U.S intervention in case of hostility break out over Taiwan.
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September 4th, 2011 at 5:47 pm
With all that been said, I hope never to see a war break out between China and Taiwan, we are all Chinese, we are better than this. I also don't like to see a war between China and U.S, the only winner out of that is the Japs. Two of its nemasis beating the hell out each other is exactly what they would like to see. I hope the U.S wise up and see who their true enemy is.
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September 4th, 2011 at 6:13 pm
The Japanese Right Wing dont like americans either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FYuYkPgDkk
That political spectrum isnt China's greatest concern.
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September 4th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
To angerychinaman, I agree with you and hope for a peacefull reunification of China and Taiwan especially in my lifetime..it's been the dream of almost all chinese for a united China since forever. About the japs[ don't get angry o.k] not all japanese people are bad, the same as not all chinese are good. The problem with japan is the ultra nationalist right wingers[ yes Tienfei, the right wingers are dangerous]in the same league as white supremist groups in America, only worse cause they hold true power in Japan. They are the ones rewriting their history books to clean their hands and make it look like they invaded asian countries to liberate the inferior asians from the Europeans, then teaching this crap to their youth, burning racism towards other asians especially against chinese into their heads ,while promoting themselves as the most superior asian race. I hope they wake up one day and realize that they are just people like everyone else,so far the ultra nationalist right wingers are winning in japan,..such a shame...one thing for sure..they do love the taste of radiation [2 atom bombs+1 fukushima]....just kidding.
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September 4th, 2011 at 9:47 pm
They arent even on my radar. They are only 750 miles apart from China. And for a country as large as China, thats more towards China's advantage than anything else. us should be China's biggest annoyance. China has to launch comparatively expensive DF31s and JL2s as opposed to a DF 21.
Just ignore the Japanese and shift concerns to issues far more important.
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September 5th, 2011 at 10:17 am
To TienFei, I really hope you can look pass China and U.S, my friend. These 2 countries although has differences, but they are never serious enough to lead to war. They just need to learn how to share the world (mostly on the U.S side, it's like a spoiled brat, who don't want to share his toys). However, China and Japan's anomosity is fundamentally a matter of survival. The Japanese wants to destroy China and its people, whatever their perverted reasons may be. This is why we must never over look them, never underestimate them, and must willing to destroy them first when it is necessary.
To Myth: I know not all Japanese are bad, but unfortunately, majority of them are brainwashed into hating the rest of asians, and think they are the "superior asians". Like I said, the result is they will never abandon the dream of killing every last Chinese and occupy our land. Therefore they must be eradicated. There will be another Sino-Japan war in the future, and this one is going to decide the survival of either country.
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September 5th, 2011 at 10:38 am
The Japanese dont bother me. The real annoyance comes from america. It is even the us that supplies them with arms hoping to contain China. They are simply proxies with us being the main instigators. You remove us from the Pacific and that is one step towards a brighter future.
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September 5th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
My brothers, you both have a point. Angery; Its really a shame about japanese mentality and I do hope they'll change for the better. A peaceful asia that works togetther benefits all of asia, just like the Europeans with their European Union, thats what I hope to see. Tienfei; The DF-21 has enough range to cover a blockade of Tawain if war breaks out, but my fingers still crossed for a peacefull reunification. I want to ask, what happened to the oil rig? I thought they sent it to the spratlys, are they there or not?
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September 5th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
My brothers, you both have a point. Angery; Its really a shame about japanese mentality and I do hope they'll change for the better. A peaceful asia that works togetther benefits all of asia, just like the Europeans with their European Union, thats what I hope to see. Tienfei; LOL, If war breaks out, I think the price of the missels is unimportant...don't you think. remind me of my uncle,always bussiness minded. I like that.
. I want to ask, what happened to the oil rig? I thought they sent it to the spratlys, are they there or not?
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September 5th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
I dont know, but I hope it gets there. The DF 21 can cover just about everything in Asia and the Pacific, but its only the DF 31, DF 5 and related variants that can cover the rest of the globe. You can always reconfigure the DF 31s if your projections in regards to potential enemies were off.
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September 5th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
I wouldn't worry too much about China's nuclear capabilities, There are 4 major cities on average per state with 51 states here in America=204 targets plus military bases and manufactering=500+ targets,China has enough. Based on an Australian analyist, CHina has over 3600 warheads, Iwouldn't be surprised if China has that, I just hope its never used.
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September 5th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
500 plus DFs, thats very nice. The more the merrier. China should design a 1 gigaton warhead. Something that creates incredible shock value.
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September 5th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
LOL, I didn't say 500 DFs, I said targets. An Astralian analyst estimated about 3600 nukes, the US only guessed a handfull [they're usually wrong about China]. Now you have to ask? why did China dig a 500 mile tunnel into a solid granite mountain to hide only a handfull of nukes. A friend of mine who have friends in the PLA told me that there are nukes that are active but can't be detected but I shouldn't say where they are. It might only be a a rumor but I don't think so.
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