http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/328226/32/ARTCL/none/EXECW/1/Navy-seeks-electromagnetic-launcher-for-missiles-and-other-projectiles/

“Navy seeks electromagnetic launcher for missiles and other projectiles”

By John Keller

DAHLGREN, Va., 8 May 2008. U.S. Navy officials are approaching industry for ideas on how to design an electromagnetic launcher able to propel a ship-based missile towards its target before the missile’s engine ignites — a process called ‘cold missile launch.’

http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%99%B3%E8%82%87%E6%95%8F

Taiwan President-Elect MA has chosen former deputy minister of defense CHEN Chao Min as the next Minister of Defense, from 20 May 2008.
Wikipedia and other sources list his ROCAF career: which squadrons at which time, but don’t specify the aircraft.
Does anyone know what aircraft he’s flown before?

http://www.chi-san-chi.com/2culture/db/general_sung/works/breakthrough_sonic.html
says Chen was once a F-100 instructor pilot, but I don’t know enough about the ROCAF to deduce, from the squadrons he flew with or commanded, the aircraft types he’s flown before. 8b

http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-04/28/content_8064584.htm

19-20 April 2008:
AVIC1 developing four kind of jet engines (with IMO poetic names).

(If it’s on Xin Hua Net, it must be true.)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-04/28/content_8065193.htm

26 April 2008:
WJ (militarised police) counter-terrorist snipers, Guang Dong Province, Fo Shan Detachment, train by hanging full water canteens from the muzzle of their rifles.
They also train with crossbows.

(Netters at… mostly foreign message boards frequently post pics of Chinese WJ crossbowyers, and claim they are PLA SAM squads.)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-04/21/content_8018622.htm

H-6 variant, ARJ21, and A320 developments involve CAD/CAM.

(In the good old 1980s, some US groups feared helping China, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan to develop civilian (or military) aircraft would teach them US aerospace know-how (such as systems integration) that they would apply to their military (or civilian) aerospace industries, and compete with US aerospace industries.)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-04/13/content_7968250_1.htm

Second of four pages.
28 December 2007:
Prototype jet engine for JH-7 prepares for mass production.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-04/08/content_7938568.htm

March 2008:
L-15 #03 prepares for first flight.

http://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/zake8/diary/200709070000/

Misawa AB air show 2007.
F-2. #543.

http://www.misawasi.com/modules/newdb/detail.php?id=41

Misawa AB air show 2007.

] But if the U.S. keeps on being stubborn and doesn’t trust its most important and co-closest Pacific ally, then ******** ’em.

US military has solid reaons to not trust Japanese military: for the past several years, Japanese media have reported various intelligence leaks by Japanese military personnel, such as bringing home classified technical manuals, or leaking/losing data files through hacked file-sharing software (Winny) in Japanese military personnel’s personal computers.

OTOH, we should admire the transparent Japanese military for admitting and not covering up these intelligence leaks.

http://www.honda.co.jp/motor-lineup/gyro-canopy/
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20080424-00000018-rps-ind
http://response.jp/issue/2008/0423/article108606_1.html

“‘Blue Impulse Jr’ new type is all-weather type”

Articles dated 2008.04.23-24.

Militarised Honda Gyro-Canopy.
Blue Impulse Jr, JASDF, based at Matsushima AB, Miyagi Prefecture.

Blue Impulse Jr converts to second-generation aircraft [?], now all-weather and three wheels. Replaces militarised Honda Dio (two wheels).

(Yes, although IJAAF Kamikaze squadrons were disbanded decades ago, JASDF is still crazy.) 8D