http://www.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1011/1/2/6/101112606.html?coluid=7&kindid=0&docid=101112606&mdate=1023104222

Article in Chinese, and dated 2009-10-23 10:10:30.

Reportedly, PLAN buys more Ka-28 ASW heloes from Russia, three of which have been test-flown.
Back in 1998, PLAN bought eight Ka-28s: five for ASW and three for SAR.

] the Su-27SM, the Su-33 (= Su-27K), Su-27M (= Su-35 (1.designation) or Su-37) and the Su-27BM (= Su-35 (not Su-35BM)) all have the IFR-probe !

Just wondering: has NATO given up the practice of assigning alpha-numeric designations and names to non-NATO (esp Chicom and Russian) heloes, missiles, and planes; and adopting their domestic designations and names?
I mean, after the J-8 Finback, the J-10 and J-11 don’t seem to have colourful nicknames?
The missiles are also called DF-99, HQ-99, PL-99, &c?

OTOH, I guess Russian missiles will continue as SA-99, SS-99, &c, instead of their domestic 9K99, &c?

] Can any ID the nations?

I wonder: any rep from the… not hostile, but unharmonious air forces, such as Indian or Japanese? XD

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/10/china_celebrates_60_years.html

“China celebrates 60 years – The Big Picture – Boston.com”

October 1, 2009

] The master of that SK vessel might be finding himself in hot water soon if the Japanese choose to press the issue.

They will. Which reminds me: when Belenko landed at Hakodate AP, the SDF initially stayed out of it. JASDF F-4s flew over the airport to confirm the landing, then returned to base.
He was arrested by the Hokkaidou prefectural police for illegal entry to the country, illegal landing at the airport, disrupting air traffic, illegal possession and firing a pistol, &c; and his MiG-25 was detained as evidence for the investigation.

] The rules on this one are quite clear

Accidents just happen. For comparison, some months ago, the Aegis destroyer JDS Atago and a fishing boat collided, and the two crew (father and adult son, IIRC) of the fishing boat became MIA/BNR (bodies not recovered).
The JDS Atago detected the convoy of fishing boats astern, followed the maritime guidelines, and turned to one side (I forgot port or starboard); but the fishing boat didn’t turn to the direction according to the guidelines, and got into a collision course instead.
It was late night, and the JDS Atago captain and first officer were asleep in their rooms. IIRC, she was returning from another anti-missile test in Hawaii, and was hours from her home port.

http://www.toonippo.co.jp/news_too/nto2009/20091102131615.asp

(Article in Japanese.)

From October 28 to November 14, eight F-16s of 18th Aggressors Squadron, USAF, from Alaska, with 130 support staff, come to Misawa AB, Aomori Prefecture.
On November 2, reporters get to take a close look at them.

http://www.toonippo.co.jp/news_too/nto2009/20091030110046.asp

(Article in Japanese.)

From 2009 October, at Misawa AB, Aomori Prefecture, on nights when no aircraft will take off or land, lights will be turned off, to save energy.

http://www.chosunonline.com/news/20091019000030
http://maokapostamt.jugem.jp/?eid=8987

17 October 2009:
About 3:10 PM, ROKAF radar detected a bogey flying south from North Korea, near Baeng Nyeong Island, in the West Sea (Yellow Sea). When it flew to the NLL (north limit line?), ROKAF vectored KF-16s to intercept it, and ordered air defense unit on Baeng Nyeong Island to fire warning shots with Vulcan cannon.
The KF-16s didn’t see any bogey. A ROKAF source claimed a group of birds and thick clouds may have been mislabelled as a bogey by ROKAF radar.

http://www.chosunonline.com/news/20091014000016
http://maokapostamt.jugem.jp/?eid=8941

13 October 2009:
A ROK politician who’s a member of the parliament defense committee, claimed the ROKAF F-15K doesn’t have enough spare parts, and has to cannibalise hangar queens.
The F-15K CSP (concurrent spare parts) has a hit ratio of 16%, while other fighters have 70%-80%. A fighter should have one year supply of CSP.
The F-15K maintains a serviceability of >80%, but 5-6 of them are hangar queens. It has 39 cases of “same type diversions” (of spare parts) in 2006, 203 cases in 2007, and 350 cases in 2008.

http://japanese.yonhapnews.co.kr/headline/2009/10/13/0200000000AJP20091013002800882.HTML
http://maokapostamt.jugem.jp/?eid=8939

13 October 2009:
A ROK politician who’s a member of the parliament defense committee, claimed ROKAF planes and missiles are old.

Planes:
39.0% are <10 years old.
17.1% are 10-20 years.
13.9% are 20-30 years.
30.0% are >30 years, such as F-4 and F-5.

Missiles:
Mistral is 10-20 years.
Javelin SAM is 20-30 years.
HAWK and Nike SAMs are >30 years.

http://www.anewsa.com/detail.php?number=37704&thread=11r02
http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/politics/2009/10/13/0502000000AKR20091013044900001.HTML
http://maokapostamt.jugem.jp/?eid=8938

13 October 2009:
A ROK politician who’s a member of the parliament defense committee, claimed the ROKN amphibious assault ship Dok Do has no attack or mobility helo assigned to her.
The UH-60 isn’t corrosion-resistant, so none is attached to the Dok Do. The new KUH will be modified to corrosion-resistant, SAR, TACAN for night and adverse weather, &c, and will be attached to the Dok Do in… 2018-2022.

http://maokapostamt.jugem.jp/?eid=8940

13 October 2009:
A ROK politician who’s a member of the parliament defense committee, claimed the ROKN destroyers KDX-II and KDX-III have 128 VLS each, but at most half of these cells are loaded with missiles (ASROC, SAM, and SSM).
The KDX-II has been on active duty for six years.

Similarly, the ROKA armour and mechanised infantry units don’t have enough AFVs. The 102nd Armour Brigade, ROKA, should have 54 AFVs, has only 23, and uses military trucks as replacements.

(IMO, sounds like the early ’80s US Army.)

http://www.centaf.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123175974

“Female advisor invades Iraqi air space”

Posted 11/4/2009 Updated 11/4/2009

CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Air Force Capt. Kacey Grannis, 721st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron Mi-17 pilot, briefs an Iraqi air force pilot prior to a helicopter mission Oct. 30, 2009. U.S. Air Force instructor pilots assigned to the 721st AEAS train, advise and assist Iraqi helicopter pilots around the clock to develop their own air force. Captain Grannis is deployed from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and hails from Sturgis, S.D. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Johnny L. Saldivar)

While checking some Gundam toys for a friend last weekend, saw these at local model shops.

http://www.actoys.net/bbs/read.php?tid-395496.html
http://www.thepmw.com/phorum/read.php?f=3&i=10978&t=10978

Not-to-scale J-10Q model kit made by Emotion Motion.

http://www.imodeltime.com/tags.php?/J-10/
http://www.ishop2go.com/productUR_026_PR_0000569_Prt_en.html

1:48 J-10A and J-10B model kits made by Trumpeter.