Ok thanks, one can learn a new thing everyday. In the near future the depolyment of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean seems unlikely, however it can change after 2010 ( Beijing Olympics are over, Shanghai Expo is done ) China need to secure its oil supply from the ME and now from Africa, so this base could becomre very useful for that purpose and at least to have some of it new “toys” from Russia training within the area. To deploy the SU-30Mkk series is fairly easy as long at the infrastructure is in place, the jets can fly straight from China to Myamar.

What about the Chinese naval base in Myanmar, is still in use or not anymore??? that could change the cards and have the PLAN right in India backdoor

That’s quite wrong…

First you have to consider that all these planes you mentioned have pretty short life span. Thus meant every less training.

CCTY reported that a Class A fighter pilot log over 300 hours a year.
Not sure if its J-11 or J-8 pilot.
although still less than western standers…

For your info those comments about what a Chinese pilot average yearly hours of flying from the 1970 to 2000 are not coming out of my imagination. It comes straight from a former Chinese fighter pilot who ended up his career as 4 star General, I think knows better than you and I what he has done during his career with the PLAAF.

From my side it was just to share what can be said as very reliable information and give some insight about it, nothing else.

The J-5, J-6, J-7 fly an average of 45mn per sorties, which would come to about 125 missions a year.I would not take for granted that a Class A fighter pilot fly 300 hours a year on the J-11. The J-11 has been a difficult plane to handle in the PLAAF, there was quite a few crashes during the last couple of years and it is going to take few more years before those problems are all solved. This is due to the fact that the techonlogy gap between the J-7, J-8 and the J-11 is quite steep and it takes a lot of learning and training to handle it.

To come back to the subject it would be interesting to have the Russion give India the chance to try their MiG-29K against the Su-30Mkk and compare it how they handle.

In the Chinese Air Force a pilot fly around 100 hours more or less per year. This info is from my father-in-law who used to fly the J-5. J-6, J-7, A-5 from the 1970’s until 2000

I assure you matt I know the difference, and I feel that Pilatus’s statement was based on prejudice-quite possibly racist. He may not have meant to have come across this way but that is how his statement reads to me. The fact that you disagree with me suggests that there is certainly an ambiguity about it but it also shows the need to be very carefull with ones words-especially at a forum like this where tensions often run very high.

Can you please tell what do you of the difference between the Indian & Chinese pilot training sylabus?? most of it is bases on assumption unless you have gone through one of those program or both which obviously not possible.

To give you an idea, an average Chinese pilot will fly about 100 hours per year, more or less.

me too I am Swiss so I guess we know what we are talking about.

From the info I have the PC-9 can easly be retrofitted to carry weapons, in fact many civilian airplanes can do as long as the wing is strong enough to carry extra load and that their is a delivery system in the cockpit.

If Turkey choose the PC-9 it is going to be a surprise considering the points you mentionned before but who knows!!! on a strictly performance point of view the PC-9 has proven itself already

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/phantom/history.html

According to this there were Phantoms at Ascension during the Falklands War…

The RAF had a couple of Phantom based in Ascension to protect it. This island was the main staging point for the British Forces moving to the Falklands Theather Of Operation. The RAF flew Harrier there which then flew to the aircraft carriers as well as having supplies, Army units transborded to the Royal Navy Auxillary ships. From Ascension Island the RAF also sent the famous Black Buck mission flown the Vulcan to Port Stanley. Another good reasons to have the Phantoms around just in case.

During the Falkland War, apparently the Russians flew recon missions form their base in Angola with Tu-95 or Tu 142 to give some intel to the Argies, however am not sure about it, if anybody has more details on it??