The J-20 Lives

There are a number of areas where the PLA has adopted approaches to operational requirements that differ significantly from U.S. approaches to the same requirement. Examples include the heavy reliance on ballistic and cruise missiles, rather than stealth aircraft, to attack ground targets inside heavily defended airspace; an array of systems to attack intelligence, communications, and navigation satellites, seeking to neutralize the U.S. advantage in space; an approach to computer network exploitation that harvests huge volumes of data; an emphasis on offensive and defensive electronic warfare in recent years; and the “three warfares” doctrine.

Congress Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2010 (PDF)

I'm not saying the annual DoD report to Congress on the Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2010 is a pile of paper crap, but I am ready to suggest the possibility the report might be something similar.

I've been reading Wired and Aviation Week, but until The DEW Line came around I decided to remain skeptical. Got these from Twitter and think they are worth a look.


Someone please tell me how we learn about this PLAAF development from cell phone photography technology and Chinese bulletin boards instead of from the annual DoD report?

In less than one week we have:

1. Confirmation new PLAN aircraft carrier is under construction
2. PACOM confirming DF-21D is now at IOC.
3. 4/5 Generation Stealth technology demonstrators on the runway
   

All of which is either well ahead of projected schedules or was never before thought to exist, at least publicly? Perhaps it is time the Secretary of Defense answers a few tough questions, like why the DoD appears to be caught with their pants around their ankles when it comes to major PLA developments.

See hi-Res here and here. More pictures here, here, and here. Even more over at War is Boring. When I look at this aircraft, for some reason my first thoughts are of a stealthy F-111.