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Disturbing News
Two former Russian military pilots are being accused of "high treason in the form of espionage" for China by the Federal Security Service, reports StrategyPage.com, a military affairs news source. The pilots illegally acquired spare military equipment parts and secret information on Russian aviation equipment with a plan to sell to Chinese buyers. The Russian Far East, between Manchuria in the west and the Sea of Japan in the east, is considered a hotbed of Chinese espionage, where Chinese agents have regularly been discovered.
The Chinese are not only interested in secrets, but are also involved in the direct theft of military equipment, some of which is already being purchased from Russia. In addition to incidents involving Moskit [Sunburn] anti-ship cruise missiles already on modern destroyers built for China, an attempt to transport tanks and helicopters was recently foiled. China has reportedly been developing a new main battle tank since the early 1990s that resembles the Russian T-95, of which there has never been unclassified images.
Jane’s Defense Weekly also reports that China has been developing a new main battle tank that, if fielded, would be the most powerful vehicle of its type in the world. The new tank will be armed with a 152mm gun fed by an automatic loader, coupled with an advanced sighting system that will allow moving targets to be engaged with a high first-round-hit probability. Advanced armor and an active protection system would also be fitted on the tank for increased survivability. At least one source has indicated that Russia has supplied some of the technology for the Chinese project in exchange for foreign currency to fund its own tank programs. While other countries have experimented with laser dazzle devices, the PLA is believed to be the first country to operationally deploy such a system on a tank.
Don't Let those Dirty Chinese Steal your Superior Technologies!
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28th February 2005, 12:50
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