China displayed its military might by exhibiting a series of
brand new precision assault weapons during the on-going Zhuhai air
show, which opened on Monday in South China's Guangdong Province.
The weapons on show included precision-guided bombs and
long-range striking systems hailed by military experts as symbols
that the People's Liberation Army has entered an era of precision
attack.
In a rare collective appearance, the air show also brought
together a number of new air, naval and surface-to-surface
missiles, reports said.
For example, the LT-2 500-kilogram laser-guided bomb and the
LS-6 glide-guided bomb, developed by the China Aviation Industry
Corporation I, both made debuts at the show. Both types of bombs
were designed on the basis of traditional bombs, reports said.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation displayed
two types of precision-guided bombs FT-1 and FT-3, which enjoy a
high percentage of hits and can be widely used for short-distance
air raids and blockage as well as disrupting an enemy's air defense
and crippling naval ships, according to the reports.
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC),
another State-owned weapons manufacturer, exhibited around 20 types
of missiles at the sixth China International Aviation and Aerospace
Exhibition.
The P12 strategic missile system developed by CASIC, was
regarded as the most intriguing and eye-catching item on
display.
CASIC said the missile defense system demonstrates China's
capability to defend the country's airspace and territory.
Yin Xingliang, CASIC general manager, said China's missile
systems had reached the technical level of developed countries in
the late 1990s.
Yin also said CASIC had worked for the peaceful utilization of
technologies in the military industry and aerospace technologies in
the civil aviation industry.
After about 50 years of development, China is catching up with
the worlds most advanced technology in the design of air-to-air
missiles, said Jin Xianzhong, a senior missile designer, in an
Internet interview on Tuesday.
(China Daily November 1, 2006）
