n"> China's ambitious military modernization program and growing defense spending has caused alarm around the region and in Washington.
China says it needs to upgrade its outmoded forces and that its plans are not a threat to any country, pointing out its defense budget is far lower than the United States.
Here are some facts about China's defense capabilities, military modernization and some of the weapons systems that have attracted attention:
AIR FORCE:
- In January, China confirmed it had held its first test flight of the J-20 stealth fighter jet, a show of muscle during a visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates aimed at defusing military tensions between the two powers.
- Some analysts have said the development of the J-20 is a strong sign that China is making faster-than-expected progress in developing a rival to Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor, the world's only operational stealth fighter designed to evade detection by enemy radar.
- However, deployment is likely to be years away and Gates said ahead of his visit to China that he thought there was some question as to "just how stealthy" it really was.
- Along with the development of its aeronautics industry, China is developing a formidable design capacity. Its most advanced aircraft in service, and for the United States potentially the most threatening, are Russian Su-30 and Su-27 fighters.
- Modernization has also included developing in-flight refueling capacity to give its fighters a greater reach, and early warning aircraft.
http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2011/03/dtn-news-china-defense-news-factbox.html
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