Since the beginning of January, the Chinese military has revealed a dizzying array of sophisticated and powerful new weaponry.The testing of some of these devices has been accompanied by great fanfare. But just how plausible is the new technology in a battlefield situation?
With a recent report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency that China "leads the world" in some weapons systems, a closer look at Beijing's latest claims is in order. January 28 report on the Chinese military's English-language website says J-16 fighter jets have been covered with a paint that "is a kind of cloaking coating."
The silver-gray paint "gives the warplane a certain stealth capability, making it nearly invisible to the naked eye and electromagnetic devices," says the report, attributed to Jiang Jiaji, an award-winning People's Liberation Army Air Force brigade commander. The stealth paint allows the twin-engine, two-seat J-16 to "blend into the sky and sea, so that the enemy will only recognize it at close range, giving it a huge advantage in combat," the story says, citing Chinese defense expert Fu Qianshao.
With a recent report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency that China "leads the world" in some weapons systems, a closer look at Beijing's latest claims is in order. January 28 report on the Chinese military's English-language website says J-16 fighter jets have been covered with a paint that "is a kind of cloaking coating."
The silver-gray paint "gives the warplane a certain stealth capability, making it nearly invisible to the naked eye and electromagnetic devices," says the report, attributed to Jiang Jiaji, an award-winning People's Liberation Army Air Force brigade commander. The stealth paint allows the twin-engine, two-seat J-16 to "blend into the sky and sea, so that the enemy will only recognize it at close range, giving it a huge advantage in combat," the story says, citing Chinese defense expert Fu Qianshao.
