China's air force to get new missile

The Chinese air force is expected to pose an even greater threat to Taiwan after taking delivery of the first batch of an advanced air-to-air missile (AAM) from Russia in the near future -- a delivery reported yesterday by the Canada-based Kanwa Information Center.

The R77 AAM, which China is scheduled to receive from Russia, is an equivalent to the US-made AIM-120 AMRAAM (advanced medium-range air-to-air missile), one of the most lethal weapons in air combat.

According to the Kanwa report, the Chinese air force will start receiving the first batch of R77s shortly. The first delivery involves around 100 of the missiles.

The R77 is a sophisticated active radar-guided fire-and-forget AAM designed by Russia's Vympel Design Bureau, with an effective range of 50km, the Kanwa report said.

What is more worrisome than the delivery of the missiles, the report said, is that China having obtained the production technology for the advanced weapon, will be able to manufacture the missiles itself.

The R77 will be renamed the R129 in China.

Chang Li-teh (張立德), an editor with Defense Technology Monthly magazine, said that without doubt, the Chinese air force will pose a greater threat to Taiwan after its acquisition of the one of the best AAMs in the world.

"The R77 is for use on the Su-30 jet fighter. Before Su-30s become operational in China, the missile will first be used on the Su-27 and indigenously-made Jian 8-IIM," Chang said.

"As long as the Chinese air force can obtain data link technology from Russia, the deployment of the missiles can greatly enhance the combat capability of the Su-27 and Jian 8-IIM fighter planes," he said.

"Although the effective range of the missile is 50km, it can reach targets as far as 100km away," he said.

To counter the R77, Taiwan has sought to buy AIM-120 AAMs from the US.

While Washington, in its annual review of weapon sales to Taiwan, has just agreed to sell these missiles, it will take several years for Taiwan to acquire and become proficient in the use of these weapons. To make matters worse, the US has demanded as a condition of sale that they be stored on American soil thus complicating the Taiwan military's training with the weapons.

At the same time of the delivery of the R77 missiles to China, Russia will also provide China with airborne fire control radar for the control and launch of the missiles, the Kanwa report said.

The radar, designated N001VE, is specially designed for the Chinese version of the Su-30 - Su-30MKK warplane, the report said.