VR Headsets put PLANAF Pilots into 3D
Right now, Chinese pilots use 3D headsets to train in a virtual reality (VR) enabled environment. As VR sets grow in capability, military personnel and hackers could use them not for practice, but as essential equipment for doing everything from calling in airstrikes to hacking enemy networks.
3D virtual reality sets aren’t just part of the Facebook empire; the Chinese have found them a cheap, easy and effective tool to increase pilot teamwork before jumping into the cockpit.
3D VR Piloting
Tianhe 2 Corridor
A look down one of the corridors in the giant room housing the Tianhe 2, which has a processing power of 33.86 petaflops (double that of its nearest competitor, the Oak Ridge Lab’s Titan). But now it’s been supplanted by the Sunway TaihuLight, which itself will be beaten in 2020, when China debuts the world’s first exoscale (that’s 1,000 quadrillion calculations per second) supercomputer in 2020.
China has the world’s fastest supercomputer, it’s also been completed on time and on budget, not to mention being available for public use (sort of).
Tianhe 2
Combined Taskforce
Four PLAN warships lead the formation followed by two Russian Navy warships in the background (they can be distinguished by their dark grey paint schemes). Sailing in a single integrated column at high speeds in live fire exercises requires trusted joint communications and control capability between the two navies.
In May 2014, the Chinese and Russian navies took over a huge section of the air and waters of the East China Sea in their most complex bilateral exercises, with plenty of serious firepower to spare.
Chinese Marines Board USS Port Royal
Chinese Marines board the USS Port Royal, one of America’s Aegis Cruisers. RIMPAC 2014 includes bilateral exercises on boarding ships on the high seas for inspection and other actions.
At RIMPAC 2014, a group of Chinese Marines stormed an American Aegis warship, while USN commandos were quick to retaliate by boarding a Chinese frigate (all part of anti-piracy and anti-proliferation drills).
RIMPAC 2014
055 Test Rig, Front View
A closer view of the 055 test rig shows that the sensor and communications array panels on the integrated mast remain empty, while the H/PJ-38 turret and Type 1130 CIWS are almost certainly mockups meant to simulate radar returns, given the lack of loading and turning mechanisms beneath the deck.
The Type 055 destroyers, when it enters into service in 2019, will be Asia’s largest surface warship. Right now, a test rig in Wuhan is being built to test the 055’s futuristic sensors and electronics
055 Test Rig
Tank Dressage
Four T-72B tanks “dance” around a 2S19 howitzer at the opening ceremonies of the 2nd Tank Biathlon.
Meet the ZTZ-96, the tank that China sent to the 2014 Tank Biathalon, the Olympics for tanks (but it’s not China’s deadliest tank).
2014 Tank Biathalon
JF-12 Hypersonic Wind Tunnel
The JF-12 Hypersonic Wind Tunnel began operations in March 2014. It is the world’s largest hypersonic wind tunnel, capable of achieving speeds of Mach 5 to Mach 9.
When it comes to hypersonic weapons, missiles and aircraft that fly over five times the speed of sound, Chinese research is reaching critical mass.
Da Gou
This photo from a robotics expo in August 2014 shows a four legged “robot mule” developed by NORINCO, which is similar to the U.S.’s LS3 robot.
Chinese engineers are building the a quadruped robot to follow Chinese soldiers into battle, just like the U.S. Army’s Big Dog (“Da Gou” is Chinese for Big Dog).
Da Gou
Kicking High
This new Chinese exoskeleton is both strong and agile enough to support its wearer engaging in high side kicking, flexibility is a key requirement for infantry power armor. Directorate troops wear exoskeletons on the streets of occupied territory, giving them agile strength for carrying heavy weapons and sprint apprehend to errant NSM activists.
While stealth fighters and cargo planes were the stars of the 2014 Zhuhai Air Show, China showed its exoskeleton prototype to the world.
Exoskeleton
2015 in Flight
2015 made its first flight on December 19, 2014. At this point in the J-20’s development, the design is essentially fixed, though the AL-31 engines are likely to be swapped for more powerful Chinese WS-15 turbofans by 2019.
With the sixth flying J-20 stealth fighter rolling out in December 2014, China is well on its way to have Asia’s first operational 5th generation fighter in 2016.
6th J-20
Mianyang Laser
A Chinese scientific laser fires into deep space, providing a 90km high reference point for calibrating the Thirty Meter Telescope during construction.
Relax, this Chinese space laser isn’t the start of World War III; it’s part of an international plan to further the cause of space science.
Superlaser
