If the axiom “purpose justifies means” finds application at the level of a state that within a relatively short period of time turns it into a superpower then it is China. This above-mentioned post has been used to make a significant contribution to the appalling development of the Chinese Defence Industry in particular.
China’s Armed Forces, such as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Navy (PLAN) and the Air Force (PLAAF) respectively have all too often been accused of having copied licensed or an authorized weapons system from foreign countries.
The acquisition of weapons systems without a license shows strategic weakness & development respectively, but its advantage is that the state that acquires them (theft) saves huge amounts that it would have to invest in research and development by drastically reducing the development time from the ground up of a weapons system.
China has now created the largest Navy (in surface vessels and undersurface vessels units equally) in the world and a strong and dreaded air power in a short period of time using industrial espionage, replicas, theft of designs and entire weapons systems.
In this analysis we will present the most well-known foreign weapons systems stolen or copied from China. More specifically:
1. Lavi / J-10
Photo by the website https://en.wikipedia.org
A U.S.-funded fighter project for production in Israel that looks like the American F-16 fighter jet and has a D-wing and canary fins. But the plan was later halted due to an internal reaction from the American ruling party. However, it was subsequently found that both the design and the technologies of the subsystems were developed entirely by China, which produces the J-10 fighter jet which the Chinese Air Force has in large numbers.
2. Su-27 Sukhoi / J-11 / J-16
With the dissolution of the USSR and Russia’s foreign exchange need, China managed to buy a paid production line of the then state-of-the-art Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet. At the same time this production line was the precursor to the creation of the corresponding domestic Chinese version of the Su-27, the J-11, which later, with the purchase by Russia of new technologies for the Su-27, created a new upgraded version of the J-16.
3. J-15
It is the corresponding Chinese version of the J-16 for use by aircraft carriers. Because Russia did not sell the naval version of the Su-27 to China, China bought it from Ukraine (T-10K-3) and then produced it as a J-15 which is currently operated by the aircraft carrier Liaoning.
4. Cai-Hong (CH-4)
Photo by the website www.weapons.com
This UAV is the exact replica of the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper. The difference one can cite is that American technology inside the MQ-9 Reaper is superior to the Chinese equivalent in Caihong-4. However, the external copying of a weapon system platform (achieves the same flight performance) enables the replicator (in this case China) to further develop its integrated technologies. This enabled China to present its most technologically advanced model the CH-5 in a relatively short period of time.
5. JF-17 / FC-1
Also, China bought production plans for the MIG-21, which China produced with the code J-7. Using the lessons learned from Lavi’s Israeli American program with simultaneous funding from Pakistan, it enabled the production of a new fighter purchased in large numbers from Pakistan and available for export.
6. J-20
China’s first 5th generation fighter which is a direct replica of the world’s best fighter of the American F-22 Raptor with the only external design difference the canard fins. But the technologies they incorporate are inferior to the American F-22. However, this does not change the fact that it was produced in a noticeably short period of time and enables ch-4 to improve the technologies it incorporates.
This F-22 design was acquired through industrial espionage when China’s Moo-Ku-Suen succeeded in intercepting fabricated data from Lockheed Martin. Soo Bean was arrested and sentenced to 46 months in prison.
The J-20 is the stealth features of the U.S. F-22 Raptor, but it is in production and will evolve further in contrast to the F-22.
7. J/FC-31
Moo-Ko-Suen also intercepted manufacturing data from Lockheed Martin and the F-35. Just after a few months China unveiled the J-31 which bears the same design similarity as the F-35 and the same operational mission. The J-31 has two engines versus a powerful engine featuring the American F-35.
8. Z-9 / Z-19
This is a wide range of helicopters (from R&R helicopters, attack helicopters and anti-submarine helicopters, etc.) which China, through its cooperation with Euro copter, secured the license to build the AS365 Dauphin helicopter. After all, it is well known that if someone wants to defeat him, they will have to copy him to be able to develop into his own framework set by his opponent.
In this way, China also manages to save enormous costs by designing a completely new plan of its own from the out of zero.
9. Η-6
The most strategic bomber of the USSR of the 1950s, where China managed to obtain from the USSR its production license for its own needs. Today China, with its own most independent production of this aircraft, has managed to build dozens of aircraft of this type.
10. Liaoning
For many years China’s goal has been to acquire an inactive aircraft carrier with the aim of dismantling it by studying it and using it as a model for the development of its own aircraft carrier. This was achieved by the acquisition of the former Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne (R21), Majestic Type. This ship was bought for scrap, but the Chinese studied it thoroughly before dismantling it. Then China bought two small aircraft carriers of the former USSR, Minsk (Kiev Type) and Varyag (Kuznetsov type) for slag.
But Varyag (now as Liaoning) did not break up like Minsk but underwent large-scale conversions and returned to action. It is now one of two Aircraft Carriers of the Chinese Navy with the second Type001A having been built from scratch based on Varyag’s experience.
China is currently building its third aircraft carrier. We note that China in many cases, while it could buy the weapons systems directly, preferred to copy and manufacture them in new versions tailored to its own needs. The aim was to be able to acquire initial know how and then through production to improve its own technologies.
What is found is that China has managed by any legal or illegal means to acquire foreign technology and know-how in the first stage and then adapt it each time by assimilating it to its own needs and, where appropriate, developing it.
What interests China is the result, which is no longer the state-of-the-art supply and equipment of its Armed Forces with remarkable weapons systems which, although technologically falling short of other superpowers, are produced in huge volumes of them, partially offsetting the technological advantage of advanced countries.
After all, interception, copying and industrial espionage have been used (historically) by all major superpowers.
