Peking “long arm”

Soviet specialists helped the Chinese develop nuclear weapons. From 1950 to 1960, China was visited by about ten thousand workers of the nuclear industry of the USSR. However, in the following years, relations between the two States deteriorated, and the Soviet Union curtailed the aid program.

Nevertheless, China quickly figured out what was what, and made an atomic bomb on their own. A year after the first ground test, the Chinese dropped the warhead from the plane, and in June 1967, they detonated a hydrogen bomb with a capacity of 3.3 megatons. Thus, China became the world’s fourth nuclear power after the USSR, the United States and England.

Today, Peking has a full-fledged “triad” – weapons of mass destruction, deployed on air, land and sea carriers. In may, the Pentagon published a report on the strategic potential and military development of China for 2019: according to these estimates, China has about 90 Intercontinental ballistic missiles — both mine (“Dongfeng-4” and “Dongfeng-5A”), and deployed on mobile chassis (“Dongfeng-31”, “Dongfeng-31A”), as well as the latest” Dongfeng-41 ” — they were first demonstrated at a military parade in Beijing on October 1.

In fact, the DF-41 is the most advanced weapon in the Arsenal of the 2nd artillery corps of the people’s liberation army (PLA). This solid-fuel Intercontinental ballistic missile throws from ten to 12 nuclear warheads individual guidance at a range of about 14 thousand kilometers. Thus, the DF-41 can be called one of the most long-range ICBMs in the world, capable of hitting targets throughout the continental United States.

According to Pentagon analysts, China’s nuclear Arsenal has grown significantly in recent years. As noted in early October, the American edition of Military Watch, the escalation of tensions between Peking and Washington is pushing China to create more effective systems for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction.

Sea and air carriers

ON CHINA’S LONG JOURNEY

According to a report by the Military Balance of the International Institute for strategic studies (IISS), the Maritime component of China’s nuclear deterrent force is represented by four nuclear submarines of the Jin project (Type-094). Each of them carries 12 ballistic missiles of the type “Juilan-2” with a range of eight to nine thousand kilometers, created on the basis of land-based DF-31. In the media, there was information about the laying of the fifth and sixth nuclear-powered vessels, so that in the near future the number of SLBMs at the disposal of the Chinese Armed forces may increase to 72 units.

Now China is developing a new generation of strategic submarines “Type-096”, the construction of which is planned to be launched in the 2020s. Specially for them will create a new family of ballistic missiles “Juilan-3” with a range of up to 12 thousand kilometers and a dividing head part of the individual guidance. On June 2, 2019, US intelligence reported that the Chinese had successfully tested a new weapon in Bohaiwan Bay (the northwestern part of the Yellow sea).

In September 2016, Beijing officially confirmed the development of a new generation strategic bomber Xian H-20. This subsonic low-visibility aircraft will be built according to the “flying wing” scheme, as, for example, its American counterpart B-2. Range-at least eight thousand kilometers, the mass of the payload in the internal compartments – up to ten tons. According to us analysts, the H-20 will be ready to take wing after 2025.

It is assumed that the new aircraft will replace the troops aging fleet of strategic bombers H-6-licensed copies of the Soviet Tu-16. The PLA air force and Navy have 170 vehicles of this type in various versions. Depending on the modification, the H-6 can carry up to nine tons of bombs, including thermonuclear, air — to — surface and air-to-ship cruise missiles. Experts call the carrier of weapons of mass destruction, in particular, the latest version of the H-6K bomber, adopted in 2011. The PLA has about 90 such vehicles at its disposal. The range of these aircraft is three thousand kilometers.

The H-6K carries up to 12 tons of payload, including new CJ-10K cruise missiles that can be equipped with nuclear warheads. They reach speeds of up to 1,000 kilometers per hour and hit targets at a distance of up to 1,500 kilometers from the launch point. Thus, the PLA air force can strike at any object on the Korean Peninsula, and H-6K, based in the military district of the city of Guangzhou, can reach the American island of GUAM.

CHINA: WHY THE NEW CENTER OF THE WORLD DOES NOT NEED ANYONE

For every taste

In addition, according to American experts, China has an impressive Arsenal of intermediate-range ballistic missiles “Dongfeng-26” – up to 80 units. They are able to throw a nuclear warhead at 3000-5500 kilometers. In non-nuclear equipment, these missiles can be used to destroy large surface ships, for which the Western press has nicknamed them “carrier killers”.

The most numerous is the Chinese Arsenal of medium-and short-range weapons. The first include four versions of the DF-21A, DF-21C, DF-21D and DF-21E missiles-about 150 launchers in total. China has no more than fifty carriers of DF-21A and DF-21E nuclear warheads. There are several hundred short-range missiles (DF-11, DF-15 and DF-16), but they cannot throw a nuclear warhead. According to experts, it is the presence of China’s impressive number of medium-and short-range missiles that caused the us to withdraw from the Treaty on the elimination of these types of weapons.

China is consistently upgrading its Arsenal

In particular, the parade in Beijing for the first time demonstrated a medium-range ballistic missile DF-17, designed to bring to the height of the hypersonic combat unit DF-ZF in nuclear or conventional equipment. This glider, which is similar in purpose to the Russian development “Avangard”, is able to accelerate to five Mach numbers and actively maneuver on the trajectory, which makes it difficult to intercept missile defense systems.

The post HOW PEKING IS PREPARING FOR A BIG WAR first appeared on Global Policy.

In 2017, among young people from 16 to 24 years of age, the main age group of recruits, only 11% expressed a desire to join the army. Almost every third of them were refused because of too high body mass index.

According to major General Jeffrey Phillips, retired, the us army spends more than $ 1.5 billion annually on treating obese soldiers and looking for those willing to replace them.

China: junk food and Masturbation

Too much junk food and Masturbation. This verdict was delivered to the Chinese army by the official newspaper of the people’s liberation army of China. Poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyle and… self – satisfaction-for these reasons, recruits can not pass the test of physical training necessary for service in the army. “This is due to prolonged sitting at the computer, frequent Masturbation and lack of physical activity,” – said in the published material.

Despite the lax requirements for conscripts, in 2017 at least 20% of recruits were rejected because of excess weight. Some military could not even complete the five-kilometer cross-country race.
Iran: overweight

According to the site Globalfirepower.org that specializiruetsya for the defence of the Iranian army has about half a million soldiers. However, according to a study by BMC Public Health, 13% of the military are obese and 41% overweight.

UK: harmful Goodies

In November last year, the British media and poured puns about the excess weight of the soldiers. The reason was the information that the troops stationed in Katerinska garrison, the largest military base in the North of England, was under close surveillance. It all started with the fact that the military was forbidden to go to a snack in a local cafe Gregg’s, which is known for its flour products.

The media got information about the concern of the military command in an unsightly way of the British defender, eating all sorts of harmful Goodies. Around the same time, the Ministry of defense released figures according to which, almost 10% of the military are obese. At the same time, the British army faces significant financial costs. Lord McCall, surgeon and part-time member of the house of lords, said that because of the military overweight will soon have to redo ejection seats in airplanes and emergency hatches in submarines.

India: obesity fines

According to studies conducted in 2016, a third of Indian soldiers are overweight. In April last year, the local army established strict rules aimed at combating obesity. For example, now the military overweight will not be promoted and involved in diplomatic missions. In the future, it is planned to carry out random and unscheduled inspections, as well as to fine those who weigh 10% more than the norm.

“We do not want our men to suffer from diseases caused by obesity. Moreover, the presence of such military is bad for the effectiveness of the army in the field,” the Indian officer said in an interview with India Today.

Spain: open shirts and overweight

La Legion, Spain’s famous elite infantry regiment, made headlines last year not only because of the open shirts worn by its employees.

As a result of the mandatory check of the body mass index of three thousand soldiers found that 6% of them are obese. They had to go on a special diet.

South Africa: narrow belt and extended waist

The latest statistics collected by the Military health service in 2012 showed that about 10% of South Africa’s military are obese. Experts warn that this threatens the country’s combat readiness.

“From the regular army, consisting of 76 thousand men and women, from a medical point of view, only 10% are suitable for service. This means that, given the rotation and the need for training, no more than 2 thousand people are at the permanent disposal,” Greg mills, Director of the defense Department of the Brenthurst Foundation, told South African news portal Daily Maverick.

Mexico: early retirement

In the fight against obesity, the Mexican authorities in 2015 prematurely dismissed more than 1,300 employees and ordered another 12 thousand to lose weight and get in shape.

According to a report published by the organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD) in the Same year, Mexico ranked second out of 35 countries in the number of obese people (32.4% of the population). Ahead of it only the United States (38.2%).

Russia-dismissal

In Russia, a particularly obese military may face suspension from service. As reported by the media in 2017, servicemen with obesity of the fourth degree were offered to be dismissed, and with obesity of the third degree – to transfer to equal positions away from the front line.

But there are no official open statistics on how many people and whether they were dismissed from military service because of obesity.

Why is this such a big problem?

Taking into account physical training and constant training, the military must be in better shape than the ordinary population of the country. However, there are many cases where this principle does not work. According to the findings of many scientific studies, the military are more likely to find themselves in stressful and life-threatening situations, more prone to constant lack of sleep, and all these factors lead to poor nutrition.

Whatever it was, one thing is obvious: excess weight is a serious enemy of the armed forces.

The post GLOBAL LOSS OF THE WORLD’S ARMIES IN THE WAR AGAINST OBESITY first appeared on Global Policy.