Oh yoo-hoo, Mr Gates: China ahead of schedule on fifth-generation answer to discontinued F-22

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A senior U.S. military intelligence official confirmed that China will be capable of deploying an advanced fifth generation fighter comparable to the U.S. F-22 within eight years, years

ahead of previous Pentagon assessments.

"We're anticipating China to have a fifth-generation fighter ... operational right around 2018," said Wayne Ulman of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. He made the comments before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on May 20.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, in defending his decision to end production of the F-22, stated last year that China "is projected to have no fifth-generation aircraft by 2020."

Such advanced fighter bombers are cutting edge weapons that provide asymmetric warfare capabilities such as advanced propulsion, radar invisibility and high-speed maneuverability.

The comments by Ulman contradicted an assessment by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates who stated last year that China "is projected to have no fifth-generation aircraft by 2020" and only a "handful" by 2025. Gates made the comments in defending his decision to end production of the F-22 at 187 aircraft as part of his budget-cutting initiative.

Chinese Gen. He Weirong, the deputy commander of the Chinese Air Force, told Chinese state-run media in November that the new advanced jet would fly soon despite U.S. intelligence projections that it will not be ready for combat for at least 10 years.

"The capabilities of China's air forces, particularly those of the PLAAF have improved dramatically over the course of the past decade," said Ulman, a senior China analyst at NASIC. "From an overly-large, technologically inferior force, the PLAAF is emerging as a well-equipped and increasingly well-trained force with some identifiable shortcomings and weaknesses."

China's Air Force has grown in size and sophistication with advanced surface-to-air missiles and radar and new offensive-oriented missions.

The PLA Air Force "has taken on an increasing number of offensive missions in addition to their traditional defensive missions," Ulman said. "These missions require the PLAAF to operate at greater distances from home bases and increasingly require overwater operations."

"It's yet to be seen exactly how (the next generation) will compare one on one with say an F-22," Ulman told the commission. "But it'll certainly be in that ballpark."

Bruce S. Lemkin, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, told the commission "there are lots of countries that say they're going to build a fifth-generation fighter, and they've produced pictures."

"It's not just China. It's really hard to do. It was hard for us to do. An [Active Electronically Scanned Array] AESA radar, we're still the only ones that have an operating AESA radar."

China has "most probably" gleaned things about such capabilities and will need to be watched, he said.

Fifth generation warplanes would need fighters that have stealth, super cruise, and Active Electronically Scanned Array radar to be considered in that category.

Again, Gates feels that US security is strengthened by using 183 F-22's to replace 751 F-15 C's and D's. The Air Force asked for ~385. We have refused to sell any to the three allies that have asked to purchase them, Japan, Australia and Israel. If we cannot AFFORD both F-22's and proper defense and security for our troops fighting islamic terror (uh oh, I said it), then WE HAD BETTER ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM BY ALLOWING OUR ECONOMY TO GROW TO SUPPORT IT.