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Report puts China's air power growth fastest in world: website

Central News Agency

2014/01/11 21:14:42

Beijing, Jan. 11 (CNA) A global ranking shows that China is developing its air power faster than any other country in the world, propelled in part by its newest jet fighters and special mission military aircraft, according to a Chinese news source.

The online news website -- Xin Lang Jun Shi (Sina Military) -- cited a 2013-2014 world air power report published by U.K.-based weekly 'Flight International.'

In 2013, China ranked second in the world for the number of fighter jets at 1,453, trailing the 2,740 fighters in the United States, and coming in just ahead of Russia, which placed third with 1,438, according to the web site.

Bucking the trend of countries cutting military spending due to financial restraints, China has maintained the world's fastest speed in development, especially in regard to its third-generation of fighters and specialized aircraft, the web site said.

The United States still leads in aerial combat capability, though, with its jet fighters accounting for 19 percent of the world's total and as many specialized aircraft as all of the other top nine countries combined, it said.

The U.S. is in no danger of losing its spot at the top in terms of technology, quality, training and numbers, the site said, and while China's pace of development has been stunning, it will be another 20-30 years before it can be on par with the United States.

China only has half as many fighters as the United States, and its military modernization has only reached 40 percent of the U.S. level; its overall combat efficiency is only 14 percent of that of the United States, the site said.

'Flight International' also listed the most common jet fighters of 2013, with the U.S.-made F-16 reportedly topping the list at 2,281. In other words, one out of every seven fighter jets in the world is an F-16.

In terms of special mission aircraft, the United States reportedly topped the list at 871, accounting for 46 percent of the world's total.

(By Chou Hui-ying and Lilian Wu)
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