Russian Naval Commander-In-Chief Visits China

A. Ignatkin/Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Russia's Naval Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, met with his Chinese counterpart, Vice Admiral Shi Yunshen, on May 31 during an eight-day visit to China.

Kuroyedov's planned visit to Beijing coincided with a drastic worsening in Chinese-U.S. relations. A day before the visit began, China made its Syangan harbor off limits to U.S. combatants. The decision was a reaction to a recent incident in Belgrade in which the Chinese Embassy was bombed in what NATO claimed to be a mistake.

Kuroyedov and Yunshen discussed the situation in Yugoslavia, condemned NATO bombing in the Balkans, and agreed that hostilities should be stopped as soon as possible. Yunshen also thanked Russia for its support in condemning the incident involving the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.

Kuroyedov's visit included the cities of Shanghai, Dalyal, and Cindao.

Radio Describes Latest Secret Jet Fighter

Voice of Russia

Russia's new fifth-generation multi-purpose fighter, known as Project-142 in the West, continues to draw the attention of experts, even though its technical statistics are still kept secret.

The heavy, one-seat fighter has a front-located horizontal wing, a mid-located triangular wing and a V-shaped tail assembly. The welding of composite materials and methods of connecting composite materials with metal structures are packed with new technology.

The plane consists of two turbo-jet variable thrust engines. It carries a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles with self-guiding systems.

The multipurpose fighter has low visibility for enemy radar, and is designed with the use of stealth technology, comparable to that used by the American F-22 Raptor fifth-generation fighter plane.

Ukrainian and Russian Experts Fail to Agree on Black Sea Fleet

UNIAN

Russia's Defense Ministry wants to equip its Black Sea Fleet with nuclear-capable Su-24 bombers to replace Su-17 aircraft. Ukraine, however, has not agreed to the plan.

The Black Sea Fleet's 43rd assault military aviation squadron now includes twenty-two Su-17 aircraft in its base near the Crimean capital of Simferopol. Speaking about the results of recent consultations with Ukrainian colleagues, Rear Admiral Konstantin Kolotygin said that Russians and Ukrainians are doomed to be together and "the word 'no' has to be forgotten for the sake of it."

All Russians Recalled From U.S. Military Colleges

ITAR-TASS

The Defense Ministry has recalled all its servicemen from U.S. military colleges in protest of the continuation of bombing raids on Yugoslavia.

Assistant Military Attache Lieutenant Colonel Yevgeny Sobolev said the decision referred to nine officers who were receiving training at U.S. military educational establishments under the International Educational Program for Training Military Specialists.

Some of the officers have already left the United States; the others are to go home shortly. They were all studying at army and naval colleges in Pennsylvania (Carlisle), California (San Francisco), New York, and in one of the suburbs of Washington.

"The given step is directly linked with what is now happening in Yugoslavia," Sobolev said. "By recalling its students, the Russian side is expressing its disagreement with the American stand on the Yugoslavia problem," he added.

Promexport's Arms Deals Total $120 Million in 1998-99

Mikhail Shevtsov/ITAR-TASS

Arms exports sold through Russia's state-run Promexport company have reached $120 million in 1998 and 1999. As of now, the company's contractual commitments in military exports total about $670 million.

Foreign customers have requested that the company prepare further proposals and draft export contracts to the value of $300 million dollars, the enterprise reported. A third of the delivery orders are for Russian antiaircraft systems.

Promexport now exports to 25 countries. Military exports include both newly produced arms and equipment recently available for export since the initiation of reforms in the Russian army. Over 80 companies of the Russian defense industry are included in the contracts.

New CIS Council of Defense Ministers Secretary Appointed

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Sources in the Russian Defense Ministry said that Major General Alexander Sinaisky, Deputy Commander for Studies and Science of the Moscow Military University, was named secretary of the CIS Council of Defense Ministers following a decision made at the latest summit of heads of the defense ministries of the Commonwealth, which took place recently in Yerevan, Armenia.

Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeev proposed Sinaisky's candidacy, which observers tied to the beginning of a new phase in the integration processes in the collective defense systems of the members of the Collective Security Treaty.