PLA Daily 2005-08-28

      QINGDAO, Aug. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan Friday visited an exhibition of Russian military equipment that had been used in the just-concluded China-Russia joint military exercises in east China's Shandong Peninsula and its adjoining sea area.
      "All of them have performed very well (during the exercise)," said Cao, who is also vice chairman of the Central military Commission and a state councilor.
      "What can we do with this 'expensive stuff', if it is not excellent enough," said Colonel General Vladimir Moltenskoi, deputy chief of Russia's Land Forces.
      Cao boarded three Russian bombers and a IL-76 transporter and talked with the pilots in Russian.
      "Is TU-160 larger than TU-95MC?" Cao questioned. "Yes. TU-160 is narrower and longer than TU-95MC," replied a Russian pilot.
      Both TU-95MC and TU-160 are strategic bombers in the Russian arsenal.
      An IL-78 aerial tanker pilot told the Chinese general that the giant plane has a crew of four to 13 and a gas pipe of over 20 meters, and it can feed three aircraft at a time more than 2,200 liters per minute.
      Cao also showed great interest in A-50, a Russian-made early warning plane, which he had boarded in the past. Chinese personnel have had a good  study of A-50 this time, he said.
      While is exhibition is going on, the local people are allowed to board the warships of the Russian Pacific Fleet, which joined in the joint military drills during Aug. 18-25 and are now anchored at Qingdao Port in Shandong Province.  Enditem