Hainan Island Incident

Right after China received its first Israel-modified IL-76MD advanced airborne warning and control aircraft, the Israeli Aircraft Industries canceled the A-50I AEW&C configuration retrofit under the pressure of the US.  Surprisingly, soon People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) received an even better gift from the sky in 2001.  The incident was a key reason China’s military modernization — especially of its air force and navy — was accelerated.

The Hainan Island incident occurred on April 1, when a USN EP-3E ARIES II signals intelligence aircraft and a PLAN J-8II interceptor collided in mid-air, resulting in the EP-3 made an emergency landing on Hainan.  In the next two months, Chinese boarded the crown jewel of the recon force and thoroughly stripped and examined its equipment, including a large signals processing computer, the brain of the systems-the tuners and signals processors, as well various cryptographic voice/data devices.  From the layout of so many mutual-interfering electronics and their state-of-art solid-state circuits, Chinese experts understand they had been misled for so long.  Ever since their sharpened R/D help the later AEW&C.

Moreover, Chinese became determined to upgrade navy aircraft after the incident, eventually replacing all J-8s with fourth-generation J-10 and J-11 fighters and JH-7 bombers.  the PLAN has set up a comprehensive air patrol system in the South and East China seas, while the advanced air strength now play the key role in dealing with all kinds of air confrontation with invaders.

Who is the loser?

During the NATO's 78 days air attack in the Yugoslavia Civil War, only one sortie was requested and orchestrated by the CIA. The official target of May 7, 1999, was the Yugoslav Federal Directory for Supply and Procurement.  But the actual target: the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, 350m away.  Justified as Humanitarian Bombing - a hypocritical term invented by then Czech president Havel, the Western air raids were opposed by China.  China supported the sovereignty of Yugoslavia.  Moreover, it managed to acquire the invaluable wreckage of the F-117 stealth aircraft shot down on Mar 27.  This top secret was hidden in the basement of embassy, but soon the CIA accidentally discovered the secret.  The spy agency determined to destroy the advanced-tech trophy, at all diplomatic cost.

Mar 27, an air defense brigade of the rump state was ready to ambush the annoying Nighthawk by using a 30 years old Czech-made P-18 radar, which VHF band could evade the NATO anti-radiation surveillance.  Under the direction of a Chinese electronic counter measure advisor, the obsolete radar with a poor detection range was unable to pin point the standoff target, but was able to detect the stealth aircraft when 15 miles out.  Then their “shot gun blast bird” tactics worked, one of the four invading F-117s was blasted by one of the dozens S-125 SAM salvo.  Soon the distorted invisible painted skin, navigation system, and engine exhaust nozzle, etc. all ended up to the PROC embassy.  Though the 117 failed to self-detonated, the Chinese were unaware of its hidden locating transmitter.  When they finally manage to cut off the battery, it was too late.

May 8, a B-2A stealth bomber took off from the Whiteman AFB on the opposite hemisphere, after a 15 hrs long flight with air-refueling, it pressed on Belgrade.  For deep penetration into the embassy basement under five floors, all its Joint Direct Attack Munitions had a delay fuse.  However, unexpectedly interfered by the roof antenna signal, the guidance sensors made four of the five JDAMs exploded prematurely at the 1F, and the only bomb to hit the basement was a dud.  Three Chinese were killed, and more than 20 injured in this “accident”, so called by the NATO and president Clinton (he was believed innocent).  Later in his address to the embassy staff, the ambassador Pan (潘佔林) stated “the staff risked their lives to rescue four batches of Priceless Material under the ruins”.  In 2011, the Chinese J-20 stealth fighter prototype took into the air, much earlier than the Western expected.  Two year earlier William Bennett, the CIA’s ex-contractor who reprogramed that lethal 350m in the JDAM coordinate, and his wife Cynthia were suspiciously attacked near their home in Loudoun, VA.