Posted on 12/02/2013 1:08:01 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Acquisition of the advanced Su-35 fighter would give China some significant new capabilities.
A senior executive at Russia’s state arms export company, Rosoboronexport, has said that Russia will sign a contract to sell the advanced Su-35 jet to China in 2014, while confirming that the deal is not on track to be finished in 2013. This is unlikely to be the last word on the matter – the negotiations have dragged on since 2010, and have been the subject of premature and contradictory announcements before – but it is a strong indication that Russia remains interested in the sale. For the time being, China’s interest in the new-generation fighter is worth examining for what it reveals about the progress of homegrown military technology and China’s strategy for managing territorial disputes in the South China Sea. If successful, the acquisition could have an immediate impact on these disputes. In addition to strengthening China’s hand in a hypothetical conflict, the Su-35’s range and fuel capacity would allow the People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) to undertake extended patrols of the disputed areas, following the model it has used to pressure Japan over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands.
The Su-35 is not the first Sukoi to pique the interest of the Chinese military. As previously reported in The Diplomat, the Sukoi-30MKK, and the Chinese version, the J-16, have been touted by the Chinese military as allowing it to project power into the South China Sea.
Previous reports in Chinese and Russian media in June of this year pointed toward a deal having been reached over a sale of Su-35 multi-role jets, but were not viewed as official, given more than a year’s worth of contradictory reports in Chinese and Russian media. At
(Excerpt) Read more at thediplomat.com ...
Aren’t the Russians still mad over the Chinese ripping off the Su-30 for their carrier?
“F-18/15-ski?”
Essentially, yeah. The SU-35 is the latest evolution of the SU-27 Flanker, which was basically the Soviet Union’s answer to the F-15 (with the concurrent and cheaper MiG-29 being more or less their counterpart to the F-16). Probably the best fighter platform the Russians have fielded to date. The ‘35 model is supposed to be very, very capable (4++ generation)- supercruise capability, thrust vectoring, etc.
For that reason they want the Chinese to pay billions dollars before delivery for the entire batch of dozens planes, charging them $80 millions or so per copy.
It is right enough cash to fund finishing T-50 5 gen R&D and to subsidize a fleet of newer jets for Russian and Indian AFs, outclassing these Chinese Su-35s.
They’re mad but money talks and the Chicoms have plenty of it. It seems Russia is resigned to the fact that China will copy and hawk its hardware. The sticking point over the past few years was the Russians wanted the Chinese to buy fare more than the 20 or so they wanted.
buy fare more = buy far more
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