Further Reading

J-11 (Jianjiji-11) - Purchases

Su-27SK Purchases

In 1991 China purchased an initial batch of 24 single-seat SU-27s for about $1 billion which were delivered in late 1992 and based at Wuhu Air Base, 250 kilometers west of Shanghai. In May 1995 China purchased a second batch of 24 SU-27 aircraft through Russia's main state-run arms exporting company Rosvooruzheniye. These were delivered in April 1996 and based at Suixi Air Base in Southern China. The 48 Su-27-type aircraft include 36 one-seat Su-27SK manufactured in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and 12 two-seat Su-27UB manufactured in Irkutsk, worth a total of 1.7 billion dollars.

At the end of 1999 it was anticipated that the Irkutsk aviation industrial association would deliver to China a total of 28 training and combatant Su-27UB fighters. The delivery would be implemented to repay the state debt, and 8 planes would be delivered to China within the year 2000, 10 planes in the year 2001 and 10 planes in the year 2002.

Su-27 Co-Production

In February 1996 Moscow and Beijing reached a $2.2 billion agreement for Chinese co-production of the Sukhoi Su-27. Under the initial agreement China would produce up to 200 aircraft [without the right to reexport the jets to third countries] from Russian-made components over three to five years. The total cost of the contract is $1.5 billion, including $650 million for technical documents and $850 million for parts, instruments and equipment provided by Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Enterprise imeni Yuriy Gagarin [KnAAPO], which is to deliver around 30 percent of all completing parts for 200 Chinese SU-27SK jets.

Russia licensed coproduction of Su-27s to the Shenyang Aircraft Company, which can produce fifteen to twenty per year. In the period 1998-2000 Shenyang planned to assemble only 15 Su- 27SK fighters of the 200 permitted under the terms of the contract. The first two aircraft built at Shenyang flew at the end of 1998. By 2004, China had only received components kits for 95 aircraft, as a contract covering the additional 105 kits was still pending.

Su-30 Purchases

In mid-1999 Russia agreed to sell as many as 72 of the front-line Sukhoi-30 variant of the SU-27 jet to China, in addition to the Su-27 aircraft previously agreed to. As a result of the 7th session of the Russian-Chinese commission on economic cooperation held in Beijing in August 1999, the two countries reached a general agreement on the deliveries to China of the Su-30MKK two-seat multipurpose fighters, worth a total of about two billion dollars. Under the agreement, Russia will start delivery of about 40 the jets to China between 2000 and 2002. The Sukhoi Design Bureau developed state-of-the-art Su-30MKK (modernised, commercial for China) especially for the specific requirements of the Chinese military. At the same time, negotiations began for Moscow to grant a licence for the production of another 250 Sukhoi-30 fighters, though it is unclear whether this production would be in addition to or instead of the licensed production of the SU-27.

It was announced in Moscow in December 2000 that Russia had supplied China with 10 two-seat Su-30MKK fighters for the first time. Russia had contracted to supply China 40 Su-30s in 1999, and Russian officials have said that they expect the Chinese to procure another batch of 40 Su-30s. There were also reports that China may be given the licence to produce the aircraft in large numbers.

The Su-30MKK for China is different in details from the basic Su-30MK. In June 1999 Russia agreed to sell 72 of these front-line Sukhoi-30 jet fighter-bombers to China. The aircraft building enterprise in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (KnAAPO) is likely to become the main supplier of a large lot of Su-30MKK fighter jets to China. The cost of one Su-30MKK fighter jet is estimated at $35 million - $37 million. At the same time, negotiations began for Moscow to grant a licence for the production of another 250 Sukhoi-30 fighters.

In late July 2001 China signed a contract with the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Production Association to supply upward of $2 billion worth of Su-30 MKK ground-attack planes. One report put the number of jets at 38 aircraft. The factory's 5,000 workers would be working until 2003 to fulfill the terms of the contract. Russia had already delivered between 70 and 100 Su-27s to China.

In July 2002 it was reported that China would buy around 30 Su-30MK2 naval fighters, on top of the 80 Su-30MKKs it bought in 1999 and 2001. The deal was estimated it to be worth at least $1.2 billion. The Su-30MK2, a modified version of the Su-30MKK, is a naval striker equipped with X-31A anti-ship missiles. Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Production Association is the maker of the plane.

Buying 30 more Sukhoi fighters would give China a total of as many as 400. China took delivery of 26 Su-27SK/UBKs in 1992 and another 22 in 1995. In 1996 China signed a contract to produce 200 Su-27SKs under license.

On February 14, 2003 the Washington Times reported that China had received its latest shipment of SU-30MK2s from Russia. Jane's Defence Weekly reported on 31 March 2004 that China had accepted 6 aircraft, and that China would receive 18 additional aircraft by the end of 2004, for a total of 24 (6 per quarter).