China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force could be on the brink of purchasing 48 Sukhoi 35 (Su-35) multirole air superiority fighters, in what has been described as one of the largest arms deals between the two countries in recent years.
A Russian Federation Ministry of Defence source told the Russian-language Kommersant business newspaper recently that the request for the Su-35s, made last year, was valued at more than US$4 billion, or about US$85 million per aircraft.
The two sides have “practically agreed” to the deal, the source said.
The Su-35 is a 4-plus-plus-generation multirole air superiority fighter that is just now entering service in the Russian Air Force, which has also ordered 48 in a deal that runs through 2015.
In addition to having some stealth and supercruise characteristics, the Su-35 is expected to be equipped with advanced passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar systems.
The acquisition could further tip the balance of air power in the Taiwan Strait in China’s favor, as Taiwan remains unsuccessful in its requests to obtain 66 F-16C/Ds from the US, an aircraft that is almost a full generation behind the Su-35 (China’s J-20 and the US’ F-22 and F-35 are so-called fifth-generation aircraft).
However, fears of technological theft could add complexity to the Su-35 deal.
According to Jane’s Defence Weekly, Moscow has demanded guarantees that key technologies included in the aircraft — such as the PESA radar and engines — will not be reverse-engineered by China for export.
One official said Russia would only allow the deal to proceed if China purchased a minimum of 24 aircraft.
Last year, China canceled an order for 95 Su-27s for local assembly after Shenyang Aircraft Corp (瀋陽飛機) launched serial production of the J-11 fighter, which experts regard as a near copycat of the Su-27.
Meanwhile, China also reportedly requested an unspecified number of Almaz-Antei S-400 long-range air defense systems from Moscow in November 2010, hoping those could be delivered by 2015. However, Jane’s reported that production problems could make delivery impossible before 2017.
China already has more than a dozen Russian-made S-300PMU2 “Favorit” air defense systems in operation, which have a range of about 200km. About eight battalions, recently deployed in Fujian Province, could shoot down aircraft within some sectors of Taiwanese airspace. The S-400 has a range of approximately 400km, or about twice that of the US-made Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) system deployed by Taiwan.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
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