The Su-35s Russia Is Selling China Are a Downgraded, Export Version

Contrary to reports Russia isn't handing over its most precious aviation technologies for just $2 billion

Late last year it was reported that Moscow and Beijing had finally struck the long-negotiated deal for the purchase of Russia’s advanced Su-35 fighter jets.

The announcement raised eyebrows because the reported deal was for 24 planes only. This was interpreted as a defeat for Russia and a win for China. Supposedly Russia — fully expecting that China would set to copy the planes as soon as it got them — wanted Beijing to purchase at least 48 of the machines.

In this way China would receive primers of all the most recent Russian aviation technology for just $2 billion.

A Russian expert explained to The National Interest this isn’t quite so:

“We have export version and a version for our own use,” Buzhinsky said. “The Chinese are very good at copying all kinds of stuff.”

Nonetheless, Russia is confident that its technology will be safe in Chinese hands—particularly the all-important Saturn AL-41F1S engine. “They cannot produce engines,” Buzhinsky said.

“We agreed to supply engines for the Su-35, but fortunately—my technical colleagues told me—that it is practically impossible to copy that engine because it is practically impossible just to reach the heart of the engine without breaking it completely.”

The Su-35 planes Russia would deliver China are downgraded, export versions stripped of what Russians consider their most precious technologies.

This is probably for the best. Russians won’t fear their most advanced technologies are being copied and the Chinese won’t get acused of something they might not even be doing.

su-35-specs

4 Comments
  1. Peter Five-Oh says

    They could have copied the F-35 and gotten the most expensive fighter ever developed that is easily tracked by allied radars.

  2. David Bedford says

    so China has become known for their copycatting lols

    1. Peter Five-Oh says

      Or maybe China is saving billions in R&D by letting Russia and the US invest in that. The Iranians brought down a drone over their territory and copied it’s tech and then sold their drones to the Houthis. Look how that turned out.

      1. David Bedford says

        If there were any evidence for your Iranian claim America and Saudi Arabia would have shown it by now rather than just using hollow words like we are ‘highly confident’ it was Iranian.

Reply To David Bedford
Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Anti-Empire