plawolf
Lieutenant General
Using the nose cone to distinguish between upgraded J11A and B may not work simply because presumably the radome is designed to match the radar, so if the radar has been replaced, then it stands to reason that there is a good chance that the radome might have also been replaced during the upgrade.
It would not be beyond the realm of possibility that SAC might have used the time waiting on the completion of the WS10A to give some of the oldest J11As and Su27SKs a major overhaul to bring them up to J11B standards in terms of radar and avionics at least.
@ Oringo
As far as I am aware, SAC stopped the order for the remaining 96 kits and went with the J11B instead, since there was very little reason to keep buying expensive inferior kits when you can make something better and cheaper yourself.
Since the Russians did raise a stink at the time, it would appear that SAC found a loophole in the contract (if it wasn't even a condition of the contract) that they can stop orders of kits before the entire 200 has been delivered.
It would not be beyond the realm of possibility that SAC might have used the time waiting on the completion of the WS10A to give some of the oldest J11As and Su27SKs a major overhaul to bring them up to J11B standards in terms of radar and avionics at least.
@ Oringo
As far as I am aware, SAC stopped the order for the remaining 96 kits and went with the J11B instead, since there was very little reason to keep buying expensive inferior kits when you can make something better and cheaper yourself.
Since the Russians did raise a stink at the time, it would appear that SAC found a loophole in the contract (if it wasn't even a condition of the contract) that they can stop orders of kits before the entire 200 has been delivered.
