Maybe China will get one for the aviation museum by 2045.
As I've said before, until the SU-35s arrive and actually start flying in China, I will remain deeply sceptical about whether they'll actually be sold.
OT: This whole thing reminds me of the hoorah about the Varyag and then the engines turned out to be intact. Starting to think this is some elaborate ploy to give western observers heartburn every year.....
It's been said tha the one thing Chinese wanted the most is the engine, or AL-41F in this case, just that the Russians refused to do the engine deal and instead, want to sell the whole airframe. Could it be that recently the domestic option (WS-10, perhaps WS-15 also) made significant progress to be deemed "matured", that the Chinese isn't that keen on the Russian deal now?As I've said before, until the SU-35s arrive and actually start flying in China, I will remain deeply sceptical about whether they'll actually be sold.
OT: This whole thing reminds me of the hoorah about the Varyag and then the engines turned out to be intact. Starting to think this is some elaborate ploy to give western observers heartburn every year.....
Spot on the first point, I doubt we see any Chinese Su-35s? period. I have no idea how this relates to the Varyag/Liaoning, but I can assure you, no one in the US are concerned about a few SU-35's, great airplane that it is.
to make those kind of statements about heartburn/fear in the West or the US does indicate a lack of perception? no we are not worried about a few SU-35s. Now if you were talking 200-300 J-20s, yeah we would be concerned.
We are confidant of our government/militaries intent to do principally the "right thing in every circumstance? we are very much concerned about the apparent ill intent of near peers toward the US and our Allies.
OTbut this is a republic, with elected leadership, and we don't always get what we pay for?????
OT
The saying is that US has the best government money can buy. It depends on who is paying.
So indeed we are far afield, back to the SU-35 purchase, it is always the Russians who continue to trumpet this supposed sale, but to date, to my knowledge? not one aircraft has been delivered? nor Yuan exchanged?
From the sound of it, no.
Why would someone pay a dime without a contract?