Sadly sir, we are missing the point here???
Chinese purchase of Su-35
- Thread starter flyzies
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Sadly sir, we are missing the point here???
by78
General
It's a purported photograph of a Su-35 taken at the Russian plant. Given the Chinese characters (instructions and warnings for the ground crew) on the fuselage, it's bound for China. I say "purported" because the paint color on this part of the fuselage (i.e. just below cockpit) doesn't match that of Su-35 units already delivered to China.
As you can see from the above photo of an already delivered Su-35, the area below the cockpit is painted blue, whereas in the photo Deino posted, assuming it captures the color accurately, the same area is painted gray. Of course, they might have change the camouflage scheme for all I know.
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Thank you gentlemen,,,, I do need reading glasses these days, and I miss many of the subtleties that you gents find, like the lovely wild morrels that grow native here in Central Obamastan...
Friends come home with 5lb sacks of those things, and I,,, well I did find a nice patch one time?? LOL
Because if the Su-35 purchase was about substituting for J-11s the main point wouldn't be to acquire new technology, but to fill a shortfall in production with a fighter that could be slotted in a similar role with comparable capabilities? The Su-34 doesn't fit those conditions or probably any role without the PLAAF's planned force structure. If SAC wants to do concurrent production of the J-11, J-15, and J-16, it would need to expand production capacity, which would take time to do, and may not be worth investing in, depending on the PLAAF's future plans. If they chose to do that now (or sayeven two years before) that still won't address the shortfall in real time, and as a result the PLAAF's procurement needs will go unmet. It's even more far fetched to substitute Flanker production for more J-20's since the J-20 is only in LRIP. AVIC can't just snap its finger to expand its industrial capacity. Even if the decision was to expand Flanker production rate or substitute J-11s with J-20s it takes time and money to train the human capital and build more facilities. If the intention is still to continue J-11 manufacturing or substitute other the J-20after, the PLAAF would be 24 fighters short of where their fleet should be by the time production started or restarted. Furthermore the J-20 may not be regarded as a substitute for the J-11 in the PLAAF's planned force structure. This was probably more than anything a decision based on the needs of military logistics.
What the PLAAF's job isn't to make you feel good about China's fighter projects or sate your insecurities. Their job is to meet the air power needs of the Chinese military.
Okay fine but it still doesn't make much sense to order only 24. Is the extra logistics problems worth such a small number? Earlier reports indicated they wanted fewer than that although not sure how true. Just seems to me like 24 is such a small number they may as well have just ordered more J-11bs. They already have those. Are they still making J-11s? Or only J-16 and J-15? Why didn't they just build the remaining sum of 24 J-11s if that was the shortfall?
If the shortfall is temporary then it does. 24 covers about a year's worth of production. They might have needed fewer but couldn't negotiate the number down. No one's yet sure what's happening with the J-11D.
Anyone know if there's been any official statements issued hinting or stating why they purchased 24 Su-35? Granted 24 Su-35 is a formidable force but that number is tiny for PLAAF. Maybe it was to cover the shortfall while factory gears towards J-15 and J-16 upon the problems with J-11D delaying that program. To say it's to study the Su-35's engine and radar seems to indicate greater weakness in Chinese abilities in those fields than we previously thought. That's all fine if true but I don't think it is since China's gains in AESA and GaN technology has improved to match or surpass Russia's in recent years. Seems likely it is for covering SAC production rates and/or studying how Sukhoi approached fifth generation subsystems that India may be using in future.
The PLAAF isn't obligated to justify this purchase? That said there's a translation of an interview with a general in this thread that talks about the Su-35 purchase. Maybe you'll want to do some archival digging (I'll help if I have some time).
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