China deploys Su-35s to operate in the South China Sea.
The Chinese Air Force has begun deploying its most advanced Su-35 fighter jets, manufactured by Russia, to patrol the South China Sea.
|
The Su-35 fighter jet is manufactured by Russia. Photo: Sputnik |
The Chinese Air Force has just deployed several Su-35 fighter jets to the South China Sea region to conduct joint combat patrol missions.XinhuaNews reported on February 7th..
The country's air force claims this is part of an effort to "practice combat readiness" to enhance its operational capabilities in long-range maritime environments.
However, expert Harry J. Kazianis ofNational InterestSome argue that China's deployment of Su-35s to the South China Sea could be a move to control the region's airspace, especially given Beijing's illegal construction of artificial islands there.
China signed a contract to purchase 24 Su-35 fighter jets from Russia at the end of 2015 and received the first two batches by the end of last year.
The Su-35 is a single-seat, 4++ generation fighter jet, an upgraded version of the Su-27 multirole fighter. The Su-35 has a maximum takeoff weight of 34.5 tons, a maximum speed of 2,390 km/h, and a range of 3,600 km, which can reach 4,500 km when flying patrol missions with auxiliary fuel tanks.
"That's a very dangerous aircraft, especially if they produce it in large quantities," a senior U.S. military official assessed. "I think even the F-15 Eagle or the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet would have trouble dealing with it."
