into the latest Russian avionics and
propulsion systems, coupled with a
chance to explore TVC, and to develop
tactics, while deepening Sino-Russian
co-operation.Hard facts
By con rming their serials, Combat
Aircraft can con rm that the PLAAF
Su-35 are in fact assigned to the 6th Air
Brigade (former 2nd Fighter Division),
6th Air Regiment at Suixi, which is
close to the important Southern Fleet
Headquarters at Zhanjiang. The Suixi
unit is assigned to the important
Southern Theater Command that has in
recent years also gained the latest J-10B
at Guilin. The Suixi Su-35s are slated as
replacements for the oldest Su-27SK/
UBKs and J-11s in PLAAF service.
This underscores Chinese priorities
in this disputed area, where the new
type will act as a long-range ghter
escort for H-6K bombers and special
mission aircraft.
Interestingly, the new aircraft
reportedly all feature cockpit
instruments in Russian. Therefore the
Chinese pilots had to speak or learn to
speak Russian to be assigned as Su-35
pilots. The aircraft feature the samefew small, grainy images subsequently
broke cover, but neither the true home
base nor details of operations were
published.
Most PLAAF watchers expected the
Su-35s to be assigned to a test unit so
that the thrust-vectoring controls (TVC)
could be evaluated, as well as to explore
its operational e ectiveness against
existing PLAAF assets during events
such as 2017’s ‘Red Sword’ exercise. In
fact, many had swiftly concluded that
China was only interested in the Su-35’s
izdeliye 117S/AL-41F1S engines, while
others suggested that, given China’s
local ‘Flanker’ programs, the deal was
politically motivated.
In Combat Aircraft’s opinion, one sole
reason seems unlikely — and frankly too
simplistic. It was unlikely to be procured
based purely on the TVC engine and
thus related to China’s indigenous
projects such as the uprated WS-10 and
WS-15 engine planned for the J-20.
The deal ultimately delivered bene ts
for both parties. Russia nally secured a
rst export customer for the Su-35, and
the PLAAF gets hold of what is arguably
its most capable ghter to be assigned
to an operational unit — o -the-shelf.
As a by-product, China gets an insightSerials reveal that the Su-35s
are in fact assigned to the
6th Air Brigade (former 2nd
Fighter Division), 6th Air
Regiment at Suixi.http://www.combataircraft.net // June 2018 25
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