By Li Hongmei

China's could-be acquisition of 24 Su-35 fighter jets and four Lada-class submarines from Russia is part of China's military modernization program and will greatly enhance the country's national defense capabilities if the purchase comes true.
 
The significant arms deal framework agreement, signed while President Xi Jinping was visiting Moscow over the weekend, marked the first time in nearly 10 years that China has bought large military equipment from Russia, reported the CCTV.

The Su-35 completed its first flight in 2008 and is an upgrade of the older Su-27 model. The jet has a maximum speed of 2,500 kilometers per hour and features a 30mm internal cannon. It has a dozen wing and fuselage ports capable of carrying a variety of air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, rockets, and bombs.

The Su-35 also comes equipped with the Irbis-E passive phased array radar, which can detect and simultaneously track up to 30 airborne targets at ranges near 400km, and attack up to eight targets at once.

Russian media reports say the specs of the Su-35 are very close to US fifth generation fighters, which are noted for their stealth capabilities. Russia has already ordered 48 Su-35s for its own air force, while Venezuela, Vietnam and Indonesia are also considered potential buyers.

Sources claim that the two countries spent the last five years in talks to buy the jets, but it was not until Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu's visit to China last December that the two sides decided on 24 jets of the kind. The deal is said to be worth more than US$1.5 billion and, if possible, the first jet will be delivered in 2015.

The arms deal under discussion also includes the purchase of the four Lada-class submarines, two of which will be built in Russia and the other two in China.