China to Sell 4th Gen. Fighters to Iran
Interesting development noted below in light of discussions about calling out China (or not) in context of new Maritime Strategy
Iran buys (sic) Israeli fighter jets
Iran has signed a contract with China for the delivery of two squadrons of J-10 fighter planes. The design was developed by Israel for its Air Force and then sold to Beijing. Engines for the jets will be supplied by Russia. Representatives of the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company said China would deliver the total (24 jets) in 2008-2010. Experts, estimating one fighter at $40 million, put the contract’s value at $1 billion. The maximum range of the J-10 with detachable fuel tanks is 2,940 km. In this way, Iran will be able not only to fly over the Persian Gulf, but also theoretically venture as far as Israel and come back to base.
Until now, Iran‘s longest-reach fighters have been Russian-made MiG-29s (Fulcrum), whose maximum range is 2,100 km. (Ria Novastii (h/t DID)
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J-10 Lavi
The J-10 is an indigenously produced fighter using plans sold by the Israelis to the Chinese (pre-Tiananmen Square) when the Israeli Lavi was cancelled in the early 1990s. Using Russian avionics and engines derived from those that power the Chinese variant of the Su-27, the J-10 was almost a decade in the gestation process and only recently entered service.
If the sale is consummated (along with another possible sale to Syria) it could open a foothold in the overseas market for the Chinese to market an improved 4th generation fighter to a variety of nations that may not necessarily want Russian equipment and can’t afford Western fighters.
Of course one should rationally examine the role two squadrons of this 4.5 generation fighter would have on the regional balance of power. In the right hands, it could pose a significant, though not insurmountable challenge. Most likely uses would be to defend nuclear facilities against air strikes.
All of which, of course, complicates US planning, for which we are sure the Chinese are not overly concerned about.
Sweepers man your brooms.
My .02?
I don’t think the Chinese looked into foreign policy implications at all. Someone brought dollars or Euros or Swiss Francs to the table and said, “I’ll buy it.” Making money counts over everything else with the Chinese. Iran could have been a friend of the US and if they had been willing to pay they would have sold the aircraft. In that regard they are really more like the French.
Besides-in this particular instance it allows them to stick it to the US, while being able to deny that they have hostile intentions.
Either way the US needs to build against China.
I bet the People’s Republic of China has thought about it and figured that if they can bog the US down pacifying the Middle East, it will give the PRC a free hand closer to home as it gobbles up natural resources it needs.
Of course my inexpert eye sees more similarities between the J-10 and the Eurofighter Gmbh Typhoon than the Lavi. But I could be wrong since all three look very similar with the only major difference being the Typhoon has two engines to the Lavi/J-10 having only one.
Still this is something to watch for and to keep F-22/F-35 airframes coming off the line.