That the design of Chinese-produced weapons was heavily influenced by the Soviet Union is of course common knowledge. Since the 50s, the Soviets have shared licenses for the production of air-to-air missiles with China.
Until now, the taste of Russian defense equipment still has a dominant influence on China's defense industry. However, China-Russia defense cooperation was actually 'tainted' by the case of the production of the Shenyang J-11 fighter jet.
As is known, the fighter jet that is the current backbone of the Chinese Air Force, the Shenyang J-11, has a strong similarity to the Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet. Once upon a time, China was the first and only foreign country to receive the benefits of transfer of technology from the Soviet Union before it dissolved on December 26, 1991.
The acquisition of the Su-27, known in China as “Project 906,” is a clear indicator of China's evolving self-image on the global stage.
Quoted by bulgarianmilitary.com, discussions between China and the Soviets regarding the purchase of the latest generation fighter aircraft began in 1988. The Soviet Union initially advised China to purchase the MiG-29, an air superiority fighter designed as a match against the US F-15 Eagle fighter jet.
However, unfortunately the MiG-29 is not of interest to Beijing. This was because China was of the view that the MiG-29 was not the most sophisticated fighter aircraft offered by the Soviets, and China was eyeing the more sophisticated Su-27 – the Soviet Union's main fighter aircraft at that time.
After negotiations, the Soviet Union finally sold three Su-27SK units to China before its collapse. After that the nascent Russian government continued to fulfill the remaining orders. Additionally, Russia allows China to license-produce different Su-27 variants domestically.
Heavy reliance on Soviet-era military technology prompted China to take inspiration from Russia's Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet for the development of its future fighter aircraft.
In 1995, China secured a deal to produce 200 Shenyang J-11s domestically from equipment supplied by Russia. As part of this licensing agreement, Russia insisted that the engines and avionics used on the J-11 must be sourced from Russian manufacturers.
But things didn't go according to plan. Beijing midway canceled the agreement after the assembly of the 100th J-11 unit, stating that the Su-27 was no longer a suitable option for the Chinese Air Force.
Despite accusations of 'reneging' on the agreement, Beijing later revealed that it was continuing J-11 production without Russian participation. Experts argue that the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation was able to duplicate parts of Soviet aircraft without any formal approval, which directly caused an uproar in the Russian defense industry.
Despite the controversy, the Chinese version of the J-11 offers noteworthy specifications. Crewed by one pilot, the J-11 uses two Shenyang WS-10A “Taihang” turbofan engines, each capable of producing 30,000 pounds of thrust.
The J-11 can maneuver up to 9g, reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.35, and travel a distance of up to 2,190 miles. It can function at altitudes up to 62,000 feet and can climb at an astonishing speed of 59,000 feet per minute.
In terms of weapons, the J-11 is equipped with one Gryazev-Shipunov GSH-30-1 30 mm caliber cannon with a capacity of 150 rounds. Additionally, ten hard points allow it to carry a wide variety of missiles, rockets and bombs.
Currently the Chinese Air Force has 440 J-11 units, making this local aircraft the backbone of the Chinese Air Force's strength. The J-11 has been developed in the J-11D variant, which international analysts say has better combat capabilities than the Sukhoi Su-35.
The J-11D is actually an upgraded variant of the J-11 family, with a number of improvements to electronic systems, radar and engines, making the J-11D said to be equivalent or able to compete with the Sukhoi Su-35.
If you trace the development of the Su-35 itself, it was based on the Su-27 platform (single seat). The J-11D project was first discovered by the media in 2015 under the label "D1101" and the prototype aircraft first flew on April 29 2015.
The J-11D material is built from composite materials that are lighter but stronger. Not only that, the J-11D material reportedly also has "pseudo stealthy" capabilities which can absorb radar signals.
So, what caught our attention was that the J-11D had an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. This is what makes analysts think the J-11D is superior to the Su-35, because the Su-35 still does not use an AESA radar.