China claims its Su-27 Ultimate Flanker surpasses Russia’s

From 1992 to 2015, military trade between China and Russia saw a significant uptick. During this period, an impressive 80% of the weapons and equipment imported by China’s People’s Liberation Army came from Russia—covering sea, land, and air capabilities. The total arms trade between the two nations surpassed a whopping $30 billion. 

China claims its Su-27 Ultimate Flanker surpasses Russia’s

Many experts now believe that while the Su-27 series has its roots in Russia, the most powerful iteration, the “Ultimate Flanker,” resides in China today.

Bulgarian Military Industry ReviewBoyko Nikolov

As China’s top arms supplier, Russia’s exports didn’t just upgrade the PLA’s arsenal in record time. They also laid a strong groundwork for future research, development, and innovative progress within China’s domestic arms industry.

In the 1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia faced tough economic challenges and was in dire need of foreign exchange. Arms sales abroad turned into a crucial revenue stream. Meanwhile, China was undergoing significant reforms and urgently needed to modernize its national defense apparatus. 

With the United States and other Western nations imposing sanctions and blockades on Chinese arms imports, Beijing had virtually one source left—Russia. 

Take a moment to consider the Chinese Air Force back then. While the United States and Western countries had already deployed a substantial number of third and fourth-generation aircraft, China relied heavily on older models like the J-6 and J-7. The Russian-made Su-27, which made quite an impression at the Paris Air Show, caught the immediate attention of the Chinese Air Force. After rigorous negotiations, China finally received the first batch of Su-27s from Russia in 1992.

Since that pivotal moment, the Chinese Air Force has evolved into one of the foremost air forces globally. During this time, despite Western pressure, Russia persisted and sold 76 Su-27s to Beijing, even including a technology transfer. This move accelerated China’s independent fighter development significantly.