Rupprecht, Andreas Red Dragon "Flankers"

China's Prolific "Flanker" Family

Noted for its exceptional performance, the Sukhoi Su-27 is not only one of the most capable fourth-generation fighters but its development history is also remarkably rich.
The "Flanker" story took on a new industrial and political dimension when the Su-27 was chosen by China to meet the Peoples Liberation Army Air Forces (PLAAF) requirement for a new fourth-generation type.
This was a win-win-situation: Russia received a much-needed multi-billion-dollar contract and the PLAAF, for the first time, obtained a true high-end fourth-generation fighter. However, what followed was a complex drama, with both sides telling different stories. Following the direct sale from Russia, China obtained a contract for licence manufacturing. This yielded mixed success in the beginning and by the time the manufacturing procedures had evolved and improved, the licenced J-11 fighters no longer met the PLAAFs requirements.
Subsequently, China developed indigenous variants of the "Flanker" equipped with improved avionics, weapons, and engines, which Russia regards as a breach of the formal agreement. Regardless of whether these "Sino-Flankers" are illegal copies, evolved clones or indigenous versions, the Chinese "Flanker" series ultimately evolved into a wide range of variants, sometimes with no true counterparts in Russia.
This book provides a full overview of the Chinese "Flanker" family, describing the genesis of this family and providing a review of the variants, their systems, and capabilities and how they are used by the Peoples Liberation Army.

What followed, however, was a complex drama in which both sides told different stories. After the direct sale from Russia, China received an order for licence production. Initially, success was mixed, and as manufacturing processes evolved and improved, the J-11 fighters produced under licence no longer met the PLAAF's requirements.
As a result, China developed its own variants of the "Flanker" with improved avionics, armament and engines, which Russia regarded as a violation of the formal agreement. Regardless of whether these "Sino-Flankers" were illegal copies, enhanced clones or independent versions, the Chinese "Flanker" series ultimately evolved into a wide range of variants, sometimes with no real counterparts in Russia.
This book provides a complete overview of the Chinese "Flanker" family, describing the origins of this family of aircraft and giving an overview of the variants, their systems and capabilities, and their use by the People's Liberation Army.