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| Sukhoi Su-35 Fighter Aircraft |
by Elizabeth Shim
The first four planes in a batch of Russian Sukhoi-35 fighters may be delivered to China by the end of 2016, according to multiple reports.
Russia's TASS news agency and China's Global Times reported the fighter jets are to arrive in China in December.
TASS' source said the "first four Sukhoi-35 are to fly over to China by Dec. 25," but Sergey Chemezov, the head of Russia's Rostec Corp., said no Sukhoi-35 planes would be delivered to China in 2016.
Rostec is a Russian state holding company that promotes the development of defense sector technology.
According to the Global Times, however, the four planes are scheduled for delivery by the end of the year, which is taking place on an accelerated timeline.
The Chinese newspaper's source said it was the Russian side that decided to "speed up" delivery.
The fighter jets are strategically positioned to match the United States' F-35 and F-15 aircraft in capability, according to South Korean news service News 1.
Read the full story at SpaceDaily