Summary: Russia's Su-27, a premier fourth-generation fighter, was initially developed to counter the American F-15 and entered Soviet service in 1985. Recognizing its capabilities, China purchased and later domestically produced its variant, the J-11B, transforming it significantly over time despite initial cooperation complications with Russia. The J-11B, while visually similar to the Su-27, features unique armaments and has faced challenges with its engines. Despite these issues, it remains a critical asset in China's military strategy, particularly against Taiwan, underscoring China's ability to adapt and innovate from foreign technologies in its military advancements.

From Russia with Tech: How China's J-11B Evolved from the Su-27

Russia’s Su-27 “fourth-generation” multirole fighter is considered to be one of Russia’s finest warplanes ever developed. The “Flanker” (NATO’s designation for the Su-27) went into service for the Soviet Air Force in 1985. It was designed to counter America’s F-15 Eagle. It has had a storied 39-year history of service. In fact, the Su-27 has found itself fighting on both sides of the Ukraine War. 

That’s how good of a warplane the Su-27 is. 

But it goes further than that. The Su-27 is such a great warplane that the Chinese, wanted to build their own versions of the plane. In the 1990s, as Russia was fighting for its survival after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Chinese purchased a tranche of the Su-27—both the one-seater and two-seater trainer variants of the warplane. 

These purchases kept Russia afloat economically while allowing for Beijing to modernize its antiquated force. In fact, the Russian Su-27 purchases were done only after the United States and Europe cut China off from accessing Western fourth-generation warplane technology in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

China Changes Its Mind

By 1995, however, the Chinese were no longer interested in purchasing the Russian plane. They asked Moscow instead if they could license the warbird and build it indigenously. This is in keeping with the pattern that China has long maintained whereby they first purchase sophisticated equipment, either from the West or Russia, learn how to use it—and figure out how to indigenously reproduce it—and then stop purchasing that system from the foreign source. 

Instead, China wants to make all systems indigenously. And the Russians, who were desperate in 1995 to maintain funding for their dying economy and defense industry, obliged the Chinese. 

For about decade thereafter, the Russians struggled to assist the Chinese in meeting the needs for their indigenously built variant of the Su-27. This was the Shenyang Corporation’s J-11B. And it was a nightmare for Russia to accommodate all the changes in the requirements that China’s government would impose. 

By 2004, after having built around 100 of these warplanes indigenously with varying degrees of success, the Chinese announced that they no longer wanted the Su-27. Not only would they cease purchasing the aircraft from Russia, but they would stop trying to build their own fleet of them. 

All’s well that ends well. Except in this case, the Chinese announcement was far from above-board. It was a classic Chinese deception operation in service of massive industrial espionage—of the kind that Beijing usually reserves for the Americans. 

About three years after China supposedly discontinued building their version of the Su-27 with the Russians, the Shenyang Corporation, revealed that they had continued producing the J-11B—without the assistance of the Russians. A clear violation of the agreement they had made with the Russians. 

The exterior of J-11B is essentially a clone of the Su-27. 

The J-11B is More Than Just a Knockoff

But the Chinese modified the internal systems, as well as the weapons load of the plane. Here again, we see the way China’s imitation game is played: they do not simply rip-off foreign designs and technologies. Instead, they use the foreign innovations as a template to imitate and then spin-off and innovate from there. That’s a far cry away from the “but China is just an imitator” argument that so many chauvinists in the West claim.

The J-11B’s armaments package is different from the weapons that Russia usually flies aboard the Su-27. For example, China has armed the J-11B with the short-range PL-8 infrared guided missile and the long-range PL-12 radar-guided missile. The Chinese designers kept the Russian GSh-30 thirty-millimeter cannon. Chinese designers also incorporated indigenously built air-to-ground munitions, antiradar missiles, laser-guided bombs, and glide bombs. 

Where the Chinese J-11B has failed has been in its engines. 

In fact, Chinese engines have been notoriously weaker than their foreign counterparts. This problem has even affected the J-20 fifth-generation warplane that China is touting as their answer to the American F-22A Raptor. 

Although, it is beleved that Chinese engineers have resolved the problems associated with the J-11B’s engines. Still, bad reputations are hard to knock. Nevertheless, the J-11B’s engines can produce 29,000 pounds of thrust.

Going Against Taiwan

More importantly, despite whatever perceived problems there have been with the J-11B, the fact remains that it is one of the first fighters that is deployed by Beijing to harass Taiwan. In the last few years, as China’s military has increased its aggressive behavior toward their democratic neighbor of Taiwan, the J-11B has been deployed to cross the median line in the island’s northern point. 

That’s because the J-11B, like the Su-27, was designed as a counter to the F-15—which is a mainstay of the Taiwanese air force.

Whatever problems exist for the J-11B, one should not discount it. The warplane has become a primary element of China’s air force. It was created via industrial espionage. The only reason that the Russians did not retaliate against China for their perfidy is because 40 percent of Russia’s defense industry sales are to China (now it’s likely more since the Ukraine War began and the West imposed sanctions upon Russia). 

Further, as Dr. Brent M. Eastwood assessed, the J-11B, when deployed alongside H-6 bomber, “would overwhelm Taiwanese defenses and make it difficult for defenders to ward off an attack.” 

So, the J-11B is not merely a knockoff of a superior Russian fighter. Like so many things China produces, it is a variation of the Russian plane it was inspired by, and it has its own capabilities and strengths. The J-11B must not be underestimated. It is a capable fourth-generation warplane, just like the F-15 or the Su-27.

About the Author

Brandon J. Weichert is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, as well as at American Greatness and the Asia Times. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower (Republic Book Publishers), Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are from Shutterstock.