MOSCOW. Dec 16 (Interfax-AVN) - The left of the EU embargo on arms trade with China will not considerably affect Russian-Chinese military technical cooperation, Konstantin Makienko, Deputy Director of the Analysis, Strategy and Technologies Center, believes.
"Despite the likely lift of the EU embargo and the delay in signing new contract on aircraft deliveries, China will remain the largest importer of Russian arms and materiel in the near future," Makienko told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday, commenting on the results of the meeting of the Russian-Chinese intergovernmental commission on military technical cooperation, held in Beijing this week.
According to Makienko, at the present time the lion's share of contracts, signed by Russia and China, envision deliveries of naval armaments, as well as air defense systems. Besides the Project 636 submarine, already handed over to China, Russia is to deliver another seven submarines of the same time, as well as two Project 956EM destroyers. In addition to that, Russia is also to deliver eight battalions of S-300PMU-2 Favorit air defense systems.
"It is also worth mentioning that in 2004 the Chinese Navy has been fielded with 24 SU-30MK2 Flanker multi-role combat aircraft. Beside, China has received two battalions of S-300PMU-1 air defense systems and a Project 636 submarine," Makienko said.
According to him, in the next half a year Russian-Chinese military technical cooperation is likely to focus on signing a contract on delivering the second batch of SU-30MK2 aircraft. In addition to that, the second part of the license contract, envisioning a delivery of another 100 dismantled SU-27SK Flanker aircraft to be assembled in China, may also be expected to be signed.
"Despite a slight delay in signing a contract on delivering the second batch of SU-30MK2s, which must have been caused by negotiating tactics, we believe that the deal will be struck in early 2005," Makienko said.
The analysis of the existing potential of the Chinese Navy and its tasks shows that China needs at least another one, but more likely two regiments of shipborne aircraft, i.e. it will need to procure another 24 or 48 SU-30MK2s.
"The procurement is all the more likely given the fact that the development of the JH-7A naval aircraft is facing obvious technical problems, while the aircraft became morally obsolete as early as the design stage," Makienko said.
As far as the contract on delivering dismantled SU-27SKs is concerned, Russia should change its offer in favor of the SU-27SKM, designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau, which features the same combat capabilities as the SU-30MKK, but unlike the latter is a single-seat aircraft.