{"product_id":"red-dragon-flankers-chinas-prolific-flanker-family-9781950394104","title":"Red Dragon 'Flankers': China's Prolific 'Flanker' Family","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"With its comprehensive coverage of Chinese military airpower and aviation development, this book is an indispensable addition to the collection of anyone with an interest in these subjects.\" -- Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNoted 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 People's Liberation Army Air Force's requirement for a new fourth-generation type.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis 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 license manufacturing. This yielded mixed success in the beginning and by the time the manufacturing procedures had evolved and improved, the licensed J-11 fighters no longer met the PLAAF's requirements.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSubsequently, 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis 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 People's Liberation Army.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Harpia Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50453010317586,"sku":"9781950394104","price":46.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_230ddddf-1e2f-4e8c-b424-1c4f9ac0e2a8.jpg?v=1729831754","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/red-dragon-flankers-chinas-prolific-flanker-family-9781950394104","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}