Aircraft
Russian Air Force Takes Upgraded Su-27s Intended for China
The latest upgrade to the Su-27 fighter was displayed at the Moscow Air Show last August. (Photo: Vladimir Karnozov)
The latest upgrade to the Su-27 fighter was displayed at the Moscow Air Show last August. (Photo: Vladimir Karnozov)

Sukhoi has delivered 12 Su-27SM(3)s to the Russian air force. The aircraft were originally intended to be supplied as subassemblies to China under a contract signed in 2009, and the last delivery was made in late December. The airframes were assembled at Sukhoi’s KnAAPO plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur from parts originally manufactured for what was meant to be a second batch of 95 airframes in the Chinese order for 200 Su-27SKs. However, China took only the first 105 Su-27SKs, most of which were assembled in China from Russian kits.