Russian
Weapons Sales Could Help China ‘Contest U.S. Air Superiority’
12:11 PM
03/22/2017
Sales of Russian weapons to China poses a serious threat to U.S. air power in Asia, a congressional commission reports.
Armed with
advanced Russian weaponry, such as S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and
Su-35 fighter jets, the Chinese military could “contest U.S. air superiority,”
the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission asserts in
a new report.
Four of 24
Su-35s were sent to China in December last year, fulfilling obligations set
forth in a 2015 deal.
Russia
informally banned the sale of advanced weaponry to China a little over a decade
ago due to mounting concerns over the replication of Russian technology
and divergent strategic interests; however, that ban appears to have been
lifted as the bilateral relationship between the two powers grows stronger.
The Su-35 is Russia’s most advanced fighter jet, and it has been hesitant to sell its prized plane to China. Powerful countries typically do not sell off their top weapons systems to rising powerhouses with the ability to threaten strategic interests, but Russia is not just selling its Su-35. It is also sending S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to China. The SAM system is expected to arrive in 2018 in accordance with a 2014 agreement.
The
acquisition of Russian Su-35s could “provide China with technology that could
help accelerate the development of its own advanced fighters, and serve as a valuable
training and learning platform before China fields its next-generation
aircraft,” the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission argues.
Furthermore,
S-400 SAM systems could “help China improve capital air defense and
could assist the [People’s Liberation Army in achieving increased air
superiority over Taiwan, … [posing] a challenge for Taiwan’s air assets in
a potential cross-Strait conflict,” the report explains, adding that the
deployment of S-400 SAMs could threaten “the air assets of U.S. allies or
partners in a South China Sea or East China Sea contingency, and U.S. aircraft,
should the United States decide to become involved in” a regional conflict.
Russia and
China have been increasingly thrown together by geopolitical forces.
U.S.
pressure in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s assertive
behavior in the South China Sea have driven Moscow and Beijing into one
another’s arms. U.S. plans to deploy its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense
(THAAD) missile system on South Korean soil, a move opposed by both Russia and
China, reportedly for national security reasons, has also encouraged
Chinese-Russian cooperation.
Russia and
China “maintain a shared resistance to U.S. leadership in the Asia Pacific.”
“China and
Russia appear to be moving toward a higher level of defense
cooperation,” the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
notes. “The increased complexity and focus on joint operations of military
exercises between the PLA and Russian Armed Forces help provide both sides with
valuable experience in pursuing their defense objectives.”
The report
further states that “the recently expanded geographic scope of Sino-Russian
military exercises, along with a new focus on missile defense, reflects
increasingly aligned security interests and suggests the two countries are both
signaling their respective support for the other’s security priorities. Greater
alignment between the two countries in the security realm could pose challenges
to the United States, its allies, and partners.”
Policy
differences and mutual distrust are expected to prevent China and Russia from
forming any kind of defense agreement or formal alliance.
“Russian arms
sales to China and military-technical cooperation could have significant
consequences for the United States, challenging U.S. air superiority and posing
problems for U.S., allied, and partner assets in the region,” the commission
concludes.
Original
post: dailycaller.com
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