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How China Plans to Use the Su-35
Acquisition of the advanced Su-35 fighter would give China some significant new capabilities.
 http://thediplomat.com/2013/11/how-china-plans-to-use-the-su-35/1/
Aircraft Ranges
Aircraft Estimated Range (mi, km)
Su-27/J-11B Internal fuel: 1,700/2,800
Su-35 Internal fuel: 2,237/3,600With two drop tanks: 2,800/4,500
Example Distances between key Chinese airbases and areas of interest
Chinese Base Target Area Approximate Distance (mi/km)All distance estimates from Google Earth
Lingshui PLA Naval Aviation base, Hainan province
Reed Bank, South China Sea 660/1,070
Scarborough Shoal, South China Sea 560/900
Basa Philippine Air Force Air Defense Wing Base, Luzon, Philippines 730/1,180
Suixi PLAAF base, Guangdong province
Reed Bank, South China Sea 815/1,312
Scarborough Shoal, South China Sea 650/1,050
Basa Philippine Air Force Air Defense Wing Base 800/1,300
Citat:The Su-35, even on internal fuel only, offers significant advantages over the Su-27, which is limited to only quick fly-overs of trouble spots such as the Reed Bank (lile tan) or Scarborough Shoal (huangyan dao). The extra time the Su-35 can spend on station is essential to China’s desire to deter action by the Philippines or other regional actors. Such long-range aircraft would be able to “show the flag” for longer, or quickly intercept Philippine aircraft in the region. In the case of the Su-35, it would likely be able to outfly and outshoot any Philippine or Vietnamese aircraft (or surface vessel for that matter) largely rendering competing territorial claims irrelevant.
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