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The planes are essentially, unable to use Chinese missiles, and unable to use any air to ground weaponry of both Russian and Chinese origin. Getting Flankers was like adding Macs to your office full of IBM PCs. They got their own set of peripherals and software, and they're not compatible with those of your own. Surely you want your software to run on the Macs, but the vendor insists that you should buy his own. Change computers to planes, and software and peripherals to missiles, and you have the same basic idea. The Russians have been less that forthcoming in adapting Chinese missiles to the Flankers, but instead had been aggressively pitching sales of Russian missiles.

Yet China cannot keep buying warehouses of Russian missiles, and the development of its own missile industry is as strategically important. While the Russian missile industry remains more advanced currently, the Chinese missile industry has made great strides. It is not to be ignored, but cannot be exploited if Flankers remained a closed system.

Add to this, Russian missile systems are getting to be too well known in the West. For example, one of the premier antiship missiles of the SU-30MKK is the supersonic Kh-31a. Yet the Russians sell a drone version of this missile to the USN for target practice. What becomes the 'surprise' factor for this missile then?

One of the premier maker of radars for Russian aircraft is the Phazotron NIIR institute. Phazotron has already signaled its willingness to work for Chinese requirements. One of the fruits of this is the Zhuk 8II used on the F-8IIM prototype, which could fire PL-5, PL-8 or PL-9 missiles. But then integration with IR AAMs is relatively easy; its integration with SARH, Active Guided, and guided air to ground ordinance that is a greater concern. Probably a more evolved version of this radar is the Zhem Chug, which Phazotron is using to bid on the J8II upgrade project (Russian Pearl, hence from the Pin Yin: Zhen Chu's or pearl) and also bid for the J-10 project. The Zhem Chug could scan 20 targets, engage 4 of them, and also has multirole capability; indeed it's superior to the N001E Zhuk PD of the SU-27SK.

As Phazotron supplies the radars for the SU-27SK/J-11, some agreement should be reached to upgrade the radars on these planes to accomodate at least Chinese IR guided AAMs. The same kind of adaptations done on the Zhuk 8II should be worked for the Zhuk 27, then used on the J-11, or Zhem Chug should be procured directly for the SU-27s.

The delivered SU30MKKs are a done deal, but another 40 SU3-0MKKs still being built are not. If NIIP institute, which supplies the radar for the SU3-0MKK, does not provide some adaptation to Chinese missiles, the radar contract should be given to Phazotron instead. In any case, the improved Zhuk 27s appear to be have some advantages over the MKK's N001VME, such as being able to target four instead of two, and greater detect range.

Another possibility is the Sokol (SU-35 class radar) based Zhuk 10PD which Taiwan intelligence thinks is another J-10 candidate radar. Given the J-10 requirements to use Chinese made missiles, if indeed a Sokol based radar could do this, it should be considered as a viable upgrade for the J-11s and SU-30MKKs.

But the important work is to adapt to use Chinese medium range AAMs and AG weapons. What makes it harder is that this is an evolving process, since there will be more missiles and ordinance in the future, and the adaptation work will never stop.

Ultimately, it is better to fit domestic made fire control radar. You have full control of your platform. Some help from Phazotron is still necessary, so this radar can continue to have compatibility with the latest Russian missile systems. (The Russians will never agree to the adoption of a fire control radar that would omit their missile systems.) This is signaled by developments such as the JL-10A radar used on the JH-7A, a fighter bomber whose development has completed. The JL-10A is compatible to Chinese AG weapons such as the C801K ASM, and also to Russian missiles and ordinance like the Kh-31a and -p, which have been licensed to China, the TV guided KAB bombs, and possibly even the Kh-29T (the Russian equivalent to the Maverick.). Phazotron was rumored to have cooperated with the development of this radar (is this the domestic Zhem Chug, possibly with refinements from the ELTA/M 2032?) . Something like a version of the JL-10A could be considered for a domestically built SU-30MKK, an upgrade for the J-11 or even the J-10.