The Russian defense industry now has a full understanding of the fact that the Chinese copied the Russian carrier-based fighter Su-33 (J-15) and carried out its flight tests, according to the November issue of Kanwa Asian Defense magazine. On July 1, 2010, at a press conference of Rosoboronexport in Moscow, the head of the Russian delegation, A. Yemelyanov, answered the question of a Kanwa correspondent regarding the J-15 as follows: “We paid attention to the progress of the aircraft development. We are unhappy with this fact and we object to this practice. But what can we do? " Earlier, answering this question, a high-ranking Russian representative bluntly remarked that "a forgery is always worse than the original." A. Yemelyanov continued: “Representatives of the foreign defense industry are also constantly raising the issue of Chinese copying of Russian weapons. They also note the rate at which the problem is expanding, but our answer remains the same. Please use only the original product."
An aviation expert from the Rosoboronexport company noted that he was shocked to learn that the PRC had managed to copy the Su-33 in such a short period. He honestly admitted that “we have done a very poor job of protecting our intellectual property. The Russian-Chinese agreement on the protection of intellectual property, concluded in December 2008, proved to be ineffective. Therefore, we began to push the agreement into the background. As of today, the agreement contains only a few pages, and its clauses are of a general nature. We are currently thinking about how to clarify the clauses related to our intellectual property, and what effective steps should be taken to bring the situation under control. " It seems that Russia is again ready to raise the issue of protecting its intellectual rights. “The Chinese side has never approached us about the J-15, and has never given an explanation for what is happening. Never".
He also silently admitted that the supply of Russian arms to the PRC at this stage is nearing completion.
At the same press conference, A. Yemelyanov also pointed out that “Rosoboronexport” did not discuss the issue of the J-15 fighter with the Chinese side, and it is not within its purview. We are responsible for informing the competent federal authorities about the latest events and developments in the situation, and the problem should be resolved at the appropriate government level of the two countries."
When speaking with Kanwa Asian Defense about the J-15 situation, all Russian weapons experts expressed their disappointment and discontent. According to them, "unlike the situation with the J-11B fighter, the copying of the J-15 took place after the conclusion of an agreement on the protection of intellectual property."
The ongoing Chinese copying of the Su-33 carrier-based fighter has also attracted the attention of the American and European defense industries. Answering Kanwa's question, an expert from the American company Raytheon said: “How was China able to copy the Su-33 in such a short time? Even for the United States, given the high level of education, innovative spirit, experience in design and state-of-the-art production, copying the Su-33 is not an easy task. This is because the American and European defense industries are based on innovation, not copying."
The heightened concern of European defense companies about the Chinese development of the J-15 is a clear signal that they have begun to analyze the issue of protecting the intellectual property of their weapons. Europe is delaying lifting the arms embargo to China. One of the key points for this is the lack of serious lobbying opportunities for the European defense industry. A technical expert from Raytheon asked more questions about the J-15 than representatives of Russian defense companies.
[…] Russian discontent with the cloning of the Su-33 is not limited to mere statements. Earlier, Kanwa reported that the Russian defense industry is considering the possibility of freezing or even completely terminating the agreement on the transfer of J-11 fighter technology to the PRC. As of July 2010, the agreement was still in effect, and in accordance with its provisions, Russia must supply certain components to the PRC, including AL-31F engines and other systems for the Su-27SK, J-11 and J-11A fighters. The proposal to "freeze the agreement" means that Russia may impose new restrictions on the export of AL-31F engines. In other words, Russia can reduce the number of AL-31F exported to China or simply stop sales. According to an informed source in the Russian defense industry, “We are considering possible ways of expressing our position. We know that, in accordance with the agreement, a significant number of AL-31F engines purchased by the PRC were not used in the aforementioned aircraft. Instead, they were mounted on the J-11B and the future J-15.” Russia began to take retaliatory actions. In July, in an article published in Nezavisimaya Gazeta, President of the Sukhoi and MiG companies M. Pogosyan proposed to the Russian government to freeze the 2005 contract for the supply of 100 RD-93 engines to China, according to which 57 RD-93 engines Russia was supposed to supply the PRC by 2010.
A source at Rosoboronexport told Kanwa that the suspension of the contract would not affect the engines already supplied. The logic of M. Poghosyan's article is to avoid competition between the MiG-29SMT and the Chinese JF-17 on international markets. Once the agreement is suspended, exporting JF-17s to countries like Pakistan will become more difficult. Why freeze the RD-93 contract? Previous materials from Kanwa indicated that due to the export of the MiG-29. But now Kanwa believes this is an attempt by the Russian defense industry to voice its displeasure with the J-11B and J-15 - or even a warning to the Chinese.
