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Three years later, Russia's fears were confirmed when China unveiled its own version of the fighter jet the J-11B on state television.
WSJ: China Clones, Sells Russian Fighter Jets
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The company also hopes to sell China the Su-35 a more advanced version of the Su-27 if the J-11B doesn't perform well enough.
WSJ: China Clones, Sells Russian Fighter Jets
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The J-11B looked almost identical to the Su-27, but China said it was 90% indigenous and included more advanced Chinese avionics and radars.
WSJ: China Clones, Sells Russian Fighter Jets
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The Kremlin hasn't done that yet, but Russian officials have suggested privately taking legal action if China exports more advanced jets like the J-11B.
WSJ: China Clones, Sells Russian Fighter Jets
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Photographs published recently on Chinese military websites appear to show engines fitted on the J-11B and a modified version called the J-15 for use on aircraft carriers.
WSJ: China Clones, Sells Russian Fighter Jets
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Indeed, many aviation experts believe AVIC is having problems developing an indigenous engine for the J-11B with the same thrust and durability as the original Russian ones.
WSJ: China Clones, Sells Russian Fighter Jets
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The J-11B is expected to be used by the Chinese navy as its frontline fighter, capable of sustained combat over the entire East China Sea and South China Sea.
WSJ: China Clones, Sells Russian Fighter Jets
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The J-11B presented Russia with a stark choice to continue selling China weapons, and risk having them cloned, too, or to stop, and miss out on its still lucrative market.
WSJ: China Clones, Sells Russian Fighter Jets
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Few things illustrate this more clearly than the J-11B, a Chinese fighter that Russian officials allege is a direct copy of the Su-27, a one-seat fighter that was developed by the Soviets through the 1970s and 1980s as a match for the U.S. F-15 and F-16.
WSJ: China Clones, Sells Russian Fighter Jets