China Retro-fits Home-made Air-to-air Missile on Su-30MKK Fighter Jet

China has flown an ageing Su-30MKK fighter jet, sourced from Russia with its latest home-made PL-12 air-to-air missile.

China unveiled a set of photos of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s Su-30MKK fighter jets' first training on January 6, 2019, China Military Online reported.

The report stated that China was capable of modifying the Russian aircraft’s fire control system to give it the capability to use its homegrown weapons, hence the successful integration.

Su-30MKK is known as the most powerful fighter jet of the Su-30 family. It has enhanced the structure on the basis of the former Su-30 fighters. It has two internal heavy-duty hanging points that have been enclosed since the Su-27 fighters, increasing its total payload to 12 tons.

Su-30MKK also has increased its maximum take-off weight. Its maximum range is almost 4,000 kilometers, and therefore it can patrol the entire South China Sea with the support of tanker aircraft.