China is increasingly challenging Russia in the African arms trade, offering lower prices on weapons that, ironically, are often made in China with Russian technologies. Chinese products are less expensive than Russian and Western systems, similar to the Russian systems that many African countries are familiar with, easy to maintain and easy to use in training.Many countries are therefore switching allegiance to China for their weapons purchases. A typical example is Sudan. At a 2007 military parade, the Khartoum regime showcased its China-made T96 main battle tanks and T92 wheeled armoured vehicles.
The T92 is fitted with Russian 2A72 30-mm machine guns. Russia’s KBP Design Bureau transferred the machine-gun technology to China in 1996, along with fire-control technology for the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle.
Sudan has also acquired K-8 trainer aircraft, Q-5 attackers and FN-6 portable ground-to-air missiles from China. Traditionally, Sudan has been a client of Russia, from whom it has purchased BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-50 wheeled IFVs and T54/55 main battle tanks.
The Sudanese Air Force is equipped with both Russian-made MiG-23 fighter aircraft and Chinese-made J-7 fighters.
China first used its K-8 fighter trainers to open up the military aircraft market in African countries, then went on to offer its inexpensive fighters as an alternative to Russian aircraft.
Chinese-made main battle tanks have begun to replace the Russian-made T54/55 in one African country after another. In 2006, China exported T96 MBTs to Uganda, which is another traditional Russian weapons client. Its ground forces are currently armed with 150 T54/55 MBTs and 20 BTR-60 armoured personnel carriers, and its air force is equipped with 6 MiG-21s and 5 MiG-23s from Russia.
In the past, Chinese-made arms were known for their low prices and poor quality – and as such were no match for the Russian, European and U.S. weapons in Africa. But this situation is being reversed. Starting 10 years ago, as China received technological support from Russia and Ukraine, the quality gap between Chinese-made ground force equipment and systems from Russia or the West has greatly narrowed.
For instance, China is now actively promoting its FC-1 fighters to African countries, and Nigeria has expressed keen interest in this combat aircraft. The FC-1 is fitted with Russian-made RD-93 engines.
China has already introduced its J-10A fighter to the international market, under the name FC-20. The J-10A is currently fitted with Russian-made AL-31FN turbojet engines; it is very likely that China will offer the J-10A on the African continent after installing less expensive Chinese-made WS10A engines.
The J-10A falls into the same category as the U.S.-made F-16 Block 40, but costs at least one-third less. China has already started to manufacture a next-version J-11B, based on the Russian Su-27SK.
China denies that its aircraft is an imitation of the Russian fighter, as its measurements are smaller. Therefore China does not consider the J-11B to be subject to the Su-27SK licensing agreement or its export restrictions. The J-11B is also likely to be fitted with Chinese WS10A engines and sold in Africa.
In general, the price of Chinese weapons is still about one-third lower than comparable Russian weapons. More importantly, what China wants from Africa is resources, especially crude oil, and it has already exported substantial numbers of weapons in exchange for oil. In dealing with oil-producing countries China has an advantage over Russia, which as a major world oil producer has no need to trade weapons for oil.
For instance, China sold 15 J-7 fighters to oil-rich Nigeria in 2005. Nigeria is another country that has purchased most of its military hardware from Russia in the past. It has a fleet of Russian MiG-21MF fighters, and the Nigerian army is equipped with 100 Russian T55 main battle tanks.
The one African country where Chinese arms purchases have completely replaced those from Russia is Egypt. Since tilting toward the U.S.-led Western camp in 1979, Egypt has continued to import Chinese arms. With technological support from China, Egypt has assembled 80 K-8 trainers and is assembling another 40, for a total of 120 K-8 trainers in the Egyptian Air Force. This makes it China’s top customer for this item.
Egypt still has weapon systems from the Soviet Union, including at least 800 T54/55 MBTs, 200 sealed BMP-1 IFVs, and about 60 MiG-21s for training purposes. But due to an insufficient supply of parts, Egypt decided to switch to Chinese aircraft and purchased 53 J-7 fighters from China.
Other African countries that have acquired China’s K-8 trainers include Zambia, with eight aircraft, Namibia with four, Zimbabwe with 12, Ghana with four and Sudan with 12. China has also had contacts with these countries concerning its FC-1 fighters.
All these countries have traditionally been Russia’s weapons clients. The Namibian army has T54/55 tanks and its air force is equipped with Russian An-26 transport aircraft. Meanwhile, Namibia has also purchased two Y-12 transport aircraft from China.
Zambia uses both Chinese and Russian arms. The Zambian army is equipped with both T44s and Chinese T59 MBTs, which are now undergoing an upgrade with help from China. The Zambian air force also uses both MiG-21 and J-6 fighters.
China has exported to Zimbabwe T59 and T69 MBTs, and most of its ground forces’ equipment is from China. Of course Russian SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles are still in service here. The Zimbabwean air force has six MiG-23 fighters and nine J-7 fighters.
Ghana traditionally has been a client country of Western weapons manufacturers. It does have some Russian equipment in service however, including SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles, Zu-23-2 air defence machine guns and D-30 122-mm howitzers.
China is now promoting its latest gun-launched laser-guided projectiles on the African continent. At least one African country is already equipped with the Chinese-made GP1 155-mm laser-guided projectiles, which are a Chinese version of Russia’s Krasnopol GLLGP, the technology for which was transferred to China by the KBP Design Bureau in 1997.
Chinese arms are also actively penetrating North Africa’s Arab countries. Algeria has been a typical purchaser of Russian equipment. The Algerian army has 320 T54/55s and 350 T72s, as well as AT-3, AT-4 and AT-5 anti-tank missiles, 289 BMP-1/2 IFVs and SAM-7, SAM-8, SAM-9 and SAM-14 ground missiles.
The Algerian air force is armed with 43 MiG-21MFs, 30 MiG-23B/Es, 28 MiG-23Fs, 20 MiG-29s, 10 MiG-25s, 38 Su-24Ms, approximately 60 Mi-17/171s and 31 Mi-24s. Its navy has two Kilo submarines, three Nanuchika II missile swift boats and three Project 1159.2 frigates.
The Algerian navy also has three Chinese Project C-802 missile boats, built in 2002, with C-802 ship-to-ship missiles fitted onboard. These are the first such boats to be exported to Africa.
As their economic strength continues to grow, African countries will need weapons of better quality and performance. Russia will still find a huge market for its high-tech equipment in such countries as Ethiopia, Angola, Libya, Yemen and Algeria. In recent years, it has begun to sell advanced platforms like the Su-30MKA, Su-27SK and MiG-29SMT to these countries.
The Algerian air force has ordered 28 Su-30MKAs, which will be the most advanced Russian fighter aircraft on the African continent. The Bars phased array radar and AL-31FP TVC engines fitted on these aircraft are of the same standard as those on the Malaysian air force’s Su-30MKM.
The Ethiopian air force has at least 10 Su-27SKs, which have been seen at its Bebre Zeyt Airport. These will inevitably need upgrading. Also of interest is the fact that two Su-27 fighters were seen at the Asmara International Airport of Eritrea, despite the fact that Russia never officially exported Su-27 fighters to this country. Eritrea enjoys very good relations with Ukraine, however.
Yemen received 32 MiG-29SMT fighters from Russia in 2006-07. Its air force also has 66 MiG-29 fighters that will need repair service.
In the future, China’s J-11B and FC-1 will be possible alternatives to Russia’s Su-27 and MiG-29SMT fighters. The low price of Chinese fighters, supported by China’s strategy of trading arms for oil, determines that Russia will continue to face a powerful competitor in the African aviation market.
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(Andrei Chang is editor-in-chief of Kanwa Defense Review Monthly, registered in Toronto, Canada.)
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