Beijing downplays threat of Vietnam's air force

A Su-27 fighter deployed by the Vietnam air force. (Internet photo)

Hong Lei, spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, protested against the patrols by Vietnamese Su-27 fighters over the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea at a press conference in Beijing on Jun. 21, reports the state-run China Radio International.

The Spratlys, one of the largest island chains in the South China Sea, is claimed in whole or in part by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Small military forces from the first five countries are stationed on 45 of its islands.

The flights by fighters from the Vietnam People's Air Force over the Spratlys are routine and will continue, according to the Vietnamese military officials. The country's air force is seeking to modernize by purchasing new aircraft to replace its cold war-era fighters such as the MiG-21, MiG-23 and Su-22. Although Vietnam has the largest air force in Southeast Asia in terms of number of aircraft, its planes are not able to match those used by Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

Because of the arms embargo imposed by the United States, Vietnam's only option is to buy fighters from Russia. After taking delivery of 12 Su-27 and four Su-30MK2V planes from Russia, Hanoi signed another contract with Moscow to purchase 12 more Su-30MK2V aircraft in 2009. The Vietnamese government plans to purchase a total number of 72 Su-30s from Russia to equip its three fighter divisions. This modernization plan may not help the Vietnamese air force defeat China's PLA Air Force in a future conflict, according to China Radio International.

The 12 Su-27 fighters can only play only a limited role in missions supporting Vietnamese ground and naval forces due to the limitation of its payload. They cannot conduct long-range missions because they are not able to be refueled in mid-air. Without information provided by early warning aircraft, even the more advanced Su-30MK2Vs would be unable to attack effectively in formation. Even if Vietnam is successful in acquiring 72 Su-30 fighters by 2015, the overall combat effectiveness of its air force will still not be greatly enhanced, the Chinese media report said.

Source :http://www.wantchinatimes.com