Shenyang J - 11 The Shenyang J - 11 ( ) with NATO reporting name : Flanker B + is a single - seat , twin - engine jet fighter based on the Soviet - designed Sukhoi Su - 27 ( NATO reporting name : Flanker ) air superiority fighter and manufactured by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation . The People ' s Liberation Army Air Force ( PLAAF ) of the People ' s Republic of China ( PRC ) is the sole operator of the aircraft . The base J - 11 / A is a fourth - generation jet fighter which , like its Sukhoi brethren , is intended as a direct competitor to Western fourth generation fighters such as the F - 15 Eagle and F - 16 Fighting Falcon . Development . Proposed J - 11 . In the 1970s , Shenyang Aircraft Factory proposed a light fighter powered by the British Rolls - Royce Spey 512 engine , but otherwise similar to the MiG - 19 then in service . Known as the J - 11 , the project was abandoned due to difficulties in obtaining the engines . Modern J - 11 . The J - 11 was finally born in 1995 as a Chinese version of the Soviet - designed Sukhoi Su - 27 SK air superiority fighter after China secured a $ 2 . 5 billion production agreement which licensed China to build 200 Su - 27SK aircraft using Russia n - supplied kits . Under the terms of the agreement , these aircraft would be outfitted with Russian avionics , radars and engines . However , in 2004 , Russian media reported that Shenyang co - production of the basic J - 11 was halted after around 100 examples were built . The PLAAF later revealed a mock - up of an upgraded multi - role version of the J - 11 in mid - 2002 . The indigenous J - 11B variant incorporates various Chinese material modifications and upgrades to the airframe with improved manufacturing methods in addition to the inclusion of domestic Chinese technologies such as radar , avionics suites and weapon ry , including anti - ship and PL - 12 air - to - air missiles presumably for the role of a maritime strike aircraft . The alleged reason for the sudden stop in the production line of the J - 11 was because it could no longer satisfy the PLAAF ' s requirements , due to elements such as the obsolete avionics and radar , which were structured for aerial missions . The J - 11 / J - 11B ' s legitimacy remains unproven , despite a wealth of information coming to light since 2007 . In the course of a press conference at the 2009 Farnborough Airshow , Alexander Fomin , Deputy Director of Russia ' s Federal Service for Military - Technical Co - operation , reported that Russia had not so far tabled any questions to China with regard to " copying " military equipment . Fomin reported that Russia handed China the licences to manufacture the aircraft and its components , including an agreement on the production of intellectual property rights . Details of intellectual property rights , however have not been disclosed , fuelling speculation about a " secret " contract or parts of the original contract . The licence , at least officially , did not include an aircraft carrier version - Sukhoi Su - 33 nor any variant of it , such as the Shenyang J - 15 . At the MAKS 2009 , Rosoboronexport ' s General Manager Anatoli Isaykin was quoted saying : " Russia is going to investigate the J - 11B , as a Chinese copy of the Su - 27 and Sukhoi Company is partaking in the process . " In 2010 , Rosoboronexport announced via their official website that it was in talks with the Chinese side , regarding the ongoing production of weapons that Russia considers as un - licenced . In light of the ongoing investigations , Rosoboronexport expressed its concern over future sales of advanced Russian systems and components to China . Future . In the future , the current AL - 31 engine may be replaced by an indigenous engine known as the WS - 10 " Taihang " turbofan . At the Zhuhai 2002 airshow , a photo was released allegedly depicting a J - 11 modified for flight testing of a single WS - 10A . Andrei Chang , a military specialist on China reported that one J - 11A was outfitted with the indigenously produced WS - 10A turbofan engine , J - 11B also uses WS - 10A . However , Russian media reports also indicate that China still intends to upgrade the current J - 11 fleet ' s engines with either Saturn - Lyulka or Salyut powerplants . Engines under consideration include the Saturn AL - 31 - 117S ( a development of the Lyulka AL - 31 F planned for the Russo - Indian Su - 30MKIs ) , and the Salyut AL - 31F - M1 , an improved variant of the AL - 31F engine . In 2002 , Russian media reported that Shenyang Aircraft Corporation was looking into replacing Russian - made J - 11 / Su - 27SK components with domestic , Chinese - made parts . Specifically , to replace the Russian - made NIIP N001 radar with a Chinese - made fire control radar based on the Type 147X / KLJ - X family , the AL - 31F engine with WS - 10A , and Russian R - 77 AAM ' s with Chinese - made PL - 9 and PL - 12 AAM ' s . One J - 11 was photographed with an AL - 31F and a WS - 10A engine installed for testing in 2002 . However , it was not until 2007 when the Chinese government finally revealed information on the domestic J - 11 : the J - 11 used to test WS - 10 was designated as J - 11WS , and it was when state television station CCTV - 7 aired J - 11B footages in mid - 2007 when the existence of J - 11 with domestic components was finally confirmed officially . Serial manufacturing of the WS - 10 and integration with the J - 11 , proved to be more difficult than expected . As a result , even though several related prototypes had been tested and at least one regiment converted to the Taihang powered J - 11B version in 2007 , these aircraft were later grounded for an extended period due to a poor operational reliability . A report in the " Washington Times " suggested that the Chinese engines lasted 30 hours before they needed servicing , compared to 400 hours for the Russian versions . Defects were traced back to the engine manufacturer , Shenyang Liming Aircraft Engine Company employing sub - standard manufacturing and quality control procedures . Several subsequent batches temporarily reverted to the original , Russian AL - 31F turbofans . The engines manufacturing problems had finally been solved by the end of 2009 and the WS - 10A had reportedly proved mature enough to power the Block 02 aircraft . Operational history . In March 2011 a joint Sino - Pakistani exercise , Shaheen 1 , was conducted at a Pakistan Air Force ( PAF ) base involving a contingent of Chinese aircraft and personnel from the PLAAF . Information on which aircraft were used by each side in the exercise was not released , but photos of Pakistani pilots inspecting what appeared to be Chinese Shenyang J - 11B fighters were released on the internet . The exercise lasted for around 4 weeks and was the first time the PLAAF had deployed to and conducted " operational " aerial maneuvers in Pakistan with the PAF .