Chinese products are less expensive than Russian and Western systems. They are similar to the Russian systems that many African countries are familiar with, and they are also easy to maintain and easy to use in training.

Many countries in Africa are therefore switching allegiance to the People's Republic of 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 armored vehicles.

The T92 wheeled armored vehicle is fitted with Russian 2A72 30mm machine guns. Russia's KBP Design Bureau transferred the machine-gun technology to the People's Republic of 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 the People's Republic of 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 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighter aircraft and Chinese-made J-7 fighters.

The People's Republic of China first used its K-8 fighter trainers to open up the military aircraft market in African countries. Then, China 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 Main Battle Tank in one African country after another. In 2006 the People's Republic of China exported its T96 Main Battle Tanks to Uganda, another traditional Russian weapons client.

Uganda's ground forces are currently armed with 150 T54/55 Main Battle Tanks and 20 BTR-60 armored personnel carriers, and the Ugandan air force is equipped with 6 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s and 5 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23s that it bought from Russia.

In the past, Chinese-made arms were known for their low prices and poor quality -- and as such they were no match for the Russian, European and U.S. weapons that were being sold to African nations.

However, this situation is now being reversed. Starting 10 years ago, as the People's Republic of China received technological support from Russia and the former Soviet republic of Ukraine, the quality gap between Chinese-made ground force equipment and systems from Russia and the West has greatly narrowed.

For instance, the People's Republic of China is now actively promoting its FC-1 combat fighters to African countries, and Nigeria, the political and military giant of West Africa, has expressed keen interest in this combat aircraft. The FC-1 is fitted with Russian-made RD-93 engines.

The People's Republic of 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 the People's Republic of China will offer the J-10A on the African continent after installing less expensive Chinese-made WS10A engines.

China's cheaper combat fighter challenge to Russia's Sukhoi Su-27
China's J-10A air superiority combat fighter aircraft falls into the same category as the U.S.-made F-16 Block 40, but it costs at least one-third less.

The People's Republic of China has already started to manufacture a next-version J-11B, based on the Russian Sukhoi Su-27SK.

China denies that its aircraft is an imitation of the famous and highly regarded Russian fighter, as its measurements are smaller. Therefore China does not consider the J-11B to be subject to the Sukhoi 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 Mikoyan-Gurevich 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 because of 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 also has 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.

(Andrei Chang is editor in chief of Kanwa Defense Review Monthly, registered in Toronto.)

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