China may receive its second batch of 10 Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets by the end of 2017, according to Russian state media reports.

The Kremlin and Beijing signed off on the procurement of 24 jets in November 2015, and China received four of the planes in 2016. China expects delivery of the remaining 10 jets in 2018.

"The first four vehicles were supplied in late last year and the second batch of 10 jets will be delivered to the customer this year," the TASS news agency reports, quoting an unnamed source.

The Su-35 single-seat, twin-engine multirole fighter upgraded from the Su-27 Soviet-era aircraft. The modernized fighter is equipped with enhanced avionics and more powerful engines. Weapons include one 30mm GSh-301 cannon, unguided rockets, and various missiles and bombs.

While the armed forces of Russia and China are the primary Su-35 operators, the governments of Venezuela, Indonesia, Vietnam and Algeria have also expressed interest in buying the jet.

Russia to acquire new MiG-35 light fighters
Moscow (UPI) Jan 27, 2017 -The Russian air force has selected the Mikoyan MiG-35 as its light multi-purpose fighter and will begin serial purchases in 2019, reports from Russia say.

The MiG-35, a 4++ generation aircraft, was developed on the basis of the serial-produced MiG-29K/KUB and MiG-29M/M2 aircraft.

The light attack plane made its first flight in 2007. NATO has given it the reporting designation of Fulcrum-F.

"Some time will pass and we'll replace the entire light fighter element precisely with this class," Russian Aerospace Forces Commander-in-Chief Viktor Bondarev said Friday, according to Russia's Tass news agency.

"It is capable of engaging in super-maneuverable air fights and strike targets both at sea and in the air."

Flight tests of the aircraft began on Thursday, Tass said, and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation is holding an international presentation of the aircraft.

The MiG-35 has a maximum speed of about 1,491 miles per hour at altitude and a combat radius of 620 miles. It is armed with guns, rockets and a variety of missile types.

"The fighter aircraft has been specially designed for warfare amid increased intensity conflicts and highly dense air defense," United Aircraft Corporation President Yury Slyusar said. "The available high indicators have been achieved thanks to a set of onboard equipment mounted on the plane along with a new optical location system and radar signature reduced by several times,"

"We have increased the number of weapons bay points from six to eight, which allows using both current and promising types of airborne destruction means, including laser weapons."