Why do you think the deliver day matters? For example, in 2005. China think they need more s-300 and they signed a deal and it deliever in 2010. Does that mean in 2010 they still need more S-300 with the entry service of the HQ-9? Seems like you do not understand basic logic. If we signed a new missile deal after 2009 entry service of HQ-9. I will say you are correct but the truth is, we have not buy any more S-300. Russia do business with China is they need us to pay the money first before they will make the product. You expect Chinese to reject the S-300 we have already paid in 2005 since it enter service in 2010?
Are you ok? Russia are known to never refund the money paid. Since we already paid why not we just take it even its still inferior to HQ-9.
Oh, man, let me explain to you how things work in real world, especially in military procurement and government contracts: they don't "just happen" overnight. Some government official doesn't just go to a bazar and decide to buy something. The processes take years, with multiple RFDs and other technical documents being prepared, edited, analyzed, vetted, re-edited, re-issued, commented, circulated among other agencies, etc., etc., etc. What does this mean? This means that Chinese, who have 5,000 years of history, didn't just decide in 2005 "Let's go and buy 15 Russian systems!" and then in 2010 "Hmm, I wish we didn't sign the contract, it was a mistake". No, Chinese, like Americans, Russians, Turks, and other Great Nations, think strategically, which means not just years ahead, but decades ahead. In U.S. there are multiple government plans and analysis from CIA and other intelligence agencies until 2050. Same thing in China - there is an enormous apparatus modeled after Soviet GosPlan - State Planning Commission (
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) People's Republic of China), whose sole job is to constantly plan ahead. This is especially true in China, where everything is done in 5-year increments, 5-year plans. Does the basic logic become more obvious to you now?
Thus, if Chinese signed a major contract in 2005, knowing that delivery would last until 2010 (i.e., 5 years), not only was that well planned in their 5-year and longer plans, but they knew they had to sign a contract in 2005 already in the year 2000, and indeed, in the 1990, when they first started buying Soviet/Russian S-300 systems, at that time S-300PT and S-300PMU.
Thus, it's not me who "doesn't understand basic logic" as you so charitably put, but it's you and all my other opponents, who don't know not only the technical parameters of the systems discussed here, but also geostrategic considerations. On top of that, you actually insult the intelligence of Chinese Politburo and State Planning Commission, thinking that they are some dummies who signed something in 2005 and regretted it in 2010.
Chinese are smart - in 2010, China received world's #1 strategic air defense systems - S-300 PMU-2. We know it's the best export quality air defense system, as your side's own sources prove that the best Chinese air-defense systems have a range of only about 125km, which is more than twice worse than Russian system. There is nothing better in existence even today, except S-400, which is only available to Russia itself and will be available to China only in 2017. Thus, Chinese government was VERY SMART that they got 15 units of world's best air defense system knowing that to get the next best thing would mean waiting another 7-10 years. So China is actually very smart, Chinese government is extremely smart - but Chinese bloggers and forum members - not so much.
