A320 is also assembled in China. they approaching 400 build. It is far cheaper to outsource this MPA build to Chinese.

Wingtip pods are for group protection, escort duties and SEAD and Dead purposes. At least for our Su-30 MKI. Wingtip mounted pods have already been developed by Dare for such a purpose.

It clearly say wingtip system is used on Flankers and smart skin for T-50.

http://tass.com/defense/942027
Gimalai EW system
This system is derived from the Khibiny technology and is designed for the fifth-generation T-50 (PAK FA) aircraft.
As compared to its predecessor Khibiny, which is shaped as a container mounted on a specific wingtip hardpoint, the Gimalai platform is fully integrated with the aircraft’s body and designed as individual parts of the plane’s fuselage

I have looked at P-8 about 7000km range but no mention what flight altitude and how much fuel used. US has fracked Oil and willing to tolerate large trade deficits so the systems are reflection of it. EU has its own limitations so it simply cannot follow similar systems development and sustainment.

No it certainly does not, far from it.
Specifically the Rafale outranges every single fighter south of a strike eagle or SU34 by a fair margin, this includes Dave A/C, SH, Typhoon, Mig35 or Viper with the CFT and externals. The gallic jet can carry an awfull lot of external fuel for its size/weight.

MIG35 is big airframe with short takeoff capability showing tremendous real thrust of engines. it cannot be compared with weak engined Rafale that carry oversize fuel tanks that can barely cruise faster than a helicopter

https://thedefensepost.com/2018/02/19/russia-mig-35-fighter-jet-trials-complete-mikoyan/
Last June, Mikoyan’s public relations director Anastasia Kravchenko said: “It can take off from a very short lane, take off and land on unprepared airfields, and can be stored without a hangar for a period of a few months.”

Must be the 40N6M for the S-500 with near space interception , The 40N6 is already advertised for export with range quoted at 380 km and altitude 30 km

I typically dont trust izvesta unless its an interview or direct quote but its interesting they mention 40N6 is a two stage missile , this should be a different approach from any S-300/400 family of interceptor ……the active radar part is not the first though ….again assume what they say is true or just the usual unreliable sources

that I agree. even Nudal has 6 tests. this 40N6 would have 600 tests by now. its likely the 600km range version.

You are right that China copies a lot, I said they were the only ones who could afford it. Right now the US GDP is outgrowing debt, and only a small increase in defence spending of 0.5% GDP would amount to $100bn, which is spent on SDI, would go a long way.

increasing GDP which itself debt based cannot solve problem in quality / organization of scientist and skilled labor. the deficiency in it is increasing costs and imports.
it is high quality of science that is so ahead of time and is attracting free money to built factories without hyping it like Gigafactory. You will see the difference once the arms progress. They wont call S350/BUKM3/PantsirSM/TORM2 widely name but functionality it is the same to protect against projectiles.

http://en.misis.ru/university/news/science/2017-04/4621/
In Russia, the production of lithium and its compounds has been started based on a developed and cheap technology.

http://www.liotech.ru/newsen_1206_350
Dec 8 2011
The world’s largest plant producing high capacity lithium-ion batteries has been launched in Novosibirsk region

I could excuse that if there had been any discernible and honest attempts to include China in existing and future arms control regimes, but the US attitude seemed to be “too difficult to even contemplate, and we can afford to antagonize an economically weakened Russia anyway”.

Russia is only country that can afford high technology arms race. It hasn’t even started fracking to pollute ground water or increase debt level. It high efficient research, and economic system enable it sell more weopons cheaply.