On Wednesday, China's People's Liberation Army Air Force announced that Su-35 fighter jets have been sent out for a joint combat patrol mission in the South China Sea. This reported by Sputnik.

According to the statement released by officials, the deployment is meant to be part of the air force's efforts to conduct military training under combat conditions, China Daily reported. The training is also expected to enhance jet capabilities "under long-distance or high-sea conditions."

Officials did not indicate the number of fighter jets that participated in the exercise.

Speaking to the Global Times, Xu Guangyu, a retired major general and senior adviser to the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, noted that the pilot training for the new aircraft was moving fast.

"Apart from the most advanced J-20, a China-made fourth generation stealth fighter jet, the Su-35 is more advanced than other Chinese fighter jets at this moment," Xu said. "We just received a group of jets from Russia last year and now we can put them into a real combat mission in the South China Sea."

"It also shows that China-Russia military cooperation is solid, mutual-benefitted and reliable," he added.

China and Russia sealed the deal for the shipment of 24 Su-35 fighters for the sum of $2 billion in November 2015. The first four fighters were reportedly shipped in late 2016 while another 10 were handed over in 2017. The remaining 10 aircraft are reportedly to be delivered in 2018.