New Batch of Su-35S Fighter Jets Delivered
On May 12, 2025, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) announced the delivery of a fresh batch of Su-35S multirole fighter jets to the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). This new addition to Russia’s fleet is a significant move in its ongoing efforts to modernize its air force, especially amid the intense operational demands caused by the conflict in Ukraine. The aircraft, which underwent rigorous testing at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant in Russia’s Far East, have now been deployed to their respective operational bases. This delivery highlights Russia’s continued commitment to sustaining its air superiority with one of its most advanced combat platforms, as the country faces mounting losses in the ongoing war.
While the precise number of jets in this batch remains confidential, the delivery further emphasizes Russia’s dedication to enhancing its aerial capabilities. The Su-35S, known to NATO as the Flanker-E+, is a 4++ generation fighter designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau, a key player in Russia’s aviation industry. This fighter represents a major evolution of the Soviet-era Su-27 Flanker, blending cutting-edge avionics, powerful armament, and remarkable agility to perform a wide range of missions.
The new jets are joining a fleet already under significant pressure. Open-source intelligence suggests that the VKS currently operates approximately 100 Su-35S aircraft, although the exact number remains classified. These planes play a crucial role in bridging the gap between older Soviet designs and the fifth-generation Su-57 stealth fighters that are still being developed. They are pivotal in maintaining Russia’s operational readiness in the face of modern threats.
Su-35 Losses
Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, the VKS has lost at least 134 aircraft, including several Su-35S jets, to Ukrainian air defenses and other aerial threats. This high attrition rate underscores the urgency with which Russia needs to replenish its fleet.
Su35 Fighter Jet Capabilities
The Su-35S’s advanced capabilities are driven by its twin Saturn AL-41F1S engines, each equipped with thrust-vectoring nozzles that allow for superior maneuverability. These nozzles enable the jet to perform tight turns and high-angle-of-attack maneuvers, even up to 120 degrees. With a top speed of approximately 1,500 miles per hour (Mach 2.25), the Su-35S can also operate with a combat radius of up to 2,200 miles, extending to 4,500 kilometers with external fuel tanks or in-flight refueling.
The aircraft’s durable airframe, constructed from titanium alloys, ensures both strength and resilience, maintaining a maximum takeoff weight of 34.5 tons. This powerful design allows the Su-35S to excel in both dogfighting and long-range missions, making it a versatile asset for both air superiority and ground attack roles. Its sensors are similarly impressive, centered around the Irbis-E passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar, which can detect targets up to 250 miles away and track up to 30 targets while engaging eight simultaneously.
Unlike the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars used in Western fighters such as the F-35, the Irbis-E’s performance is more vulnerable to jamming, but it still provides robust functionality. The OLS-35 optoelectronic targeting system, which incorporates infrared search and track (IRST) technology, allows the Su-35S to detect and engage targets without emitting radar signals, providing a degree of stealth against low-observable aircraft.
Complementary to the radar system, the Su-35S features wing-mounted sensors for enhanced situational awareness, and its electronic warfare suite, including jammers and decoy dispensers, provides protection against infrared and radar-guided threats. The modernized cockpit, with multifunction LCD displays, ensures smooth pilot interaction with the aircraft’s complex systems.
The Su-35S boasts an impressive armament capacity, with 12 external hardpoints capable of carrying up to 17,630 pounds of ordnance. It includes a 30mm GSh-30-1 autocannon with 150 rounds for close-range combat. For air-to-air engagements, the jet is capable of launching long-range R-37M missiles with a reach of up to 186 miles, medium-range K-77M missiles with active radar homing, and short-range R-73 missiles for close-range dogfights. Its air-to-ground capabilities are similarly advanced, including the Kh-31 and Kh-59 missiles for anti-ship and precision strikes, as well as laser- and satellite-guided bombs for targeting infrastructure.
The Su-35S also carries anti-radiation missiles, enabling it to suppress enemy air defenses, a critical capability in contested airspace. This versatility allows the Su-35S to engage targets across the air, ground, and sea domains, day or night, and in all weather conditions.
When compared to Western counterparts, such as the U.S. F-15EX Eagle II, the Su-35S holds its own in certain areas but faces challenges in others. The F-15EX, like the Su-35S, is a 4++ generation fighter that excels in air superiority and multirole operations. It boasts an AESA radar and can carry up to 22 air-to-air missiles across 29 hardpoints, surpassing the Su-35S in payload capacity. However, the Su-35S’s thrust-vectoring engines provide it with superior agility, a crucial advantage in close-range combat.
The fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II, by contrast, emphasizes low observability and sensor fusion, prioritizing stealth over raw kinematic performance. Although the Su-35S lacks the F-35’s stealth features, its long-range missiles and advanced radar systems make it a formidable opponent against non-stealth aircraft.
The Su-35S has been a core component of the VKS since its induction in 2014. By early 2023, approximately 108 serial Su-35S aircraft had been delivered under various contracts. Its combat debut occurred in Syria in 2016, where it performed both strikes against ground targets and tested its systems. This experience was critical for refining its avionics and tactics.
However, the environment in Ukraine has proven much more challenging. Deployed primarily for long-range strikes and air superiority missions, the Su-35S has been involved in launching precision-guided munitions against Ukrainian infrastructure while engaging Ukrainian aircraft. With its powerful radar and long-range missiles, the Su-35S has been able to target Ukrainian MiG-29s and Su-27s from beyond their missile ranges. However, the aircraft has been vulnerable to Ukraine’s robust air defenses. Open-source intelligence, including data from Oryx, confirms that at least seven Su-35S jets have been lost in Ukraine since February 2022, though the actual number may be higher.
Ukrainian forces have employed a variety of defense systems to down these aircraft, including Soviet-era S-300 and Buk-M1 systems, as well as Western-supplied MANPADS such as the Stinger and Igla. Several significant incidents, such as the downing of a Su-35S by a Ukrainian S-300 missile near Kakhovka in July 2022, highlight the vulnerability of the Su-35S to modern air defense systems.
Despite these setbacks, the Su-35S remains a crucial part of the VKS’s fleet. It is regularly used in a variety of roles, from air superiority to precision strikes and even early warning missions, a result of the VKS’s shortage of A-50 airborne radar aircraft. However, its high sortie rates in Ukraine have contributed to accelerated wear and tear on its airframe, with estimates suggesting that the VKS could lose as many as 60 Su-35S aircraft annually due to overuse.
Historically, the Su-35S was developed as part of Russia’s post-2008 military modernization program, addressing gaps revealed during the war with Georgia. The VKS sought a fighter that could rival Western platforms while awaiting the full production of the Su-57.
The Su-35S’s design reflects Russia’s focus on supermaneuverability and long-range engagement rather than stealth, which contrasts with the Western focus on stealth and sensor fusion as seen in the F-35. Its ability to carry up to 14 air-to-air missiles and engage targets at extreme ranges with the R-37M missile aligns with Russian air combat strategies, which favor standoff engagements. However, its performance in Ukraine illustrates that even with advanced sensors and maneuverability, it cannot fully overcome modern air defense networks, particularly in environments with sophisticated electronic warfare support.
The latest delivery of Su-35S jets fits within Russia’s broader efforts to sustain its airpower amidst growing losses. In 2024 alone, the VKS received several batches of combat aircraft, including Su-35S jets, Su-34 strike fighters, Su-57 stealth jets, and Su-30SM fighters.
Despite sanctions imposed by the U.S. and EU, which have limited access to foreign components, the Su-35S’s continued production reflects its central role in Russia’s air force. The Komsomolsk-on-Amur plant, bolstered by government investments, has undergone modernization to increase output, although production delays remain due to the reliance on domestic supply chains.
Beyond its domestic use, the Su-35S has attracted international interest, including a deal with Iran to replace its aging U.S.-made F-14 Tomcats. Algeria has also reportedly acquired some of the jets, while China remains the first export customer, having purchased 24 Su-35S jets in 2015.
The affordability of the Su-35S, with an estimated price range of $14.6 million to $18.8 million per unit, makes it an attractive option for countries seeking high-performance fighters at a fraction of the cost of Western aircraft like the F-35, which costs upwards of $80 million.
In conclusion, while the Su-35S offers significant capabilities in air combat, its vulnerabilities in modern contested environments highlight the challenges Russia faces as it continues to deploy the aircraft in Ukraine and other areas. The continued production of the Su-35S suggests that it will remain a vital asset in Russia’s air force for the foreseeable future, although its limitations may prompt the VKS to accelerate the transition to next-generation platforms like the Su-57.
Last week some Russia’s Su-35 Fighter Jet were also Transferred to Algeria
