The Russian Sukhoi Su-35 Fighter Jet

The Sukhoi Su-35 is an advanced multirole fighter jet that flew for the first time in February 2008. It is classified as a 4.5-generation fighter, bridging the gap between fourth-generation and fifth-generation aircraft. The jet’s key superiority is its super-maneuverability.

What is Sukhoi (the manufacturer of Su-35)?

Sukhoi is a Russian aerospace company founded in 1939 by Pavel Sukhoi. It is now a part of the state-owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) with its headquarters in Moscow.

Sukhoi is best known for designing and manufacturing advanced military aircraft used by the Russian military that are also exported worldwide. Its most significant fighter jets include the Su-27, Su-30, Su-33, Su-34, Su-35, and the Su-57

The Su-57 is Russia’s first fifth-generation stealth fighter. In addition to its military aircraft, Sukhoi also developed the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100), which is a passenger jet. Sukhoi aircraft are widely used across Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Technological Details of Sukhoi Su-35

• It is a multi-role fighter aircraft whose main aim is air superiority.
• It is powered by two Saturn AL-41F1S turbofan engines with thrust vectoring.
• The maximum speed is Mach 2.25 (2778 km/h).
• The combat range is 1500+ kilometers without refuelling.
• It has Irbis-E radar with advanced electronic targeting systems.
• It can carry a wide range of weapons, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, guided bombs, and a 30mm cannon.
• It isn’t a fully stealth-focused aircraft, but it has less radar vulnerability as compared to older models.

Operators of Sukhoi Su-35

The operators of the Sukhoi S-35 are China, Iran, UAE, India, and Algeria.

Sukhoi Su-35 compared to other aircraft

The Sukhoi Su-35 is one of the most capable non-stealth fighters in service today. It is not considered a full 5th-generation fighter like the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, Chengdu J-20, or Sukhoi Su-57. There are major technological differences in these aircrafts.

F-22 Raptor (USA) — 5th Gen

• Role: Air superiority fighter
• Stealth: Excellent stealth; extremely low radar cross-section
• Engines: Twin Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 with thrust vectoring
• Radar: AN/APG-77 AESA radar with advanced electronic warfare capabilities
• Weapons: Internal weapons bay (AIM-120, AIM-9), 8 hardpoints (low observability prioritized)
• Avionics: Fully integrated sensor fusion and data link
• Strengths: Stealth, speed (supercruise), agility, air dominance
• Weaknesses: Very expensive, limited production, no export

F-35 Lightning II (USA) — 5th Gen

• Role: Multirole stealth fighter (available in A/B/C variants)
• Stealth: Excellent; designed for strike missions with low radar signature
• Engines: One Pratt & Whitney F135 (no thrust vectoring)
• Radar: AN/APG-81 AESA radar, powerful sensors, and full sensor fusion
• Weapons: Internal bays for stealth, external hardpoints when stealth is not required
• Avionics: Highly advanced sensor fusion, helmet-mounted display (HMD)
• Strengths: Situational awareness, multirole capability, stealth, network-centric warfare
• Weaknesses: Lower maneuverability than Su-35 and F-22, expensive maintenance

Chengdu J-20 (China) — 5th Gen

• Role: Long-range stealth air superiority fighter
• Stealth: Good frontal stealth; less stealthy from sides and rear
• Engines: Initially Russian AL-31; now WS-10C (still under development for better engines)
• Radar: AESA radar with Chinese electronics suite
• Weapons: Internal bays for stealth, large weapons load
• Avionics: Improving; less mature than U.S. systems
• Strengths: Long range, stealthy design, heavy weapon payload
• Weaknesses: Engine reliability, maneuverability less than Su-35 and F-22

Sukhoi Su-57 (Russia) — 5th Gen

Role: Multirole stealth fighter (Russia’s true 5th-gen jet)

• Stealth: Designed for reduced radar cross-section but not as stealthy as F-22/F-35
• Engines: Currently AL-41F1; second-stage Izdeliye 30 engines still in development
• Radar: N036 Belka AESA radar with side-mounted radars for wide-angle tracking
• Weapons: Internal bays, supercruise-capable, wide variety of modern missiles
• Avionics: Advanced sensor suite, data fusion, electronic warfare
• Strengths: Maneuverability, speed, multirole ability, evolving stealth
• Weaknesses: Delays in production, immature stealth, small fleet

Summary

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