Combat aircraft

R

USSIA ANNOUNCED THE

launch of the Su-35 program

at the Dubai Airshow in 2003.

Fast-forward to 2017, and

at November’s Dubai event

it was there in the  esh as a

mature  ghter that is in production for

both Russia and China, and has already

been pressed into combat in Syria.

Just a few weeks before the Dubai

Airshow 2017, the Su-35S received its

certi cate of compliance from the Russian

Aerospace Forces (VKS) having completed

so-called state evaluation. The presence

of Su-35S ‘58 Red’ (with the registration

RF-81746 removed) in Dubai was

signi cant, with persistent rumors that the

United Arab Emirates (UAE) is interested in

a batch of these new ‘Flankers’.

Russian o cials refused to comment

on a potential UAE purchase except for

a general statement that ‘negotiations

continue’. The Russian Deputy Prime

Minister responsible for the arms industry,

Dmitry Rogozin, came to Dubai and

hosted Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al

Nahyan, deputy supreme commander of

the UAE Armed Forces, a ording the UAE

hierarchy a close look at the  ghter.

The Russians have strong competition

here. Despite immediate upgrade plans,

long-term the UAE will need to replace

its Mirage 2000-9s. The question of F-35

availability is one the UAE is watching

closely, especially as Israel declared

initial operating capability (IOC) with

the Adir (Lightning II) in early December.

On the eve of the show, US Air Force

vice-chief of sta Gen Stephen Wilson

con rmed that the US government has

considered delivering F-35s to allies

in the Middle East. This was followed

by Lockheed Martin concluding a

$1.65-billion contract to upgrade the

Emirates’ F-16E/F Desert Falcons.

Su-35 origins

The Sukhoi Su-27M — an impressively

modernized version of the Su-27 —

emerged as early as 1988. It was gamely

o ered for export in the 1990s as the

Su-35, but without success. The Su-27M

was notable in that it pioneered a

number of features including a new

aerodynamic con guration with canards,

an electronically scanned radar and

thrust-vectoring engines. All these were

later implemented in the Su-30MKI  ghter

and its derivatives. However, the Su-30MKI

was a product of the Irkutsk plant, which,

in the turmoil of property changes in

Russia, became a private company, today

known as the Irkut Corporation. The other

Su-27 plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur,

which remained state-owned,

had tended toward simpler

 ghters in the shape

of the Su-27SK and

Su-30MKK/MK2

variants for China.

When the new

Su-35 emerged in

2003, it not only

responded to the

Su-30MKI, but it

appeared to restore

Combat Aircraft

takes a look

at the Sukhoi

Su-35, a fi ghter

that is gaining

increasing

attention as it

proves its worth

in Russian

service.

REPORT

Piotr Butowski

Su-35S Bort ’03 Red’ is attached

to the 4th Center for Combat

Application and Crew Training at

Lipetsk. All photos Piotr Butowski

unless credited otherwise

70 February 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

70-77 Su-35 C.indd 70 14/12/2017 11:17