Russia’s advanced Su-35S fighter jet: premier performance over Syrian skies

Media reports said on Monday that Russia had redeployed its new-generation Sukhoi Su-35S fighter jets (NATO reporting name: Flanker-E) to Syria.

The Su-35S fighter jets started to accomplish combat missions at Khmeimim airbase in Syria last week, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported.

Western media on Russia’s Su-35S fighter jet: “excellent and dangerous”

The redeployment of advanced Su-35S warplanes to Russia’s Khmeimim airbase in Syria evoked the interest of both Russian press and some foreign media. Specifically, this event was mentioned by the German magazine Stern and the US media such as The National Interest and The Washington Times.

As Germany’s Stern noted, Russia’s Su-35S is considered as the most dangerous fighter jet in the world today, without taking into account the US fifth-generation warplane F-22.

According to Stern, the Su-35S is characterized by its high maneuverability, is equipped with the newest Irbis radar and operates improved engines. The fighter jet features new-generation technology but at the same is relatively cheap compared to the most advanced western rivals. Stern expects the Su-35S fighter aircraft to fetch demand on the world armament market.

Meanwhile, The National Interest reported that US defense officials were quite impressed with this latest Flanker variant. “It’s a great airplane and very dangerous, especially if they make a lot of them,” the international affairs magazine cited a senior US military official with extensive experience on fifth-generation fighters as saying.

The US military official compared the Su-35 to the F-15 and F/A-18E/F warplanes, which “would both have their hands full” when encountering Russia’s advanced fighter jet.

In turn, The Washington Times wrote that the deployment of Russia’s Su-35 fighter jets in Syria was sending a message to Turkey that in combination with the S-400 antiaircraft missile system, Russia is able “to defend its aircraft anywhere in theater with weapon systems equal to or even more capable than NATO can field.”

Combat conditions to prove the jet’s performance: “it has no equals”

The advanced fighter jets Su-35 will be able both to prove their high performance in combat conditions in Syria and make their contribution to destroying militants’ ground objectives, former head of the Aerospace Force’s 4th center for the flight personnel combat use and re-training in Lipetsk Major-General Alexander Kharchevsky told TASS.

According to the general, the Su-35 warplanes, like the Su-30SM fighter jets earlier deployed in Syria, are capable of “accomplishing tasks both against air and ground targets equally efficiently.”

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http://tass.ru/en/defense/854549