In Russian, there’s a well-known saying: “Doveryai, no proveryai.” In English, “Trust, but verify.” And after 30 years, pilots of the Russian Sukhoi-35 have been able to verify the trust that they have placed in the aircraft, time and time again. The fighter’s unique mixed-generation attributes, mixed with its proven battlefield prowess, ensures it will not be abandoned anytime soon.
A fighter that hails from the early 2000s, the Su-35 has been described as Generation 4++ due to its incorporation of newer stealth, radar systems, and propulsion systems.
Its radar system is particularly impressive, as it can detect airborne aircraft from up to 350 kilometers away. If an enemy F-35 did detect it, one former NATO commander said that the F-35 would likely retreat, due to the Su-35’s supermaneuverability. Its producer, Rostec, has claimed the jet has no angle-of-attack limits. It can also reach supersonic speed without the need of an afterburner. This likely contributed to the Su-35’s success against Ukraine’s S-300 missile launchers soon after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
The Su-35’s payload is also quite impressive. It is capable of carrying up to 12 short-range missiles, four more than the F-22. It can also carry four R-37M missiles, which boast a 60 kilogram warhead, can attain Mach 6, and can travel up to an eye-popping 400 kilometers. When conflict gets closer, the pilot has access to a 30 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-301 autocannon loaded with 150 rounds.
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