Russia Received First Batch of Su-35s Fighter Amid Wartime Needs

In March 2025, Russia received its first batch of Su-35S multirole fighter jets for the year. The delivery, carried out by the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC)—a subsidiary of the state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec—comes at a critical time, as the country continues to replenish its combat aircraft fleet amid ongoing military operations and rising geopolitical isolation.

According to official sources, the Su-35S aircraft delivered have undergone factory testing and are now operational within Russia’s Aerospace Forces (VKS). Designed for both air superiority and ground attack missions, these 4++ generation fighter jets are equipped with cutting-edge avionics, long-range targeting systems, and supermaneuverable engines, making them a formidable presence in modern aerial warfare.

A Strategic Delivery Amid Wartime Pressure

This delivery comes at a crucial moment. Russia’s defense sector has faced considerable disruption from Western sanctions imposed in response to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions have strained military production lines by restricting access to critical components such as semiconductors and avionics.

Nevertheless, UAC has managed to sustain—and reportedly even expand—production rates of key platforms like the Su-35S. According to Russian defense sources, this success is due in part to a deliberate restructuring of supply chains and increased domestic manufacturing capacity.

Beyond industrial resilience, the operational need for advanced jets has grown more urgent. According to Western intelligence estimates, Russia has lost more than 120 aircraft since the beginning of the Ukraine war. The newly delivered Su-35S units are thus expected to fill urgent combat gaps and reinforce squadrons operating on the front lines, where air dominance remains fiercely contested.

Su-35S: Capabilities and Role

The Su-35S is one of the most advanced fighter jets in Russia’s current inventory. While not a fifth-generation aircraft, it incorporates several technologies derived from Russia’s next-gen platforms, earning it the label of a “4++ generation” jet.

With a top speed of Mach 2.25 and a maximum takeoff weight of 34.5 tons, the Su-35S is built for performance in high-intensity combat environments. Its operational range extends up to 3,600 kilometers, giving it long reach in both defensive and offensive roles.

What sets the Su-35S apart from earlier Russian fighters—and many of its Western contemporaries—is its supermaneuverability. Powered by twin Saturn AL-41F1S engines with thrust-vectoring nozzles, the aircraft can perform aerobatic maneuvers that are impossible for most conventional jets. These include the famed “Pugachev’s Cobra” and high-angle-of-attack turns that allow pilots to evade incoming missiles and outmaneuver adversaries in close-range dogfights.

The jet’s radar system—featuring an Irbis-E Passive Electronically Scanned Array (PESA)—can reportedly track up to 30 targets simultaneously and engage several of them at once. Its weapons load includes a versatile array of air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, anti-radiation missiles, and anti-ship munitions.

This radar, combined with modern electronic warfare systems, provides the Su-35S with robust situational awareness and survivability—although it does not match the stealth characteristics of fifth-generation jets like the U.S. F-35.

How does it stack up against other 4++ gen fighter jets?

Compared to the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Su-35S offers superior range (3,600 km vs. ~2,900 km), higher top speed (Mach 2.25 vs. Mach 2.0), and thrust-vectoring for better agility. However, the Eurofighter’s AESA radar is generally considered more advanced and stealth-optimized than the Su-35’s PESA system.

Also, while the Typhoon relies heavily on aerodynamic performance and advanced avionics, it typically requires afterburners to maintain supersonic speeds, limiting its endurance in high-speed engagements.

The MiG-35, another Russian multirole jet, also features thrust-vectoring and AESA radar, but is optimized for frontline deployment and has a more limited operational range and weapons capacity compared to the Su-35S. The Su-35S is thus favored for deeper strike roles and broader air dominance missions.

Where the Su-35S falls short is in stealth capabilities. It lacks low observability features such as radar-absorbent coatings or internal weapon bays—core aspects of true fifth-generation fighters. Western aircraft like the F-35 Lightning II prioritize stealth and network-centric warfare, allowing them to operate in contested airspace with reduced detection.

However, critics of the F-35 argue that its agility is limited compared to high-maneuverability platforms like the Su-35S. The Su-35S also boasts supercruise capability—maintaining supersonic speeds without afterburners—which aligns it more closely with fifth-generation performance metrics.

Watch: Rafale Vs F-35 : Which One Wins

Despite this, the Su-35S bridges the gap between traditional fourth-gen fighters and fifth-gen platforms by integrating some of the latter’s features—supercruise, long-range sensors, and multirole flexibility. While it cannot match the F-35 in stealth or network-centric warfare, it outperforms it in terms of speed, dogfight maneuverability, and possibly endurance in harsh conditions.

In contested airspace where stealth is not the sole determining factor—for example, low-intensity regional conflicts or operations where air superiority has already been established—the Su-35S is likely to remain an effective asset. Its cost-effectiveness compared to Western jets may also appeal to foreign buyers, especially in markets like the Middle East or Southeast Asia, where Russia continues to pursue defense exports.