Russian Su-35 Provides Cover For Strikes on Ukrainain Army Positions

The Russian Aerospace Forces has deployed a Su-35 air superiority fighter to provide cover for bombers and ground attack aircraft during a series of air strikes on Ukrainian Army military installations and hardware. The Russian Defence Ministry reported regarding the engagements: “The crew of a Su-35S multirole supermaneuverable thrust-vectoring fighter of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a combat duty mission to provide support for the Battlegroup South in the special military operation area. The aerial combat alert mission aimed to provide cover in the designated area for operations by bombers and assault aircraft and army aviation helicopters delivering strikes on military installations and hardware of the Ukrainian army.” It added that Russian tactical combat jets could conduct sorties at any time and in any weather conditions employing various air-launched weapons. The Su-35 has been relied on for a range of missions in the Russian-Ukrainain War, including air defence suppression and destruction, air-to-air combat, and fighter escort missions.

The Su-35 has played a leading role in air-to-air operations in the Russian-Ukrainian War since February 2022, with one of the class’ most notable successes occurring in the war’s initial days on March 5, 2022, when the aircraft reportedly shot down four Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 air superiority fighters near the city of Zhytomir. Multiple further kills have included more Su-27s, as well as MiG-29s, Su-24M strike fighters, Su-25 ground attack jets, Mi-8 helicopters, and a wide range of drone classes. Built at the Komsomolsk on Amur Aircraft Plant in the Russian Far East, it was revealed in May that work was underway to expand production of the Su-35, with the decision to do so thought have been influenced both by the expectation of major new foreign orders, and by plans to expand the Russian fighter fleet with new procurements.

Ukrainian sources and international analysts have repeatedly highlighted that the Su-35 provides the Russian Aerospace Forces with distinct superiority over the Mirage 2000, F-16 and Su-27, fighters deployed by the Ukrainian Air Force, with Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat having lamented in March: “The modifications that Ukraine has cannot compete one-on-one in an air battle. We need a comprehensive approach as the [Russian] Su-35 is a relatively new jet… This includes ground-based air defence, electronic warfare systems, and ideally, an airborne radar. Also crucial are onboard radars for our aircraft and air-to-air missiles.” The Su-35 was confirmed in the final week of July to have integrated a new class of air-to-air missile, the R-77M, which has revolutionised its air-to-air combat potential and addressed one of its leading deficiencies compared to rival Chinese and American classes.

The Su-35 is nevertheless considered to be comfortably outmatched by newer Chinese and American fighter classes such as the F-35A, J-16 and J-20, reflecting the decline in the standings of Russia’s tech sector and industrial base since the disintegration of the USSR. The scale of procurements has also been limited, with only around 120 Su-35s having been acquired compared to over 350 J-16s, J-20s and F-35As procured by the air forces of China and the United States. The expansion of both the aircraft’s production scale, however, may narrow the gap in procurement rates. A portion of this expanded production is expected to be allocated to exports, with Algeria having received the aircraft in the first quarter of the year, while Iran was confirmed in January to have placed its own orders. North Korea is also reported to have shown an interest in making procurements.