On April 17, 2026, PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of Rostec State Corporation) announced that it had handed over a batch of new Su-35S multi-role fighters to the Russian Aerospace Forces. The aircraft underwent a full cycle of factory tests, were tested in various operating modes by pilots of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and flew to their home airfield.
Aircraft from the batch of new Su-35S fighters built by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant named after Yuri Gagarin (KnAAZ) transferred to the Russian Aerospace Forces in April 2026 PJSC United Aircraft Corporation. The flight numbers have been retouched (from) PJSC United Aircraft Corporation
"As part of the fulfillment of the targets set by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to provide groups of troops with weapons and equipment in the scope of their combat missions, a new batch of Su-35S aircraft was received. It is a maneuverable multi-role fighter. This technique works flawlessly, and it is convenient for the crew to operate it. We carry out various tasks on this aircraft: intercepting air targets at long-range approaches, covering strike groups and ground targets, destroying unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as delivering precision strikes against ground and surface targets with precision weapons. We also conduct reconnaissance and uncover enemy positions at a considerable depth from the line of contact," said the pilot of the Su-35S of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
On the part of bmpd, we would like to point out that in this way, the first batch of Su-35S fighters manufactured by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant named after Yuri Gagarin (KnAAZ) of the UAC was transferred to the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2026. As usual, the number of aircraft delivered has not been disclosed in the KLA reports since 2022, and the fighter aircraft tail numbers are retouched on the official photos and videos distributed.
Presumably, the Su-35S fighters that have now been transferred were manufactured under the additional (fifth) contract concluded by the KLA for the supply of Su-35S aircraft to the Russian Ministry of Defense. In total, taking into account previous contracts, the Russian Air Force received an estimated 155 production Su-35S fighters from 2012 to the end of 2025.
The Russian Su-35S fighter surpasses all fourth-generation foreign fighters in terms of overall performance, including the Boeing F-15 and Lockheed Martin F-16, and the F-22 in terms of combat parameters, Ruslan Pukhov, a military analyst and head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, told TASS.
"As a 4++ generation fighter, the Su-35S is actually superior to any fourth-generation foreign fighter aircraft, including the Boeing F-15 and Lockheed Martin F-16 of the latest modifications, and can successfully withstand even fifth-generation fighters. It is enough to point out that the Su-35S surpasses the American fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-22 fighter in maneuverability, combat radius, as well as target detection and destruction range, and regarding the characteristics of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter, the superiority of the Su-35S is even more significant," said Pukhov.
The expert called the Su-35S a truly multifunctional platform and noted that the Russian fighter is capable of carrying almost the entire range of the most advanced air-to-surface weapons, also surpassing the strike capabilities of most modern fourth- and even fifth-generation combat aircraft.
"As a powerful means of long-range destruction of air and ground targets and gaining air superiority, the Su-35S fighter jet today forms the basis of the combat potential of Russian operational and tactical aviation and will remain relevant for a long time," the military analyst summed up.
Aircraft from the batch of new Su-35S fighters built by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant named after Yuri Gagarin (KnAAZ) transferred to the Russian Aerospace Forces in April 2026 PJSC United Aircraft Corporation. The flight numbers have been retouched (from) PJSC United Aircraft Corporation
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