MOSCOW, 1 Apr-RIA Novosti. The competition for the Russian Su-35 generation 4++ fighter in the international arms market from foreign combat aircraft today can only be made up of fifth – generation fighters produced by the United States-the F-22 and F-35, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) of the Russian Federation told RIA Novosti, commenting on media publications about the superiority of the Russian aircraft over the F-22.
"Despite the fact that the Russian Su-35 fighter belongs to the classification of the 4++ generation, in terms of the totality of its flight and combat characteristics, this aircraft is very close to the fifth-generation fighters. In fact, the direct competitors of the Russian fighter can only be attributed to the American F-35 and F-22 fighters, " - said the press secretary of the service Valeria Reshetnikova, answering a question.
She added that the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation "is optimistic about the export of this machine, as it is attracting more and more interest, despite the increasing unfair competition and known attempts to discredit our equipment."
As the English-language military magazine Military Watch wrote earlier, the Russian Su-35 fighter surpasses the American fifth-generation F-22 Raptor aircraft in its versatility, since the Su-35, in addition to its extensive capabilities to combat air targets, has received significantly improved characteristics for striking land and sea targets.
The publication Military Watch noted that the Su-35 is capable of carrying up to six supersonic X-31 air-to-surface missiles, which can be used to strike ground and surface targets, as well as enemy radars. According to the publication, this weapon, combined with the capabilities of avionics, makes the Su-35 effective against air defense systems.
The Su-35 super-maneuverable fighter is designed to gain air superiority, as well as air support for troops and strike land and sea targets. The Russian Armed Forces receive a modification of the Su-35S aircraft. Such fighters were used during the anti-terrorist operation in Syria.
The Su-35 is in demand on the international market - in particular, a batch of such aircraft was bought by China. A number of other countries are considering buying it, including Turkey.