The fighter has a unique on-board radar station N035 "Irbis", which experts call the most powerful of the existing ones, notes the magazine Ultimate Defense
TASS, September 16. The maneuverability of the Russian Su-35 multi-purpose fighter, as well as the characteristics of its on-board equipment, exceed the performance of the French Rafale aircraft, which will allow the Su-35 to win in the event of an air battle. This assessment is contained in the analytical special issue of the South African magazine Ultimate Defense, dedicated to the forum "Army-2021".
According to the experts of the publication, the Russian Su-35 has a higher maneuverability during combat at a distance of visibility of the enemy, while maneuverability is not an advantage of the Rafale fighter.
Also, the Russian combat aircraft has a unique on-board radar station N035 "Irbis", which experts call the most powerful of the existing ones. As stated in the special issue of the magazine, the range of detection of the target "Irbis" is up to 400 km, a target similar to the Rafale aircraft, the Su-35 will be able to detect at a distance of about 270 km. Meanwhile, the French car is able to detect the Su-35 at a distance of 120 km.
In this regard, experts come to the conclusion that the Su-35 pilot will be the first to detect the target and open fire to kill. This advantage is complemented by the presence of long-range missiles in the Russian fighter's armament. Thus, the authors of the special issue believe that the Su-35 should defeat the Rafale in an air battle.
The Su-35 is capable of tracking up to 30 air targets and simultaneously hitting eight of them, experts say.
Ultimate Defense is one of the largest South African defense-related media.