19FortyFive stated that the Su-27 fighter was created as a "killer" of the American F-15
The Russian Su-27 fighter was created in the 1980s as a "killer" of the American F-15 Eagle and F-14 Tomcat, writes Brent Eastwood, a columnist for the American publication 19FortyFive.
The author states that the Su-27 is still used by the Aerospace Forces of Russia "and is a time-tested aircraft, despite several accidents at an air show and the lack of real combat experience."
Eastwood calls the Su-27 a fighter with "excellent range because it was supposed to hit American B-52 and B-1 bombers." "It can carry up to ten missiles or a combination of bombs and missiles together with a 30-millimeter cannon," the observer recalls.
In particular, the Su-27, capable of flying at a speed of Mach 2.35, can use guided R-73 air-to-air missiles.
Nevertheless, Eastwood is confident that the Su-27 is inferior to the American fifth-generation fighters F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, which have a radio-absorbing coating and high-precision AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) or AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, working on the principle of "shot and forget".
In January, Military Watch cited one of the versions explaining China's purchase of Su-27 fighters from the USSR in the 1980s instead of the MiG-29. According to the newspaper, the Soviet side could change its position regarding the possibility of exporting Su-27 in the process of drinking alcoholic beverages with the Chinese.