The planes demonstrated their unique capabilities during the flight of the President of Russia to the Middle East
During the flight to Abu Dhabi, Flight No. 1 — the plane of President Vladimir Putin — was accompanied by Russian Air Force Su-35S fighters with a full set of air–to-air weapons. This flight has already been called the best advertisement for domestic fighters. Although the development and formation of this aircraft was not easy — the project was even suspended. How this promising aviation complex will continue to develop and what new opportunities the Su-35 will give to the Russian aerospace Forces — in the material of Izvestia.
"The region is restless"
The escort was carried out in several stages, according to the flight program of the Supreme Commander. At each of them, the aircraft underwent intermediate maintenance at airfields by the flight personnel of the advanced aviation team, the aviators themselves later reported.
The unique air operation does not belong to the typical tasks of the pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces, but they coped with it.
During the flight of Flight No. 1 over the territory of Iran, Iranian F-4 fighters joined the escort, and over the Persian Gulf, the group was accompanied by Mirages of the United Arab Emirates.
Su-35S multirole fighters accompanying the plane carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin at the airport in Abu Dhabi
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Dmitry Peskov explained such a serious escort: "The region is restless. If the UAE and Saudi Arabia are safe countries, then the environment, the adjacent region, is full of dangers and unpredictability. Therefore, all measures were taken to ensure the safety of the head of the Russian Federation."
For the Su-35S multirole fighter, long-range flights to escort other aircraft or carry out combat duty are not some rare tasks. Today, the Su-35S is one of the main combat vehicles of the Russian Aerospace Forces, and not only in a special military operation.
It replaced the Su-27
The Su-35S multipurpose fighter was developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau as a deep modernization and development of the no less legendary Su-27. The history of the project goes back to the work on the creation of a multi-purpose modification of the T-10M /Su-27M, which were started in the first half of the 1980s.
The modification at that time was created against the American F-15 aircraft. The updated Su-27 was guaranteed to surpass the American classmate in air combat due to its super maneuverability, a rich set of weapons and a new more advanced radar.
Su-27 fighter jet in the workshop of the aircraft repair plant of the Russian Ministry of Defense
Image source: Photo: TASS/Yuri Smityuk
At the same time, after the introduction of the new AMRAAM AIM–120 medium-range guided air-to-air missile in the United States, there was a need for our adequate response. So, by the 1990s, a new Soviet R-77 RVV-AE missile with an active radar guidance system was released, which made it possible to ensure the implementation of the "shot and forget" principle.
In 1985, a preliminary design of the Su-27M was prepared with all the innovations of radio electronics and weapons systems. The T-10M-1 prototype made its first flight at the Gromov Flight Research Institute (LII) in Ramenskoye on June 28, 1988. The aircraft was lifted into the air by the leading test pilot of the OKB Oleg Grigoryevich Tsoi.
In the early 1990s, an experimental batch of 12 aircraft was released, which began testing. But times were hard, and the aviation industry began searching for foreign customers for a new car. In 1995, serial production of the Su-35 was even started in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, but only three aircraft were produced. Finally, on August 1, 1997, the T-10M/Su-35 creation program was abandoned in favor of the Su-37 aircraft with more advanced thrust vector-controlled engines. And later, the Su-37 program was also closed.
In close combat
In 2005, the right political decision was made to resume the development of the Su-35 under the T-10BM index — "big modernization". Almost immediately, production of the installation series of the new aircraft was started. The assembly of the first prototype of the second generation Su-35 — T-10BM flight No. 901 — was completed in the summer of 2007.
The aircraft has started ground testing. The first flight took place at the Gromov LII at Ramenskoye airfield on February 19, 2008. The new car was lifted into the air by Sergey Bogdan. The serial Su-35 was named Su-35S.
The new car was equipped with AL-41F1C variable thrust vector engines — exactly the same ones are installed on the first fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft. Today it is one of the most advanced fighter powerplants in the world.
The Su-35S multifunctional fighter aircraft manufactured by PJSC UAC for transfer to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation as part of the execution of the state defense order
Image source: Photo: TASS/UAC PJSC press Service
Due to its aerodynamics and engines, the Su-35S has super maneuverability — it can change the direction of flight by almost 180 degrees and do absolutely incredible aerobatics. These capabilities make the aircraft an unsurpassed melee fighter.
It is equipped with the latest radar equipment with a radar with a passive phased array N035 "Irbis" and a digital on-board control system. It is also equipped with 12 suspension points for a wide variety of weapons.
The soldier plane
The Su-35S carries a full range of air–to-air missiles: the short-range R—73 family, the medium-range R-77 and even the ultra-long-range unique R-37M (range up to 300 km). In addition, the Su-35S carries air–to—ground attack weapons - guided missiles, bombs, bombs with UMPK. A unique car and a real soldier plane.
During the MAKS-2009 air show, a contract was signed for the supply of 48 Su-35S aircraft to the Russian Air Force for the period from 2012 to 2015. Later, in the mid-2010s, an additional agreement was concluded. The production of the serial multi-purpose Su-35S fighter was carried out at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Production Association named after Yuri Gagarin.
The pilot of the Su-35S fighter during a combat flight in the special operation zone
Image source: Photo: TASS/press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Thus, after going through an extremely difficult period of the 1990s and, in fact, coming out in a completely new look in the 2000s, the Su-35S became, apparently, the best air combat fighter of our time.
And this is exactly the case when there is not much difference in the nominal number of the aircraft generation number. The Su-35S today is an efficient, working, combat aircraft.
Dmitry Kornev