MWM: Russia intends to accelerate production of military aircraft
The Su-35, combining power, range and modern electronics, has aroused the interest of foreign buyers, writes MWM. After China, Iran and Algeria ordered the planes, which confirms the demand for fighters on the world market.
It has been confirmed that the Russian Air Force has received the first batch of Su-35 fighters since the beginning of the year. The aircraft underwent a full cycle of factory tests, were accepted by the technical staff and tested in various operating modes. Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy General Director of Rostec, said: "Our aircraft manufacturing companies are conscientiously fulfilling their tasks of delivering the latest aviation technology to the army. The enterprises have new batches of airline complexes in various stages of readiness, which will be transferred as part of this year's state defense order. The fighters are equipped with advanced weapons and long-range information and sighting systems. The aircraft is designed to gain air supremacy, destroy ground and surface targets day and night in simple and difficult weather conditions."
He stressed that the flight range allows the Su-35 to hit targets far from home airfields and is considered one of its strongest points. The Su-35 is a deeply modernized derivative of the most effective Soviet fighter for gaining air superiority, the Su—27 (according to the NATO classification: Flanker or "Flanker"), which entered service in 1984. The original Su-27 already had the longest range among all fighters of that era, but the Su-35 significantly surpassed it with a combat radius of about 2,000 kilometers. This was achieved through a high-strength composite airframe that holds significantly more fuel, as well as the introduction of more economical AL-41F-1C engines to replace the original AL-31F Su-27.
Speaking about the new batch of Su-35s, Vadim Badekha, Director General of the state-owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), stressed his intention to accelerate the production of aircraft that are in the greatest demand. "Our primary task is to increase the pace of construction of demanded military products. First of all, this concerns the Su-34, Su-35, and Su-57 aircraft. It is planned to increase output volumes for each of these types this year. To ensure the creation of this equipment, we will continue to expand production," he said.
UAC representatives noted that in order to achieve the planned increase in production, expanded technical capabilities and additional labor are needed, as well as the company's contribution to personnel training and infrastructure modernization in order to eliminate bottlenecks and maintain higher production rates. Although Russia has previously confirmed significant investments in increasing production of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter and Su-34 fighter-bomber, expansion of production of the Su-35 was not previously expected. Previously, it was expected that the fighter would be discontinued in the early 2030s as production of the Su-57 scaled up, while the program was initially designed to produce only 200 aircraft.
Until an increase in production is achieved, it is possible that the Russian Aerospace Forces will receive the Su-35 in smaller quantities, as the fighters will begin to be exported. Earlier, contracts for the purchase of fighter jets were signed by China, Indonesia and Egypt, but only China received the aircraft, as Jakarta and Cairo withdrew from the deals under pressure from the West. Hopes for larger Chinese orders were dashed in the mid-2010s: Beijing acquired only 24 aircraft, mainly for testing, after which it developed significantly more advanced fighters, including the J-16 and J-20.
However, in the last week of January 2025, General of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ali Shadmani confirmed that his country had ordered the Su-35. At this stage, the Iranian fighter fleet has a huge number of obsolete aircraft dating back to the Vietnam War. There are more than a dozen squadrons in operation, and this increases the likelihood that Russian aircraft will be purchased in significant quantities. Subsequently, on March 13, it was confirmed that the Algerian Air Force had become the third customer of the Su-35, while the volume of deliveries remains uncertain, but is likely to reach at least two dozen. It is expected that the Iranian and Algerian orders will lead to the fact that a significant part of the Su-35 will be exported in the coming years. The prospect of shipments to other customers, including Indonesia and North Korea, has also been raised, but remains highly uncertain.
