Su-35
The Sukhoi Su-35S is the definitive development of the Su-27 Flanker line, ordered for the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2009 and in service since 2014, with more than 150 built at Komsomolsk-on-Amur per open-source estimates. Its AL-41F1S thrust-vectoring engines and Irbis-E radar were developed as risk-reduction steps for the Su-57 program, making the aircraft the bridge between the Soviet Flanker and Russia's stealth fighter.
China's 24-aircraft order of 2015 opened the export line; deliveries to Iran and Algeria followed in 2025, in Algeria's case including airframes built for an Egyptian order abandoned under US sanctions pressure. The Su-35 has been Russia's primary air superiority fighter of the war against Ukraine, credited with long-range kills and charged with the type's first combat losses.
Su-35 at a glance
The Su-35S is the single production standard, the deepest modernization of the Su-27 Flanker line.
Variant comparison
| Specification | Su-35S |
|---|---|
| Configuration | Single-seat, twin-engine, thrust-vectoring air superiority fighter |
| Primary operator | Russia, China, Iran, Algeria |
| Status | In production at Komsomolsk-on-Amur |
| Distinguishing feature | Definitive Flanker: Irbis-E radar and AL-41F1S engines |
The Su-35 is the bridge between the Soviet Flanker and the Su-57, sharing engines and systems with the stealth fighter, and its combat record over Ukraine, including significant losses, has shaped perceptions of the whole Russian fighter fleet.
Full specifications
Latest Su-35 coverage from AeroTime
Operators
Frequently asked questions
It is a deep modernization of the same airframe with new AL-41F1S thrust-vectoring engines, the Irbis-E radar, modern cockpit and airframe life improvements, effectively a generation newer in systems.
Russia, China, Iran and Algeria; an earlier Egyptian order was built but never accepted, and some of those aircraft went to Algeria.
It has been Russia's main air superiority fighter of the war, credited with kills at long range but also suffering multiple confirmed losses to Ukrainian defenses.