The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), Russia’s main state aerospace and defense conglomerate, has delivered a new batch of Su-35S multirole fighters to the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), in fulfillment of the current state defense order. The aircraft acceptance ceremony took place at the airfield of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant, named after Y.A. Gagarin (KNAAZ), a UAC subsidiary. According to the corporation’s press service, this is the sixth batch of Su-35S fighters delivered to the VKS so far this year.
The first batch from the 2025 production was received by the VKS on March 29. Subsequent deliveries took place on May 12 (second batch), June 25 (third batch), August 21 (fourth batch), and September 24 (fifth batch). For operational security reasons since the start of the special military operation, UAC does not disclose the exact number of aircraft in each delivery or their serial numbers. However, estimates indicate that between 15 and 18 Su-35S fighters have been delivered so far in 2025.
“The fighters successfully completed ground and flight factory tests,” stated UAC. “VKS crews accepted the aircraft, acknowledging the Su-35S’s reliability and its capability to perform a wide range of missions in the area of operations. The Su-35S aircraft have since deployed to their operational bases.”
According to Vadim Badekha, UAC’s CEO, the corporation maintains high production levels and continues to increase its industrial capacity. The company anticipates an approximately 50% increase in production during 2025 compared to 2024, which would represent a record in the post-Soviet era. Military aviation, with the delivery of Su-35S fighters and Su-34 bombers, constitutes the main driver of this growth.
During 2024, KNAAZ delivered four batches of Su-35S fighters to the Russian Ministry of Defense, totaling an estimated 15 aircraft. Between 2012 and the end of 2024, the Russian Aerospace Forces received approximately 135 serial-production Su-35S fighters.
The Su-35S is a “4++” generation multirole fighter designed for air defense, close air support, and long-range strikes against aerial, ground, and maritime targets. It is equipped with a digital fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system, AL-41F1S engines with thrust vectoring nozzles (TVN), and the N035 Irbis-E radar with a passive electronically scanned array (PESA) antenna.
The Irbis-E radar can detect targets with a radar cross-section (RCS) of 3 square meters at distances up to 400 kilometers. Ukrainian “Flamingo” cruise missiles, with an estimated RCS of 0.5–0.7 m², can be detected at 250–300 kilometers, while U.S. Tomahawk missiles, with an RCS of 0.1–0.2 m², are detectable at 150–200 kilometers.
The integration of the Irbis-E radar with the OLS-35 electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) allows Su-35S pilots to search for and track targets using both radar and infrared channels. This system enables the simultaneous tracking of up to 30 targets and the engagement of eight with missiles, enhancing situational awareness and combat capability against low-observable threats.
The Su-35S’s modern communication and navigation systems, synchronized with tactical data links, facilitate real-time information exchange between crews and command posts. This capability strengthens the coordination of air units in defense missions and strike group coverage.
Images are for illustrative purposes.
You may also like: Russia’s New Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile System to Be Deployed Again in Belarus
