Russia’s fleet of Su-35 fighter jets continue to play a leading role in the Kremlin’s Ukraine strategy. Earlier this year, Russia’s Aerospace Forces deployed these “4.5” generation airframes to provide air cover for a variety of assets engaged in strikes against Kyiv near Kursk. According to Bulgarian Military, the Su-35s protected a variety of Russian platforms as they carried out precision airstrikes, including helicopters and attack aircraft. Additionally, Russia’s state-owned news outlet TASS noted that the same Su-35s used onboard armament in order to uncover the Ukrainian army’s air defense sites. The collaboration between several branches of Russia’s military in this operation suggests the Kremlin is intensifying its offensive efforts. While each component of this joint air cover mission was essential to the outcome, the use of Su-35s was perhaps paramount.

Like many of the Russian platforms flying today, the Su-35 was derived during the Cold War. Designed to counter American-made fourth-generation fighter jets, Soviet manufacturer Sukhoi relied on the existing Su-27 heavily in developing its successor. Ultimately, the Su-35 became the designation for two improved variants of the older Su-27 air-defense fighter platform. By the late 1980s, the first Su-35 prototype, formerly known as the Su-27M, took its maiden flight. Unlike its predecessor, the Su-35 featured a reshaped wing leading-edge extension that allows for the redirection of airflow.

Designated by NATO as “Flanker-E/M,” the Su-35 is powered by two Sturn/UFA AL-31F 117S turbofan engines that enable the fighter to fly at speeds reaching roughly 2,390 km/h (Mach 2.25). This top speed is actually equivalent to the U.S.-made F-22 Raptor and is even greater than the U.S.-made F-35 Lightning II’s abilities. Additionally, the Flanker-E has a flight range of over 2,000 miles and a service ceiling of nearly 60,000 feet.

Over the years, new technologies have been incorporated into the Flanker platform in order for it to remain relevant as next-generation airframes have been introduced. One of the more significant enhancements added to the Su-35 is a weapons-control system featuring a phase-arrayed radar with pulse-Doppler tracking. This new N011 Bars system enables the Flanker to track targets below the horizon, allowing the 4.5-generation fighter to better interact with ground-based targets. This upgraded system is able to track fifteen targets simultaneously and launch six missiles at the same time.

In terms of armament power, the Su-35 notably has an air-to-ground capability. Equipped with a dozen hardpoints capable of carrying external weapons and stores, the Russian fighter can lug air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles alike.

The Su-35 may be serving as the Russian Air Force’s workhorse in the Ukraine invasion, but the platform has certainly not been invincible against Kyiv’s slew of Western-delivered weapons. As of February of last year, the open-intelligence tracker Oryx estimated that Moscow had lost 25 of their 150 Su-34s and six of their 120 Su-35s. These numbers have only increased over time. Based on Russia’s dwindling resources and output capacity amidst the invasion, it seems unlikely that the imminent arrival of replacement jets will occur anytime soon.

Maya Carlin is a National Interest security contributor, an analyst with the Center for Security Policy, and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.