Russia has failed to make the territorial gains in Ukraine desired by the Kremlin in its nearly three-year-long invasion. The country’s dwindling arsenal of weapons and military systems has yet to strike a debilitating blow to Ukraine’s forces. Specifically, Moscow’s aerial fleet has struggled to achieve air dominance. 

From Soviet-era fighters to their new “fifth-generation” successors, all Russian platforms that have played a role in the conflict so far have performed abysmally. Moscow’s advanced Su-35, Moscow’s “fourth-generation-plus-plus fighter,” has particularly struggled in the war. Despite the airframe’s advanced features and powerful engines, the Su-35 has undoubtedly contributed to the Kremlin’s inability to control the skies.

In 2023, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced that its forces had shot down at least seven Sukhoi glide-bombers using American-made Patriot missiles. The Kremlin takes every chance it gets to tout its “fourth-generation-plus-plus” fighters as superior jets, but they have yet to prove that title.

An Overview of the Su-35

Russian manufacturer Sukhoi was tasked with developing a supermaneuverable airframe capable of going up against America’s fourth-generation fighter jets during the Cold War. Like many airframes developed during this period, the Su-35 was derived heavily from the Su-27. 

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.

NATO dubbed the Su-35 the “Flanker-E” after the platform officially entered service with the Russian Air Force in the early 1980’s. Over the years, significant upgrades have been incorporated into the platform for it to retain an edge over its newer near-peers. Included in these upgrades is a sophisticated weapons-control system known as the N011 Bars. 

This advanced technology enables the Flanker-E to track targets below the horizon, giving it greater accuracy when interacting with ground-based targets.

In terms of armament power, the Su-35 is well-equipped. The jet can lug a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, including the Vympel R-27, Molniya Kh-29, and the long-range Kh-58 UShE. As detailed by Air Force Technology, “The Su-35 can be armed with a range of guided bombs, including the KAB-500Kr TV-guided bomb, KAB-500S-E satellite-guided bomb, LGB-250 laser-guided bomb, Kab-1500Kr TV-guided bomb and KAB-1500LG laser-guided bomb. The aircraft can also be armed with 80mm, 122mm, 266mm, and 420mm rockets.”

While the Flanker-E is a formidable force on paper, the platform has struggled in combat amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has claimed the destruction of nearly 350 Russian aircraft since the war began back in February 2022. Analysts believe that Kyiv was able to clip these fighters with the American-made Patriot missile system. However, the exact number and tactic have yet to be verified.

The Flanker-E is not the only Russian platform suffering in combat. Even Moscow’s newest Su-57 fifth-generation platform has been damaged by Ukraine’s defensive efforts.

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is 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. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.