The press service of the Russian Defense Ministry has published information about the tasks that the crews of Su-35 multirole fighters perform during the special operation in Ukraine.
As stated in the military department, Russian pilots strike with high-precision weapons at the military infrastructure of nationalist formations, counteract aerial reconnaissance and strikes by aircraft and drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Combat use is carried out at low, medium and high altitudes.
The onboard equipment of the Su-35 fighters allows the use of aviation weapons with maximum accuracy, ”the military department emphasizes,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Recall that a special military operation of the RF Armed Forces started on February 24.
According to the latest data from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, during the operation, the forces of the Russian army destroyed 2396 objects of the military infrastructure of Ukraine, including tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems, anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) S-300, Buk M-1 and Osa, radar stations (radar), control centers, communication centers and various aircraft.
"Most modern"
The Su-35 is a super-maneuverable 4++ generation combat vehicle that combines the advantages of a modern fighter and a tactical aircraft.
According to the materials of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the advantages of this aircraft are advanced detection tools, supersonic speed, reduced radar visibility, high combat survivability, significant flight range, a wide range of weapons, a multi-channel electronic warfare system (EW).
4++ generation aircraft Su-35
RIA News
© Maxim Blinov
In an interview with RT, a columnist for Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, aviation expert Dmitry Drozdenko said that the "multifunctional nature" of the Su-35 allows the crews of these aircraft to solve the whole range of tasks in the air, at sea and on land.
“The Su-35 is the most modern aircraft of the operational-tactical aviation of the Aerospace Forces after, of course, the Su-57.
The capabilities of this machine make it possible to gain air supremacy and hit a wide range of ground targets, ”explained Drozdenko.
According to the expert, in Ukraine, the Su-35 is necessary for the most accurate destruction of the military infrastructure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and nationalist formations.
Also, according to Drozdenko, these machines are in demand to fight the remnants of enemy aircraft.
So, according to the information of the Russian Ministry of Defense, on the evening of March 6, aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces and military air defense shot down three Su-27 fighters, one Su-25 attack aircraft, two Mi-24 helicopters and eight UAVs of the Ukrainian Air Force, including Bayraktar TB2.
“Judging by the official data of the Russian Federation, the search and destruction of the remaining air defense systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues - these are anti-aircraft systems and various radar stations.
For these purposes, the Su-35 has an anti-radar missile in its arsenal, which is “guided” by radiation from air defense systems, ”said Kornev.
Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation published footage of the combat work of the Su-35.
The video showed Kh-31P high-speed anti-radar missiles and R-77 medium-range air-to-air guided missiles suspended from the aircraft.
The X-31P was developed within the walls of the Turaevskoye Machine-Building Design Bureau Soyuz JSC.
The ammunition has three interchangeable passive radar homing head (GOS) modules that cover the entire frequency range of the radar targets.
The launch weight of the X-31P is 600 kg, the weight of the high-explosive fragmentation warhead is 87 kg, the maximum launch range is within 110 km, the launch altitude range is 100 m - 15 thousand m.
X-31P anti-radar missile (metallic color) as part of the standard arsenal of the Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft
© www.roe.ru
According to the company, the search for an enemy object is carried out by the aircraft's electronic intelligence station or the Kh-31P homing head.
After detecting the target, the pilot adjusts the flight of the vehicle accordingly and enters the target designation data into the missile.
“If there are signals confirming the capture of the target of the missile seeker, being in the zone of permitted launches, the pilot launches the missile.
After the launch, the rocket goes into the climb mode according to the program, and when a certain angle of sight of the target is reached, the GOS turns on it and dives, ”the developer’s materials say.
The R-77 is a variant of the Soviet K-77 aircraft missile.
It was put into service in 2011.
The mass of the ammunition is 190 kg, the weight of the warhead is 22.5 kg, the range is up to 110 km, the speed is Mach 4-4.5, the flight altitude of the targets hit is from 20 m to 25 thousand m.
In a RT commentary, military expert Yuri Knutov noted that the technical capabilities and range of ammunition of the Su-35 allow Russian pilots to successfully strike at the columns of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and conduct air battles with the surviving Ukrainian aircraft.
“The Su-35 has outstanding maneuverability, which gives it superiority in air combat.
In addition, this quality gives a well-trained pilot the opportunity to perform an anti-missile maneuver if an enemy missile was fired in the direction of the fighter, ”Knutov believes.
"On critical corners"
The Su-35 was created by the Sukhoi Design Bureau on the basis of the Su-27 heavy fighter and, in terms of its characteristics, is close to fifth-generation aircraft.
It differs from the basic Su-35 aircraft in the shape of the central beam of the rear fuselage, the increased area of the rudders and a thicker wing, which made it possible to place two additional ammunition suspension points.
The production of the machine is deployed at the Yu. A. Gagarin Aviation Plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
The maximum takeoff weight of the Su-35 is 34.5 tons, the maximum mass of the combat load is 8 tons of ammunition on 12 hardpoints, the practical flight range without refueling is 3.6 thousand km.
Su-35 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces at the airport
RIA News
© Ilya Timin
The machine can be used to destroy a variety of targets, including those covered by air defense systems and located at considerable distances from the base airfield.
In addition to anti-radar munitions and air-to-air missiles, the aircraft is capable of bombing and using air-to-surface guided weapons and unguided projectiles of the S-8, S-13, S-25 families.
The Su-35 received its baptism of fire during the Syrian operation.
According to the developer's website, the Su-35 is highly effective in long-range air combat due to its wide field of view, a large number of simultaneously tracked targets, and modern radar and optoelectronic systems.
The Su-35 is equipped with an Irbis-E phased array radar.
It guarantees the detection and capture of typical air targets at a distance of up to 200 km, and under certain conditions - up to 350-400 km.
The digital filling of the Su-35 provides the ability to operate in the air of a group of up to 16 aircraft.
All these fighters are able to exchange data in an automated mode and distribute targets.
The twin-engine power plant Su-35 - AL-41F-1S (product 117C) developed by PJSC UEC-Saturn (Rybinsk, Yaroslavl region) also has unique characteristics.
The unit is a further development of the AL-31F engine installed on the Su-27.
It surpasses its predecessor in afterburner and non-afterburner thrust and has twice the service life.
“New engines, combined with an aerodynamic layout, provided the Su-35 with an extremely high level of maneuverability, as well as controllability at supercritical angles of attack,” the Sukhoi materials say.
In an interview with RT, the founder of the Military Russia portal, Dmitry Kornev, attributed the digital control system, high thrust, speed and fuel efficiency to the advantages of the AL-41F-1S for the fourth generation of engines.
Engine nozzles of the Su-35 generation aircraft
RIA News
© Ilya Timin
In addition, the expert drew attention to the fact that the developers took care of equipping the Su-35 with high-quality on-board electronics.
It is she who allows the aircraft to accompany a large number of different targets, strike at them and exchange data with other aircraft.
“The Su-35 corresponds to the tasks for which it was created.
Yes, in terms of a number of characteristics, it is naturally inferior to the fifth generation, but if we talk about close air combat, then, it seems to me, this aircraft will look no less worthy than the Su-57, American F-35 or F-22 ", - summed up Kornev.