Russia is in a hurry to find new customers for the export of the latest Su-35 fighters. The Russian Air Force will receive the first production aircraft at the end of this year, and it was also promised to organize the production of aircraft for export in the near future. But there are some problems. The fact is that there is very strong competition on the foreign market from such fighters as F-15 and F-16, Rafale, Eurofighter and Gipen. The fifth generation fighter F-35 is also being promoted to the world market.
However, the Su-35 is an impressive aircraft. The aircraft's glider is rated for 6,000 flight hours (up from 2,500-4,000 for early aircraft). The fighter is equipped with modern on-board equipment, in particular, a phased array radar capable of detecting large air targets of the AWACS class or B-52 bombers at ranges of up to 400 km, as well as an infrared station with a target detection range of 80 km. The radar is capable of tracking ground targets and providing the use of guided aerial bombs. The Su-35 has a higher maneuverability than the Su-30.
At one time, the Su-35 was advertised as a counterweight to the F-22. But this does not mean that the Su-35 will compete with the fifth-generation PAK FA fighter, whose flight tests began in January this year. Only three prototypes of the Su-35 were built, one of them was lost due to problems with one of the engines. Russia hoped to demonstrate this prototype at the May parade. The plane crash became a very bad PR for the Su-35, as it turned out that the traditional unreliability of Russian engines has not yet been eliminated.
The Su-35 made its first flight two years ago. Progress in its creation has been very slow. The aircraft has been under development since 1990. For some time it was called the Su-37, then it got the Su-35 index again. In the 1990s, prototypes of two different versions were built. There were many disagreements about which direction to develop this aircraft, and in the late 90s the program was suspended due to lack of funding.
The Su-35 has a takeoff weight of 34 tons, is more maneuverable than the 33-ton original Su-27, and has more advanced electronic equipment. The aircraft can cruise at supersonic speed. In addition, the Su-35 is about 50% more expensive than the Su-27. The price of one aircraft is approximately $ 60 million (approximately equal to the cost of the latest F-16 modifications). The Su-35 is equipped with a 30 mm cannon with 150 rounds of ammunition and can carry a combat load weighing 8 tons at 12 hardpoints.
Russia's ambition to develop an F-22-class fighter, the PAK FA, will face a large amount of work. The T-50 prototype is clearly developed on the basis of the Su-27 airframe with the use of stealth molds to reduce the RCS and the presence of an internal compartment for missiles and bombs. But much more needs to be done to get closer to the stealth level of the F-22. At one time, it took 15 years for the F-22 prototype to go from first flight to operational readiness. The PAK FA could grow faster by learning from the experience of the F-22, especially if you consider that some of the espionage activity on the Internet was conducted by Russia. But such a speed of development is not a Russian trait.
Another problem was the engines that were not ready for the first flight. Old engines were used, since at the first stage of testing the task was only to confirm the airworthiness of the airframe. The new engines, as well as those used on the Su-35, suffer from all sorts of design problems. The Russians have always faced difficulties in developing high-tech engines, and this tradition continues. At present, Russians say it will take several years to create a new engine.
Russia also needs to develop a new family of air-to-air missiles. The existing missiles are too large to fit into the interior compartment of the PAK FA prototype. New missiles, along with more compact air-to-surface ammunition, are already being developed. Add to that the electronics problems and you have a complete picture of the challenges facing the development of the PAK FA.
