The American publication compared the Ukrainian Su-27 fighters with the Russian Su-35
Against the backdrop of ongoing accusations against Russia of alleged plans to attack Ukraine, some Western publications have begun to compare the armies of the two countries, as well as weapons and military equipment in service. The American edition of Military Watch decided to compare Aviation two countries, or rather the Su-27 fighters of the Ukrainian Air Force and the Su-35 of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited a fairly impressive amount of combat aircraft from the Soviet army, including MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters. The Ukrainian Air Force was one of the five largest in the world, but the past years of independence and the lack of investment in aviation have led to the fact that today the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has only 84 aircraft, of which 34 are Su-27 fighters, including the training version.
After the collapse of the USSR, after some stagnation, Russia was actively involved in the development of new combat aircraft. According to the plans of the military, in the second decade of the 21st century, the Su-57 fighter was supposed to be the main aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, but delays in its production led to the entry into the first roles of the Su-35 heavy fighter, which is a further development of the Su-27.
In the event of the outbreak of hostilities, Ukrainian aviation will collide in the air with Russian aircraft, which means that Ukrainian Su-27s will confront Russian Su-35s. The modern Russian aircraft is significantly superior to the already obsolete Ukrainian fighter. The most significant advantage lies in avionics: the Su-35 radar detects targets at a range of 400 km, while the Su-27 radar can only detect enemy aircraft at a distance of 80 km. In addition, the Russian aircraft has two additional L-band AESA radars, a digital cockpit, an improved Khibiny-M electronic warfare system, a modern KSU-35 digital flight control system, and much more sophisticated data and communications channels.
The armament of the Su-35 is also superior to the Su-27. The aircraft has excellent capabilities for both ground strikes and air superiority. The missile armament of the Russian fighter is more diverse, unlike the Su-27. The thrust vectoring engines and the superb flight characteristics of the Su-35, coupled with the armament, provide the fighter with a very significant range advantage over the Su-27.
A military simulation conducted by Western analysts of a Russian Su-35 clash with Ukrainian fighter jets showed that Russia would have a huge advantage in the event of a clash. Although the publication believes that Ukrainian aviation will avoid open clashes with Russian aircraft, shifting the vector to strikes on the ground. The impossibility of modernizing Ukrainian fighter jets means that they are unlikely to pose a serious threat to the Russian Aerospace Forces, the publication concludes.
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