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by Reuben F. Johnson - November 10, 2017, 1:00 PM
Although it has appeared at previous Dubai Air Shows over
the past 25 years, this year will see the debut of the current-day variant of
the Sukhoi Su-35 Super Flanker. This Su-35, however, is not the same
aircraft that originally flew at the show in the 1990s. It is a completely
different version of the aircraft, and the same configuration that is being
delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) and to the Chinese People’s
Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
More than one source told AIN that the
purchase will be made official during this year’s Dubai Air Show, and that the
Gulf state wants “more than one” squadron of the aircraft, with a total of
“more than 10 aircraft.” However, exact numbers and other details may be known
only once the official announcement is made.
Buying Su-35s would be a marked change from the UAE’s
traditional purchases of either French- or U.S.-built aircraft. A Russian
industry source told AIN that this purchase “will signal a
broadening of the cooperation between Abu Dhabi and Moscow in the area of
military-technical cooperation.”
Long Time Coming
The UAE originally expressed interest during the 1990s in
what was then called the “Su-35.” This aircraft was actually an enhanced
version of the Su-27 with a set of canard foreplanes added to the
configuration, along with other improvements. The aircraft was produced in very
limited numbers, was later re-designated “Su-27M,” and the UAE ended up
acquiring the Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 60 instead.
The current process to acquire today’s redesigned Su-35
variant started around the time of the 2015 MAKS airshow in Moscow. The
Su-35 was part of a “menu of items” that was discussed at the time by a senior
UAE delegation to that the show, according to a Russian defense analyst with
links to the MAKS show. The UAE expressed a high level of interest in
“acquiring advanced Russian defense technology,” said the analyst.
For these and other reasons, the UAE Air Force and other
government authorities insisted on the Su-35 being present for this year’s
event. The UAE is also reportedly underwriting part of the expenses for the
aircraft and its personnel to participate at Dubai Air Show 2017.
Acquiring Su-35s is reportedly part of a larger portfolio
of projects that the UAE is pursuing with Moscow. During February’s IDEX
defense exposition in Abu Dhabi, Rostec general director Sergei Chemezov said
he had discussed developing a “lightweight, fifth-generation, single-engine
fighter with the UAE.” That aircraft would potentially use an improved
version of the MiG-29’s Isotov RD-33 engine, which is built by KNP Klimov in
St. Petersburg.
This program would proceed in parallel with the Su-35
acquisition and would be aimed at fulfilling requirements for regional
neighbors of the UAE who are looking for a more affordable fighter. As such,
this aircraft would be a competitor for the Chinese-Pakistan joint venture that
is building the Chengdu JF-17 fighter at the Kamra Pakistan Aeronautical
Complex.
TECHNOLOGY BENEFITS
The UAE is believed to be interested in the Su-35 for
some of the same reasons the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is acquiring the
aircraft: access to technology to a degree that Western fighter manufacturers
are not willing to grant, and at a reasonable price.
Some of the notable features of the Su-35 aircraft that
embody those technologies are:
- Two
Saturn/Lyulka 117S/Al-41F1 engines with 31,900 pounds of thrust each. The
engine has been described since its inception as a “deep modernization” of
the original AL-31F engine that powered the Su-27 from the beginning of
that program. The 117S design incorporates some of the technology and
other design improvements originally developed for the AL-41F engines that
were installed in the Mikoyan Multirole Fighter (MFI) 1.42 project
prototypes. The engines are equipped with an advanced thrust vector
control (TVC) module that provides the same maneuverability seen in
earlier Su-35 variants, but without the need for the canard control
surfaces.
- The
Su-35’s radar is the NIIP N035 Irbis-E passive electronically scanning
array (PESA) design, which is a generational leap beyond the N001-series
of designs installed in the Su-27. This radar is a significant step
above the other famous PESA design from NIIP, the N011M Bars radar set
that is flown in the Indian Air Force (IAF) Su-30MKI.
- The
Su-35 is also equipped with avionics and on-board systems that represent
the state of the art of Russia’s defense electronics industry. Some of
these are so advanced that they will share commonality with the
configuration of the Su-57/T-50 fifth-generation fighter program in
Russia.
Russian aerospace analysts suggest that the Su-35 will
become the “tip of the spear” of their country’s air forces. This is due to the
slow entry-into-service of the Su-57 and lack of institutional support for that
program. “Su-35 is a very powerful platform with a significant amount of growth
left in it,” said a Sukhoi (Stand A05, A06, 882) representative. “So it is not
surprising that it is beginning to generate more interest, even from non-traditional
customers like the UAE.
Original post: ainonline.com
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Sukhoi Su-35: Details
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