NskPlanes
Published 06/23/2021
Author: Rustam Osetrov
Citing Egyptian sources, Military Watch announced the arrival in Egypt of 17 heavy Su-35 fighters belonging to the 4 ++ generation.
The African state placed orders for about 24-26 fighters towards the end of 2018, and the contract was announced in March next year, making Egypt the second largest exporter of the aircraft after China.
The Su-35 was designed primarily for air superiority missions and is a modern modification of the leading Cold War era fighter, the Su-27. In service since 2014, this aircraft is prized for the high level of situational awareness provided by the Irbis-E radar, for its long flight range, excellent flight characteristics and the availability of many modern types of ammunition.
The Su-35 is one of three "descendants" of the Su-27 currently being produced in Russia. Russian sources express confidence in its ability to counter 5th generation stealth fighters such as the American F-22 Raptor.
During the 20th century, Egypt made several attempts to purchase high-performance heavy fighters from the United States, but was repeatedly denied not only high-end fighters, but even modern ammunition for [sold to Cairo] the cheaper F-16 aircraft.
The 2013 overthrow of the Western-oriented Islamist government led to a shift away from the [Egyptian] military's reliance on US weapons and fighters. In particular, the new Egyptian authorities quickly invested budgetary funds in the acquisition of Russian MiG-29M fighters, as well as the S-300 Favorit and Buk-M2 air defense systems.
The Su-35 is the newest acquisition, but it will not remain the last military novelty in the Egyptian Air Force for a long time, as it is expected to receive orders from Cairo for modernized MiG-29M fighters or the latest MiG-35.
The Su-35 fighter in the Arab world is considered the most combat-ready in terms of air-to-air characteristics. However, as reported, neighboring Algeria with Egypt expects to receive even more modern and combat-ready Su-57 at the end of this decade. Since the Su-57 has not yet entered mass production, it is assumed that the delivery of these fighters will take significantly longer than fulfilling export orders for the Su-35.
No comments:
Post a Comment