Twenty four Russia’s Su-35 fighters were sold to China under the first export contract. According to the CEO of the Rostec, the signing of the first export contract for the Su-35 aircraft was the main business-event of the corporation in 2015.
Photo: Sputnik / Mikhail Voskresenskiy
Twenty four Russia’s Su-35 fighters were sold to China in 2015 under the first export contract, the RIA news agency reported last week, citing the CEO of the Rostec Corporation, Sergey Chemezov. The statement was made during the meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“The main business-event that we had over the past [2015] year is the signing of the first export contract for the Su-35 aircraft. We sold 24 fighters to China,” Chemezov said.
According to the Rostec CEO, the signing an agreement with Indian partners on the organization of production the Ka-226 helicopter and its modifications in India became another significant event.
“We agreed on 200 units, but this figure can be doubled in the future,” Chemezov noted.
According to experts, the Su-35 battle-plane can become a serious opponent for the F15, the Eurofighter and the Rafale. This 4++ generation fighter surpasses NATO 5-generation military aircraft in some characteristics. In addition, experts note that the warplane is not inferior to the best western 4-generation fighters. The speed of the Su-35 and its large weapons load allow it to fight outside the line of sight, while its maneuverability and electronic warfare help to evade enemy missiles.
Currently, the Russian Air Force has 48 Su-35 in service, but this figure will be increased by more than double in the next five years. Interest in the aircraft is being shown abroad – Algeria wants to buy 10 fighters. Egypt, Venezuela and Vietnam are also potential customers.