The Russian Su-35S fighter has the world's most extensive experience in real air combat against modern combat aircraft. This statement was made by military analyst, head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies Ruslan Pukhov.
Currently, it is a fighter with probably the world's most extensive modern combat experience against enemy combat aircraft and, apparently, with the largest number of enemy combat aircraft shot down among all fourth-generation fighters.
The analyst calls the key advantage of the machine a combination of a powerful airborne radar station with a long target detection range and long-range air-to-air missiles capable of hitting objects at a distance of several hundred kilometers. It is this combination, Pukhov noted, that implements the principle of "first see, first strike," which today determines success in air combat.
The analyst emphasized that the range of target detection and engagement has become the main tactical parameter in modern air operations. According to the expert, the Su-35S has practically no equal among serial fighters of its generation in terms of this indicator.