The Aerospace Forces (VKS) of Russia received the first batch of Su-35S fighters in April in 2026. The Tekhnosfera Rossii publication, citing sources, clarified how many of these "4++" generation aircraft are in service.
Traditionally, the vehicles enter the Aerospace Forces in batches, but the exact number of aircraft in each is not named.
During 2025, the manufacturer handed over at least 15 such fighters to the Aerospace Forces, while simultaneously fulfilling import contracts. The total number of Su-35S aircraft produced for the Russian Aerospace Forces is about 140 units.
The head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Ruslan Pukhov, noted that, based on a combination of several characteristics, the Su-35S surpasses all foreign fourth-generation fighters, including the Boeing F-15 and Lockheed Martin F-16, and in terms of combat parameters, the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.
The combat vehicle is capable of soaring sharply upwards at a speed of up to 800 km/h on a pitch to attack an emerging target.
Read more materials on the topic:
- Rostec armed the Aerospace Forces with fresh Su-35S — pilots are already praising the fighters
- Russian Su-35S fighters turned out to be cheaper than the new Leopard 2A8 tanks
- "Pinned to the ground": a military expert explained the advantage of the Su-35S and F-16 and Mirage
