The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) are armed with approximately 130 Su-35S fighters. Such calculations were published in the new edition of the Military Balance handbook by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
The official number of combat vehicles of this type is not disclosed. It should only be noted that the construction of Su-35S began in 2011, and serial deliveries to the troops started in 2012.
In total, in 2025, Rostec announced the delivery of Su-35S seven times. In 2026, as of May, the Russian Aerospace Forces received one batch of these fighters.
Ruslan Pukhov, head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, noted that the Su-35S surpasses foreign fourth-generation fighters, including the Boeing F-15 and Lockheed Martin F-16, in terms of a number of characteristics, and in combat parameters – the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.
The combat vehicle is capable of sharply soaring upwards at a speed of up to 800 km/h in pitch to attack an emerging target.