A Russian Sukhoi Su-35S Flanker-E has been destroyed in combat apparently by a Soviet
origin 9K37 Buk Air Defense System used by Ukraine.
The fighter jet was hit and shot down in the sky over the Izyum region in eastern Ukraine,
about 120 km or 75 miles from Kharkiv.
The pilot ejected but was captured by the Ukrainian armed forces.
According to reports, the Su-35S Flanker-E was on a SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses)
mission and armed with Kh-31P air-to-surface missile which is used as an anti-radiation
weapon.
SEAD missions are carried out to knock out radars and Surface to Air Missile systems.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes why even Russia's most lethal operational fighter
jet Su-35 is taken out in Ukraine?
Let's get started.
The Sukhoi Su-35S is single-seat, twin-engine, heavyweight, super-maneuverable aircraft,
designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and built by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant.
The aircraft is being considered to be a 4++ generation fighter.
The type was originally developed by the Soviet Union from the Su-27 and was known as the
Su-27M.
It incorporated canards and a multi-function radar giving it multi-role capabilities.
The first prototype made its maiden flight in June 1988.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union Sukhoi re-designated it as the Su-35 to attract
export orders.
In 2003, Sukhoi embarked on a second modernization of the Su-27 to serve as an interim aircraft
awaiting the development of the Sukhoi PAK FA (Su-57) program.
Also known as the Su-35, this version has a redesigned cockpit and weapons-control system
and features thrust-vectoring engines in place of the canards.
The type made its first flight in February 2008.
Although it was designed for export, the Russian Air Force became the launch customer in 2009,
with the production version designated Su-35S.
The aircraft has a top speed of Mach 2.25 and it can carry a variety of Air to Air and
Air to Ground weapons.
In January 2016, Russia made the first combat deployment of the Su-35S when it sent a fleet
of four aircraft to Syria.
Since Sukhoi Su 57 is still not operationally deployed yet, Su 35S is considered to be the
premier fighter jet in the Russian inventory.
Let us now check 3 potential reasons for its downing.
9K37 Buk (NATO reporting name SA-11 Gadfly) is a pretty old system.
Although it has seen many upgrades, it has its origin in the 1970s.
It seems Russians haven't still learned the lesson from the 2008 Georgia War during which
they were unable to counter Soviet-era air defense systems that they had designed themselves.
The Su-35S is relatively new, less than 10 years old having been introduced into service
only in 2014.
It wasn't in service 14 years ago during the Georgia War and it is expected that such a
new frontline fighter would incorporate the learnings and be able to counter Soviet era
air defense systems.
But it is evident that it is not the case.
It can be safely predicted that if the Russian fighter faces a modern western SAM system
designed from the ground up to counter Russian aircraft, the situation would be worse.
The Self Defense Suit in Su-35S which includes the Khibiny Electronic Countermeasures System
needs significant work.
The West tends to invest heavily in sophisticated protection systems for its fighters.
For example, the French Rafale features an integrated defensive-aids system named SPECTRA,
which protects the aircraft against airborne and ground threats.
Various methods of detection, jamming, and decoying have been incorporated.
It is to be noted that 30% of the cost of the entire aircraft has been devoted to radar
and self-protection equipment.
Official Russian military statements suggest that Russian pilots fly a bit under 100 hours
a year, compared to U.S. Air Force pilots who fly around 180-240 hours a year.
Without enough training, pilots would likely not be at the top of their games.
SEAD are some of the most challenging missions and any chinks will likely be exposed.
While Russians may be good at engaging fixed targets, the dynamic environment they are
up against when faced with mobile air defense systems needs a unique skillset to deal with.
It is interesting to note that American pilots who fly SEAD missions undertake specialized
training to hone their capabilities.
Western pilots also take part in large-scale multinational exercises like Red Flag which
are organized several times a year.
It has to be understood that fighter jets can be shot multiple times during a mission.
It can also happen that at a given instance several missiles may be incoming simultaneously
- these may even be of different types.
The economics is such that SAM or Surface Air missiles have an upper hand.
A missile in a SAM system is a fraction of the cost of a fighter jet.
For example, a Su-35S will cost more than $50 million and even a Patriot PAC 3 missile
which is considered to be one of the costliest ones is around $3 million.
The cost of a missile in the Buk system is much cheaper and hence it will still be a
win if multiple are expended to neutralize a single multi-million dollar aircraft.
So, what the older generation SAM system may lack in 'Quality', could to some extent be
made up with 'Quantity'.
The Russian Air Force can't take these lightly.