Iran Receiving Su-35 Fighters from Russia in Exchange for Drones... Performance Remains Uncertain

Repeated Shootdowns in Ukraine War... Popularity Declines
Order Cancellations from Egypt, Algeria, Indonesia, etc.

The appearance of the Su-35 fighter jet. [Image source: Russian defense company Rosoboronexport website]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Recently, Iran, which faced international condemnation for supplying domestically produced unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to Russia, is stirring controversy as it is reported to be acquiring Russia's main fighter jet, the Su-35. It is expected that international criticism will intensify as it is presumed that Iran is receiving new fighter jets in exchange for supplying drones.

Russia's Su-35 fighter jet has been praised for its excellent combat capability relative to its price, leading to a surge of orders mainly from Middle Eastern countries at one point. However, it is reported that orders have been canceled one after another due to its poor performance in the Ukraine war.

"Plan to acquire 24 Su-35s for Iran"... 4.5 Generation Fighter Jet

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

On the 2nd (local time), Tehran Times, a local Iranian media outlet, cited sources within the Iranian military, reporting that "the Iranian Air Force is scheduled to receive 24 Su-35 fighter jets from Russia soon." Tehran Times also noted that as military cooperation between Iran and Russia strengthens, sanctions from the U.S. and the West may intensify.

Within Iran, this is expected to be the first foreign fighter jet acquisition since the early 1990s when it procured the former Soviet Mig-29 fighter jets from Russia. Before the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Iran was an ally of the U.S. and imported fighter jets such as the F-4 and F-14 from the U.S., but after diplomatic ties were severed, the aging of its fighter jets worsened.

Russia's current main fighter jet, the Su-35 model, is a fighter that supplements the capabilities of 4th generation fighters introduced in the 1990s. Compared to 5th generation fighters like the F-22 or F-35, which appeared in the late 2000s and are equipped with stealth capabilities, the Su-35 is considered to have inferior performance and is generally classified as a 4.5 generation fighter jet.

This fighter jet supply is presumed to be in exchange for the large-scale supply of Iranian drones to Russia in the recent Ukraine war. It is known that since September last year, Russia has been receiving drones from Iran and using them in air raids on major Ukrainian cities.

According to the Ukrainian local media Kyiv Independent, Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence, posted a report on Telegram the day before, stating, "Russia has begun using tactics that combine Iranian drones with (its own) outdated missiles, precision ballistic missiles, and modified S-300 missiles in various configurations."

Algeria and Indonesia also cancel orders one after another... Cost-effectiveness controversy expands

The image shows a Su-35 fighter jet shot down by the Ukrainian military in the Izium area of eastern Ukraine in April last year. [Image source=Ukrainian Air Force Twitter]

However, as photos of the Su-35 being shot down recently on the Ukrainian front have surfaced, doubts about its combat capability are expected to spark controversy within Iran as well. According to the U.S. economic magazine Business Insider, the Su-35s Iran is acquiring this time are presumed to be the units Egypt pre-ordered last July but later canceled.

The Su-35 is a multi-role fighter jet, particularly promoted in Russia for its excellent bombing capability, but in the actual Ukraine war, it has been evaluated as having very limited operational capability. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has claimed to have shot down about 20 Su-35s since the start of the war and has even released photos of some downed Su-35s on social media.

Not only Egypt, but earlier in January, Algeria canceled its purchase of the Su-35, citing issues with its radar performance. Even earlier, in 2021, Indonesia canceled its Su-35 purchase and announced it would acquire F-15EX fighter jets instead.

Russian fighter jets have mainly been sought after by Asian and African countries due to their lower price compared to U.S. fighter jets relative to performance. However, their popularity has significantly declined since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. With concerns over U.S. sanctions also mounting, it is expected that more countries will cancel their existing purchase intentions in the future.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.