On 4th September it was reported that Iran to buy 24 Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E produced for Egypt from Russia in exchange for hundreds of armed drones.
The Iranian Air Force’s fighter introduction plan, which has been tossing for several years, has finally settled. A few days ago, the Iranian Air Force Commander confirmed that it will introduce Su-35 fighter jets from Russia, and the number will be at least 65. The Su-35 is an excellent 4.5th-generation fighter aircraft. The large range and large bomb load brought by the dual-engine heavy-duty design, coupled with excellent maneuverability, can be described as one of the best 4.5th-generation fighter aircraft.
If the Iranian Air Force is equipped with the Su-35 35, it will bring a huge improvement to its overall strength. At the same time, the performance of the Su-35 fighter is no less than that of the Rafale, F-15QA, and other 4.5th generation fighters equipped by other countries in the Middle East.
However, there is a problem that the Israeli Air Force has currently equipped 30 F-35 stealth 5th generation fighter jets, and the Israeli Air Force has continuously put F-35 into actual combat since it was equipped with F-35, including the strikes on many key targets in Iran. It can be said that at present Iran is Among the rivals of the Air Force, the Israeli Air Force must be counted as one.
Iran’s introduction of the Su-35 is of course to enhance its air defense capabilities. Then, after the Iranian Air Force officially equips the Su-35, there will be a high probability of encountering the Israeli F-35 in the air.
So can Iran rely on these Su-35s against the Israeli Air Force’s F-35 fighter jets? In fact, in close combat, the Su-35 can completely suppress the F-35, but the F-35 is a stealth fighter after all, and problems that can be solved at a long distance will never give the Su-35 a chance to drag it into a close-quarters fight.
The Russian side once said that the “Irbis-E” passive phased array radar carried by the Su-35 can detect stealth fighters at a distance of up to 90 kilometers, but the radar carried by the F-35 has a detection range for the big size 4.5th generation fighter is more than 150 km such as the Su-35. More than 150 kilometers, which means that Su-35 will suffer a lot when facing F35 in over-the-horizon combat.
Also, the Israeli F-35I is the most advanced version F-35. F-35I is equipped with Israeli helmet-mounted displays, bespoke Datalink functionality that’s specific to Israel’s armed forces, and additional enhancements to the F-35’s already-potent data gathering and processing capabilities—these tweaks are significant enough to warrant the “I” designation, making the F-35I one of few just a handful of formally acknowledged F-35 variants. Israeli F-35I can carry Israel’s SPICE-1000 bomb kit.
The introduction of dozens of Su-35s can certainly bring a huge improvement to the strength of the Iranian Air Force, but it is still very difficult for Iran to rely on these dozens of Su-35s to defend against the Israeli Air Force F-35 fighters that frequently launch air strikes on it. The entire air defense system needs to work hard, especially in the future to have its own stealth fighter, which can play a reciprocal countermeasure against the Israeli Air Force’s F35.