Russia claims its super-manoeuvrable Su-35 is 'second to none in the air'
The Su-35 is one of Russia's most dangerous fighters and is waiting for a major upgrade soon.
Russia's deputy defence minister, Yuriy Borisov, has claimed that the "Su-35 is second to none" in the air after battles in Syria. The Sukhoi-35 fighter jet has been designed and produced by Sukhoi Design Bureau and is a single-seat, twin-engine, highly manoeuvrable aircraft.
According to the makers of the fighter jet, it is an upgraded Su-27 that was fielded in 2007. As of now, Russia uses the "4++" generation of the jet and the fifth gen upgrades are waiting to be made in the "second half of the next decade".
Borisov went on to say that the fleet of Su-35s have had a serviceability rate of over 80% for which he thanked the workers and the service teams during a visit to the Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant, reports Tass.
"I believe it is one of the world's best operational-tactical planes, and it is second to none in the air. Our pilots have given it high marks following the Syrian conflict. This vehicle has a great future," he added.
As part of the United Aircraft Corporation, the Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant works under Sukhoi. The plant reportedly manufactures a range of Su fighters like the Su-35S, Su-35 and Su-30. It is at this plant that the Su-35's fifth generation fighter is also being developed, notes the report. In 2016, the plant reportedly built 50 samples of the Su-35 for the Russian air force.
This is not the first time Russia bragged about its high-class weapons. The Russian propaganda machine has, in the past, used several superlatives to describe their arms. In 2017, they said that their tanks can run on Mars. Another claim made was that the MiG-41 fighter could reach space and that it can reach hypersonic speeds in drone mode.
Russia is now focussing on developing autonomous weapons as well. An artificial intelligence (AI) powered cruise missile that can think, steer and select targets is underway, the country said. Also, actual robots are reportedly being tested in battlefield conditions right now.