Russia Manufacturing Su-35 Fighter Jets for "Foreign Customer"

  • Our Bureau
  • 12:10 PM, June 19, 2022
  • 1197
Russia Manufacturing Su-35 Fighter Jets for
Meant-for-Egypt Su-35s on test near Russia's Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation plant in 2020

Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is manufacturing an unspecified number of Su-35 frontline aircraft for a "foreign customer," according to Andrei Yelchaninov, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Collegium of the Military Industrial Commission.

When asked by Interfax during the course of a June 10 interview if Su-35 aircraft made for a foreign customer would be diverted to the Russian Aierospace Forces, Yelchaninov said, "No, the planes will go to a foreign customer, they are made in a certain shape, everything is fine, the enterprise is working."

Could Egypt be this customer?
While Yelchaninov did not specify the foreign customer nor the number of aircraft, the buyer is rumoured to be Egypt which has ordered 24 aircraft but received an initial batch of 3-4 aircraft in 2021. It later supposedly gave up on this deal under pressure from the United States and signed up to buy a second batch of French Rafale Jets.
Egypt has not officially renounced its plans to buy the Su-35 unlike Indonesia which said it had to let go of the leading Russian jet "with a heavy heart," in view of U.S. pressure to abandan the deal and buy its F-15 jet instead.

Russia Manufacturing Su-35 Fighter Jets for
Su-35 jets of Chinese PLA air force

The First Deputy Chairman further said, "Our capabilities make it possible to provide both our Armed Forces and foreign customers with this (Su-35) aircraft. We were convinced of this during a recent visit to Komsomolsk-on-Amur (city)." The aviation plant of UAC which manufactures the Su-57 and Su-35 is located in the far-eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Is China the buyer of an additional batch of Su-35s
Another likely buyer could by China which already possesses 24 Su-35s and been negotiating to buy addition Su-35 jets but nothing is known publicly about the deal.
The Chinese Air Force deployed its Su-35 aircraft, as part of a formation of fighters and bombers, into the Taiwan Air Defense Zone for the first time on May 22 this year.
The Su-35 stands out within the Chinese air force fleet because of its ability to carry a higher weapons payload, at a longer range and with greater speed than other Chinese aircraft.
With Increasing close-shaves between China and the U.S. aircraft over the South China Sea, the Su-35s can come particularly useful in their ability to out-manoeuvre American warplanes while carrying an optimum payload of missiles and bombs.

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