New Colours for the Su-35: Latest Flanker Variant Joints Russia’s Prestigious Aerobatics Team

The Russian Knights aerobatics team, which has deployed the most advanced heavyweight fighters from the Sukhoi design bureau since the 1990s, reportedly introduced four Su-35 ‘4++ generation’ air superiority fighters into its ranks - replacing the older twin seat Su-30 platforms. The Su-35 entered service in the Russian Air Force from 2014, and improves on the aerobatic performance of its predecessors with more powerful engines, three dimensional thrust vectoring systems and a lighter but more durable high composite airframe. The new fighter made its debut in the Syrian theatre in early 2016, deployed alongside advanced air defence systems to protect Russian forces there, and had multiple run ins with advanced Western jets including F-22 Raptors. Flankers deployed to Syria were the first fighters in Russian service confirmed to have been equipped with R-77 air to air missiles, and new armaments for the Su-35 including R-37M hypersonic missiles have since been developed. With over 100 fighters having left production lines, only two dozen of which were for export, the deployment of the Su-35 under the Russian Knights indicates that the Russian Air Force no longer perceives an urgent need to increase the number of new Flankers in frontline deployments. The announcement of the Su-35 joining the Russian Knights comes less than four months after mass production of a more modern next generation fighter, the Su-57, was confirmed to have begun.