Sukhoi Su-35’s radar is powerless, engine is out of order… India’s ally exposes flaws, is Putin trying to sell scrap to India?
India has Russian-made Sukhoi and Rafale fighter jets made by France. Both fighter aircraft are used by the Indian Air Force. Now, Russia wants to sell India the fifth-generation fighter aircraft Su-57 as well as the 4.5-generation Su-35. But New Delhi has not revealed its interest in either of the aircraft. Recently, a senior Egyptian military officer has highlighted several technical problems in the Made-in-Russia Su-35 fighter jet, which has raised concerns for the countries that wanted to buy it. The officer said that Egypt has cancelled its 2018 deal to buy Russian Su-35 fighter jets, as several technical problems were found during investigation.
Following the Egyptian military officer’s revelation, questions are being raised about whether this is the reason why India is not buying this aircraft?
What Was The Deal Between Egypt And Russia?
In the year 2018, Egypt signed a USD2 billion deal to buy 24 Su-35 fighter jets from Russia. This deal was considered as Russia’s major defence success in the Middle East. But in 2020, the deal between Egypt and Russia went into cold storage.
Notably, Russia’s Su-35 is a 4.5 generation multirole fighter jet and is loaded with several high-tech weapons and radar systems.
But now, a senior Egyptian military official has stated that the deal for Su-35 was cancelled, keeping in mind technical flaws and strategic needs. He said that the Radar, engine and electronic warfare in Su-35 are weak.
Apart from this, Egypt was also under pressure of sanctions under the United States CAATSA Act.
Why Egyptian Military Officer Saying This?
The military officer said that when the Egyptian Air Force conducted a technical examination of this aircraft, they found that the Irbis-E radar is technically weak. It is based on the old-fashioned PESA (Passive Electronically Scanned Array) technology. As compared to US’s F-35 and France’s Rafale, they use AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar.
Notably, AESA radar is considered more efficient because it is less prone to jamming during electronic warfare.
Apart from this, the Egyptian Air Force also found that the Su-35’s electronic warfare system is weak in comparison to modern warfare. As per the Egyptian Air Force this warfare system cannot withstand today’s electronic countermeasures.
The AL-41F1S engine used in Su-35 consumes more fuel and leaves high thermal and sound signatures, limiting the capabilities of the aircraft. These engines are powerful but generate high heat and sound signature due to which they are exposed to infrared and radar systems.
Not Suitable For Defence Doctrine Of The Egyptian Air Force
The defence doctrine of the Egyptian Air Force is based on operational independence, especially in conflict-prone region, such as air strikes in Libya or rebellion in Sinai.
The Su-35 fighter jet depends on AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) in order to perform on its full potential. This is against Egypt’s strategy of “independent decision-making ability”.
If we talk about France’s Rafale jet, it has advanced capabilities like RBE2 AESA radar and SPECTRA electronic warfare system, making it capable of operating without external support.
This is also a reason why Egypt cancelled the deal with Russia.
US Threatened Egypt
The US threatened sanctions against Egypt under the CAATSA act, jeopardising over USD1 billion in annual military aid if Egypt purchased Russian fighter jets.
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