Russian Air Force Receives New Su-35 Fighters Amid Production Scale Expansion

The Russian state run United Aircraft Corporation was confirmed in May 12 to have&nbsp; supplied a new batch of <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su35-headbutting-f16-alaska" target="_blank">Su-35 fighter aircraft </a>to the Russian Defence Ministry for service in the Russian Aerospace Forces, following significant efforts to expand the scale of the aircraft’s production. "The United Aircraft Corporation has delivered another batch of new multifunctional Su-35S fighter jets to the Russian Defence Ministry. The 4++ generation aircraft have run the gamut of tests by the manufacturer, have been tested in various working modes, and have performed a flight to the base aerodrome," the corporation’s press service reported. The corporation’s Director General Vadim Badekha stated that production has met its targets and the aircraft had been delivered on schedule, stressing that it remained “aware of the importance of implementing the state defence order in full and on time." "Concurrently, work is underway to boost production capacity and commission new industrial infrastructure to support future plans to ensure the country’s defence capability. New batches of the Su-35S, Su-34, and Su-57 are being produced," he added. The Su-35 is&nbsp;a <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su35-vs-su27-ten-top-improvements" >close derivative</a>&nbsp;of the Soviet Su-27 Flanker air superiority fighter, and has been comprehensively modernised with new engines, sensors, avionics, weaponry and a high composite airframe with a reduced radar cross section and lower maintenance needs.&nbsp;<img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/13/article_6822c9f347eaa1_87166891.jpg" title="Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35 Fighters">The first batch of Su-35s delivered in 2025 were handed over to the Russian Aerospace Forces in the first week of March, with a further batch having been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/satellite-footage-confirms-su35-algerian-base" >delivered</a> to the Algerian Air Force as confirmed by satellite images in April. Algeria is the first new country to receive Su-35s in almost a decade, since deliveries of 24 fighters to China began in November 2015. In a major turning point for the Su-35 program, General Director Badekha in March revealed that plans were underway to accelerate production of the aircraft, with officials at the United Arms Corporation observing that the firm was investing in workforce training and infrastructure modernisation to eliminate bottlenecks and sustain higher production rates. The Su-35 was previously expected to be phased out of production in the early 2030s, with wartime plans to expand the Russian fighter fleet, and the anticipation of greater export orders, both thought to have <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-expanding-su35-fighter-production-scale-two-reasons-why" >influenced the decision</a> to instead increase production. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps General Ali Shadmani&nbsp;in January <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/iran-confirms-order-finalised-su35-fighters" >confirmed</a> that his country had placed orders for the Su-35, with the country expected to procure the aircraft on a large scale and potentially field 64 or more to replace the ageing fleet of F-4D/E jets. Other countries such as Indonesia and North Korea have also been speculated to potentially procure the aircraft, with the former having an order for 11 fighters still suspended, while the latter has seen Russian defence cooperation restrictions with it relaxed significantly over the past year.&nbsp;