The Russians did it again. Another Super Flanker lost

It's not yet been seven days since the Russian air defense shot down the Su-35 plane over Tokmak, and we already have another case, this time over Mariupol. We present the background of this incident.

This is another case after the incident on September 29, 2023, showing that Russian pilots do not have an easy life over Ukraine, as they also have to avoid the Russian anti-aircraft defense theoretically on their side.

Russian armed forces have been grappling with issues related to IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) systems for quite some time. This is due to the fact that the radar signatures of aircraft, which are used by both Russia and Ukraine, are very similar to each other. It's worth noting that most of the modern military equipment currently in use in Russia are upgrades of designs from the times of the Soviet Union.

This would already be the sixth confirmed loss according to the list maintained by the group oryxspioenkop. Not counting the latest example so far, the loss of five machines has been confirmed by photos or recordings of the shooting down and/or wreckage. However, it's worth noting that the actual losses could be significantly higher, as not every case is captured in recordings or photos.

The news regarding the downing on September 29, 2023, however, indicates that in this case the pilot survived and at the time of writing this article, according to the Military website, the Russians are reportedly conducting a search operation.

The Su-35 is one of the most advanced aircraft in Russia's arsenal. Its design is derived from the Su-27 fighter, and it was introduced into service in 2014. It is a heavy, twin-engine air superiority fighter weighing 42,000 pounds, which has also been adapted to carry out ground attack operations. This aircraft has an onboard GSz-30-1 30 mm gun and 12 pylons for carrying weaponry.

The armament of the Su-35 includes, among others, long-range air-to-air R-37 missiles capable of destroying targets up to 186 miles away. This mainly applies to transport aircraft or AWACS, as the range is lower for fighters, but still larger than for AIM-120 AMRAAM. The Su-35 can also carry Ch-61 anti-ship missiles or guided winged bombs, which cause many problems for the Ukrainians.

One of the unique features of the Su-35, which is often showcased at air shows, is the use of thrust vectoring. Because of this, this aircraft is characterized by very good maneuverability at low speeds.

Additionally, the Su-35 is equipped with an N035 Irbis-E type PESA radar and an OLS-35 IRST system for passive detection of targets based on their thermal signature. However, it's worth noting that both sensors are behind what can be found in modern Western machines.