At the beginning of July 2025, a major news from Egypt once again put the Russian Su-35 fighter jet in the spotlight. Egyptian senior military officials publicly disclosed that the country had completely abandoned the Su-35 procurement agreement signed in 2018 several years ago, and directly pointed out that this fighter jet, once considered by Moscow as a "sales star," has fatal technical defects - an outdated radar system, a fragile electronic warfare suite, and inefficient engines, which are far from meeting the needs of modern battlefields. This "final blow" disclosure not only worsened the reputation of the Su-35, but also reflected the severe challenges Russia is facing in the global weapons market.
Looking back to 2018, when Egypt signed a $2 billion contract for 24 Su-35 fighter jets with Russia, it was seen as a major victory for Russia in the Middle East arms sales market. The Su-35, a fourth-and-a-half generation multi-role fighter developed by Sukhoi Design Bureau, with the NATO designation "Flanker-E," was once promoted as a "aircraft weapon" capable of competing with Western F-15s and Rafales, thanks to its twin-engine super-maneuverability and the "Zhuk-E" radar with a claimed detection range of 400 kilometers.
However, this seemingly prosperous agreement quietly stalled in 2020, and subsequently these Su-35s were sold to Iran (although due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict leading to insufficient Russian production capacity, the delivery was repeatedly delayed). At the time, the international community generally believed that the pressure from the United States through the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) was the main reason - as a recipient of over $1 billion in annual U.S. military aid, if Egypt insisted on purchasing Russian equipment, it would face the risk of sanctions. But now, the official disclosure by Egypt revealed a deeper reason: technical defects were the critical straw that broke the camel's back.
Egyptian military assessment reports unreservedly pointed out the "three major flaws" of the Su-35. First of all, the Zhuk-E radar, which uses a passive electronically scanned array technology, although has a considerable detection distance, is considered "antique-level" compared to the active electronically scanned array radars commonly equipped on Western aircraft. Passive electronically scanned array radars not only have low efficiency but are also easily disturbed by electronic interference. In modern air combat, this means that the Su-35 may be exposed before it even detects the enemy. The radar of the Rafale fighters in the Egyptian Air Force, with its anti-interference capability and multi-target tracking ability, makes the Su-35's radar look inferior.
The engine problem is equally fatal. The Su-35 is equipped with the Saturn AL-41F1S engine, which has a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.1, giving it super maneuverability, but the high thermal signal and obvious acoustic characteristics make it easy to be detected by infrared and radar systems. In the Middle East region, Israel's F-35I and Turkey's "Bayraktar" drones have advanced detection capabilities, and this defect of the Su-35 obviously reduces its survival capability. Worse still, the engine has excessive fuel consumption, directly limiting the aircraft's range and payload, making it difficult to meet Egypt's needs to deal with complex regional threats.
Additionally, the Su-35's electronic warfare suite is evaluated as "out of date." With the increasing prevalence of advanced interference technologies by enemies, this system cannot effectively protect the aircraft from radar lock-on and missile attacks, which in the tense battlefield of the Middle East is almost equivalent to "naked exposure."
Egypt's public disclosure of these defects at this time is clearly more than just "post-event complaints." This move not only legitimizes its strategic shift - from Russian equipment to more reliable Western or Chinese platforms - but also sends a message to the outside world about doubts regarding the performance of Russian weapons. In fact, Egypt has already voted with its actions: its air force has already been equipped with 54 Rafale fighters from France, which comprehensively outperform the Su-35 in sensors, weapon compatibility, and survivability; at the same time, the Chinese J-10C has also entered its focus, a fighter equipped with AESA radar and PL-15 missiles, which has gained fame due to Pakistan's successful confrontation with Indian Rafales in May 2025.
For Russia, Egypt's "final blow" is a heavy blow. The Su-35 used to be its arms sales card, but in recent years, it has encountered continuous problems: Indonesia gave up the purchase for similar reasons, and Iran received the Su-35 that Egypt gave up, but due to the production issues caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the delivery has been repeatedly delayed. Under the dual pressures of sanctions and battlefield consumption, Russia's defense industry not only has limited production capacity, but also shows weakness in technological iteration, and its share in the global weapons market is being squeezed by the West and China.
Egypt's choice is both a technical consideration and a geopolitical calculation. In the U.S.-Russia rivalry, Egypt avoided angering the United States by purchasing Russian equipment, while also strengthening its military position in the Middle East by embracing more advanced military technology. The "fall from grace" of the Su-35 may just be a reflection of the relative decline of Russian military power - in the fast-paced competition of military technology, the consequences of standing still will eventually manifest in the international market.
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7531968773901828618/
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