A flight of Su-35 Flanker-E aircraft perform maneuvers during an airshow in Moscow, Russia, in July 2021. The Su-35 enjoys clear advantages over Ukraine’s older F-16s, but at least one Su-35 has fallen victim to the Fighting Falcon since the start of the war. (Shutterstock/aarrows)

Ukraine’s F-16 vs. Russia’s Su-35: The Competition Is Closer Than You’d Think

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Ukraine’s F-16 Fighting Falcons have held their own against the Russian Aerospace Forces’ ostensibly superior Su-35s in the skies over Ukraine.

On paper, Russia’s Su-35S Flanker-E should be a difficult matchup for Ukraine’s F-16 Fighting Falcon fleet. The Su-35 is larger, newer, more powerful, with longer-ranged radar, and the ability to carry long-range air-to-air weapons. Ukraine, meanwhile, operates the older F-16AM/BM Mid-Life Update aircraft rather than the newest F-16V.

Still, how things stack up on paper isn’t always how they stack up in the field. In July, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine made waves after he announced that a Ukrainian F-16 had successfully shot down a Russian Su-35. The........

© The National Interest