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Russia delivers first Su-35 fighter jets to Ethiopia with S-400 air defense systems to follow.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the delivery of 12 Russian Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter jets during the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, with the two initial aircraft handed over at Zhukovsky Airport. Delivered one year ahead of schedule, the 4++ generation fighters feature AL-41F-1S thrust-vectoring engines and N035 Irbis-E radar to significantly upgrade an air force historically relying on legacy Su-27SK and Su-30K platforms. The acquisition is part of a broader air defense modernization effort that includes planned procurement of four S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries.
Ethiopia announced the acquisition of 12 Russian Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter jets during Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali's visit to Moscow for the third Russia-Africa Summit, where two aircraft were handed over at Zhukovsky Airport. (Picture source: Abiy Ahmed Ali)
On October 28, 2026, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali announced the delivery of 12 Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighters from Russia, received one year ahead of schedule following the intervention of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The transfer, confirmed by Rosoboronexport during the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, makes Ethiopia another Su-35 export recipient alongside China, which received 24 aircraft between 2016 and 2018, and Algeria, which began receiving its fighters in March 2025. The delivery doubles the six aircraft associated with Ethiopia's leaked October 2025 procurement arrangements, although the final order quantity, contract value, missile package, and basing locations remain undisclosed.
Abiy also announced the future acquisition of four S-400 air defense batteries without specifying their delivery timetable. The Su-35 combines the N035 Irbis-E radar, two AL-41F-1S thrust-vectoring engines producing up to 290 kN of combined afterburning thrust, 11,500 kg of internal fuel, and an 8,000 kg weapons capacity. Its arrival follows Ethiopia's introduction of former Indian Su-30K fighters in January 2024 and more than two decades of Su-27 operations amid renewed fighting in Tigray and deteriorating relations with Eritrea. Ethiopia's Su-35 acquisition adds a nominal 12-aircraft fighter squadron to an inventory historically centered on 16 Su-27SK fighters acquired in the late 1990s and employed against Eritrean MiG-29s during the 1998-2000 border war.
The Su-27SK uses the N001 radar, two AL-31F engines producing approximately 245 kN of combined afterburning thrust, and R-27 and R-73 missiles, while the 9 MiG-23BNs and 3 Su-25 aircraft undertake ground-attack missions. Ethiopia subsequently introduced 6 former Indian Su-30K fighters in January 2024, adding a two-seat Flanker derivative retaining AL-31F engines and N001-family radar rather than the Su-30MKI's thrust-vectoring propulsion and Bars radar. The 12 Su-35s introduce newer sensors, engines, and weapons compatibility, but delivered aircraft do not equal combat-ready fighters. At illustrative mission-capable rates of 75% and 60%, Ethiopia would have nine or seven to eight available fighters respectively, before accounting for training, maintenance reserves, and operational commitments.
A continuous two-aircraft combat air patrol would also require multiple rotations per day, with each pair returning for refueling, rearming, and inspection, meaning that even nine available fighters cannot necessarily maintain uninterrupted coverage. The Su-35 incorporates digital flight controls, reinforced structural components, and thrust-vectoring propulsion developed through the Su-27M and Su-37 programs, without the canards fitted to the Su-30MKI. Its two AL-41F-1S engines generate 142 to 145 kN each, providing 284 to 290 kN combined afterburning thrust, approximately 16-18% more than the earlier AL-31F-powered Su-27SK fighters. With an empty weight near 19,000 kg, a normal takeoff weight of 25,300 kg, and a maximum takeoff weight of 34,500 kg, the fighter can exceed a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.1 under favorable half-fuel conditions and maneuver up to 9 g.
Maximum speed reaches Mach 2.25, or 2,400 km/h at altitude, with an 18,000 m ceiling and a climb rate in the 280 m/s class. Internal fuel capacity of 11,500 kg exceeds the original Su-27's approximately 9,400 kg by 22%, supporting a maximum flight range of 3,600 km, a 4,500 km ferry range with external tanks, and a nominal 1,600 km combat radius. These figures permit longer patrols and distant interceptions, although afterburner use, weapons loads, low-altitude flight, and fuel reserves reduce practical endurance. The N035 Irbis-E X-band passive electronically scanned array radar also replaces the earlier N001 with a system capable of tracking 30 airborne targets and supporting simultaneous engagements against eight. Combining electronic beam steering with mechanical antenna repositioning and a peak transmitted power of 20 kW, it with a maximum detection range of 350 to 400 km against radar-reflective targets under favorable conditions.
However, detection range declines with radar cross-section: reducing a target from 3 m² to 0.1 m² lowers theoretical detection distance to 42.7% of its original value, turning a 400 km reference into 171 km under otherwise identical conditions. Low-altitude targets introduce additional radar-horizon and ground-clutter limitations. The OLS-35 infrared search-and-track system provides passive thermal detection, while the Khibiny-M electronic warfare family and L265M10 wingtip equipment support electronic protection. Two 230 × 300 mm multifunction displays, a head-up display, and HOTAS controls consolidate sensor and weapons management. Compared with Ethiopia's Su-27SK and Su-30K, the Su-35 offers greater tracking capacity and passive surveillance options, although its PESA radar and non-stealth airframe remain limitations against modern AESA-equipped fighters and integrated air defenses.
The Su-35 can carry R-73 and R-74M infrared-guided missiles for short-range combat, R-77-1 active radar-guided missiles for medium-range engagements, and R-37M missiles for longer-distance interceptions, although Ethiopia's actual missile inventory remains undisclosed. The RVV-SD export missile, associated with the R-77, has a 110 km maximum engagement range, while the RVV-BD, the export counterpart of the R-37M, reaches 200 km. R-77-family missiles combine inertial navigation, midcourse radio corrections, and terminal active radar homing, reducing the launching aircraft's need for continuous radar illumination compared with the R-27R and R-27ER semi-active radar-guided missiles associated with Ethiopia's Su-27SK. On March 17, 2026, a Russian Su-35S carried two R-73/74M missiles, three R-77-1 missiles, one R-37M, and one Kh-31PM anti-radiation missile, demonstrating a mixed configuration with six air-to-air weapons.
Actual engagement ranges depend on launch altitude, speed, target aspect, and maneuvering, while Ethiopia's ability to employ these configurations depends on the missiles acquired. The Su-35 carries up to 8,000 kg of external weapons across 12 principal mounting positions, compared with approximately 3,000 kg for the MiG-23BN and 4,000 kg for the Su-25UBK. Compatible weapons include Kh-29 guided missiles, Kh-59 strike missiles, Kh-31 anti-radiation and anti-ship variants, and KAB-500 and KAB-1500 guided bombs, supplemented by a GSh-30-1 30 mm cannon with approximately 150 rounds. The Kh-31P and Kh-31PM provide anti-radar attack options, allowing selected air defense suppression missions alongside fighter escort. On November 11, 2025, a Russian Su-35S carried two Kh-31PM missiles with air-to-air weapons during operations in southern Ukraine, whereas the March 17, 2026, configuration combined one Kh-31PM with six air-to-air missiles.
For Ethiopia, guided weapons could extend strike options beyond the conventional attack profiles of its MiG-23s and Su-25s, but the possession of the Su-35 does not confirm the acquisition of Kh-31PM, Kh-59, or KAB-series weapons. The Su-35 serial production began in 2007 at the Yuri Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant, followed by Russian service entry in 2014 under an initial 2009 contract for 48 fighters. Russia's inventory exceeded 120 Su-35s by 2025, with at least six delivery batches announced that year and additional deliveries in April 2026. China received 24 units between 2016 and 2018, while Algeria began receiving Su-35s in March 2025, including at least five fighters associated with Egypt's unfulfilled 2018 order. An Algerian-marked Su-35 was also present at Ain Beida/Oum el Bouaghi Air Base on March 10, 2025.
Iran has also pursued the type, including a production schedule for 16 aircraft during 2025-2027. At indicative prices of $85 to $100 million per aircraft, 12 fighters would represent $1.02 to $1.2 billion before separately priced weapons, training, spares, and infrastructure, although Ethiopia's actual contract value is unknown. Russian Su-35S operations in Syria and Ukraine have included interception, escort, long-range missile employment, and anti-radiation missions, alongside losses to hostile fire and friendly-fire incidents. Ethiopia's long-term availability will also depend on AL-41F-1S engine support, Irbis-E maintenance, electronic warfare components, and technical personnel, adding new requirements to its existing AL-31F-powered Flanker fleet.
Moreover, the Su-35's operational value for Ethiopia depends on how it changes mission allocation across four existing combat aircraft types. Compared with the MiG-23BN, the Su-35 offers 2.67 times the payload and modern beyond-visual-range air-to-air capability, allowing fighter escort and selected precision strikes within the same sortie. Against the Su-25UBK, limited to approximately 950 km/h and 4,000 kg of weapons, it provides twice the nominal payload, a maximum altitude speed of 2,400 km/h, and compatibility with longer-range guided weapons, although the Su-25 remains specialized for close air support.
Against the Su-27SK, the decisive improvement is the transition from the N001 radar and R-27 missiles to the Irbis-E and R-77 missiles, reducing restrictions on maneuvering after launch. The early Su-30K likewise lacks the Su-35's Irbis-E radar, thrust-vectoring propulsion, and newer electronic warfare equipment, although its second crewmember remains useful for complex missions. Ethiopia could therefore concentrate Su-35s on air defense, long-distance interceptions, and escort, retain Su-27SKs for supplementary fighter coverage, and assign MiG-23BNs and Su-25s to suitable ground-attack missions. Its combat radius would support interceptions farther from defended infrastructure, while the planned four S-400 batteries could eventually complement air defense operations.
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Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.