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
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 shootdown illustrated a vital lesson of modern air warfare, and one forgotten all too often: just because an aircraft enjoys platform advantages, those advantages don’t guarantee victory. Modern air combat is increasingly about who detects whom first, and which aircraft has better supporting infrastructure.
Ukraine’s F-16s vs. Russia’s Su-35s: The Head-to-Head
| Aircraft | F-16 Fighting Falcon (Ukraine) | Su-35 Flanker-E (Russia) |
| Year Introduced | 1979 (ongoing upgrades) | 2014 |
| Number Built | 4,600+, all variants | 150+ |
| Length | 49.3 ft (15 m) | 71.9 ft (21.9 m) |
| Wingspan | 32.8 ft (10 m) | 50.2 ft (15.3 m) |
| Weight (MTOW) | 37,500 lb (17,010 kg) | ~76,060 lb (34,500 kg) |
| Engine(s) | One Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan | Two Saturn AL-41F1S afterburning turbofans with thrust vectoring |
| Top Speed | Mach 2.0 (~1,500 mph, 2,414 km/h) | Mach 2.25 (~1,670 mph, 2,690 km/h) |
| Range | ~340 mi (550 km) combat radius, depending on mission~2,620 mi (4,220 km) ferry range | ~990 mi (1,600 km) combat radius~2,800 mi (4,500 km) ferry range |
| Service Ceiling | 50,000 ft (15,240 m) | ~59,100 ft (18,000 m) |
| Loadout | 20mm M61A1 Vulcan autocannon; variety of bombs and missiles, including AIM-120 AMRAAM | 30mm GSs-30-1 autocannon; variety of bombs and missiles |
| Aircrew | 1–2, depending on variant | 1 |
On Paper, the Su-35 Is the Clear Favorite in Ukraine
It’s important to understand that the Ukrainian F-16s are not comparable to modern American F-16s, which are somewhat more capable. Ukraine’s F-16s are European-donated aircraft, predominantly of the F-16AM/BM MLU variety. These are older F-16A/B airframes dating back to the late 1970s and early 1980s that have subsequently been modernized. Still, as the July shootdown shows, it would be a mistake to write them off; they are compatible with modern Western air-to-air weapons like the AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder. The platform’s major advantages are a proven design offering good situational awareness, compatibility with Western weapons, and interoperability with the broader Ukrainian and Western combat architecture. On the flip side, the planes’ radars and sensors are significantly older than the newest Western fighters, potentially putting them at a detection disadvantage against a more modern enemy.
The Su-35S is a heavyweight fighter, representing the advanced evolution of the Soviet Su-27 Flanker. Having entered Russian service in 2014, the Su-35S is a large, twin-engine aircraft with thrust vectoring capabilities, giving it advantages over the F-16 in both speed and maneuverability. The Su-35S is also equipped with the powerful Irbis-E PESA radar and can carry R-77-series, R-73/R-74, and R-37M missiles. Russia has used the Su-35S extensively during the Ukraine war for air superiority and standoff missions. In terms of pure platform comparisons, the Su-35 has notable advantages over the older F-16 fleet.
So How Have the Two Fighter Jets Compared on the Battlefield?
In beyond-visual-range (BVR) combat, the Su-35’s advantage is most established. With powerful radar, the Su-35 can potentially detect conventional fighters at considerable distance, while the R-37M gives Russian aircraft the ability to threaten targets from very long range. The F-16’s older radar potentially leaves the Ukrainian pilot with a shorter detection range, meaning the Su-35 has a higher likelihood of detecting and shooting first, which is often dispositive in modern BVR combat.
If the fighters actually merge into a within-visual-range (WVR) engagement, the comparison is more nuanced. The F-16 is an excellent dogfighter, thanks to its light weight, responsiveness, and excellent energy maneuverability. Still, the Su-35 is capable at close range, with huge control surfaces, powerful engines, thrust vectoring, and high angle-of-attack capability. But the Su-35’s post-stall maneuvers don’t automatically translate into WVR victory. Bleeding energy can make an aircraft vulnerable while modern short-range missiles can engage targets far away from an aircraft’s nose. Regardless, the Su-35 holds a kinematic advantage over the F-16.
So, in principle, the Su-35 is clearly the better aircraft. But modern combat depends on sensor architecture, perhaps more so than kinetic head-to-head specifications. As July’s reported Su-35 kill suggests, technological advantages aren’t everything.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a writer and attorney focused on national security, technology, and political culture. His work has appeared in Tablet, City Journal, The Hill, The Spectator, and The Cipher Brief. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global & Joint Program Studies from NYU. More at harrisonkass.com.
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