Thread by @vkthakur

At #AeroIndia2019, the Russian pitch for MMRCA follow-up contender Su-35 was, as for the MiG-35, muted and confined to a single scale model and a specification chart. However, in terms of both performance & technology, the Su-35 is *the* leading contender.

Just before the current govt. signed the Rafale deal with France, in 2015 the Russians pitched the Su-35S variant of the aircraft which they claimed would be a 5th generation aircraft. Were the Russians talking through their collective hats?

Not really. They do have a Su-35 variant in the making that would be both stealthy and stealth busting. I will tweet more on the subject as part of this thread. In the meantime you can peruse sites.google.com/site/idpsentin…

The Su-35 uses RAM to reduce its frontal RCS to less than that of the Su-27. Use of more and better RAM could reduce RCS further to the levels of F/A-18 Block 3. More important are its stealth busting capabilities through the future use of wing leading edge L-band AESA

The L-band AESA may not be able to produce a weapon grade track, but it could get an air-to-air missile in close enough proximity for its own end game terminal homing. The L-band AESA would also facilitate maneuvering & staying out of adversary kill zone while threatening him

There is also the possibility of using the L-band AESA in combination with the passive OLS-35 to obtain a weapon grade track. The SEAD capabilities of a L-band AESA need to be also factored in

It is likely that the Su-35S offered to the IAF would feature the L-band AESA. It would also feature a AESA main radar, a very powerful one that leverage the large cross sectional area of the fighter ahead of the cockpit.