Alexander Mikheev, the CEO of Rosoboronexport, was quoted by TASS as saying that there had been no communications with the UAE since 2021 regarding the delivery of these aircraft. Russia is participating in the Dubai Airshow 2023, as it has done annually since the event’s inception in 1993.
According to him, the Su-35 fighters have shown themselves to be highly effective aircraft complexes in actual battle, where they have been challenged by serious countermeasures from electronic warfare (EW) and air defence systems. He noted that there have been no special interactions with the UAE regarding the Su-35 since 2021. Rosoboronexport is actively pushing these aircraft worldwide, notably in the Middle East countries, catering to potential clients’ requests.
It was reported in 2015 that negotiations with the UAE were taking place for the supply of Su-35. The United Arab Emirates and Russia agreed in 2017 to work together on designing a fifth-generation light fighter based on the MiG-29. According to Sergei Chemezov, the head of Rostec at the time, the objective was to develop the aircraft within the next seven years. In addition, a memorandum of understanding about the purchase of several Su-35 aircraft was signed between the two countries. And subsequently, in 2019, it was stated that discussions were still taking place.
The Russian Knights, a Russian aerobatic team that flies Su-35s, is taking part in the event. Advanced group aerobatics were performed by the pilots of “Russian Knights,” including the Nesterov loop (also known as dead loops), barrel rolls, turns at predetermined intervals and distances, and paired, solo, and head-on aerobatics. The “Russian Knights” also demonstrated some of the most stunning moves, such as the mirror figure and the bell figure. The fighter planes flew at incredibly low altitudes and speeds as they passed the crowd of spectators.
The Su-35, also known as the Flanker-E+ by NATO, is a multirole, highly manoeuvrable fighter with thrust-vectoring control that belongs to the 4++ generation of aircraft. The Russian Aerospace Forces have given it the designation of Su-35S.
