Cairo and Moscow have signed a $2 billion dollar contract for the purchase of more than 20 Russian Su-35 multi-role air-defense fighters and air-launched weapons، RT reported on Monday.
The deal was enacted as early as the end of 2018 with delivery expected to start in 2020-2021، according to two unnamed top executives in the Russian defense sector، as quoted by business daily Kommersant.
The supply contract is set to maintain a full capacity output at Russia’s largest aircraft-manufacturing plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Far East for several years to come، one of the sources said.
The Su-35 is a multi-purpose fighter jet، designed by Sukhoi on the basis of the legendary Su-27 twin-engine supermaneuverable fighter aircraft. The first prototypes of the Su-35 were rolled out in 2007 and production began in 2009. The jet is followed by the fifth-generation PAK-FA stealth fighter.
With 12 to 14 weapons hard points، the Sukhoi Su-35 is able to use K-77M radar-guided missiles that reportedly have a range of almost 200km. The jet is also armed with a 30mm cannon with 150 rounds for strafing or dogfighting. The Su-35 can reportedly carry up to 8،000kg of air-to-ground munitions.
The Sukhoi Su-35 is currently deployed with the Russian Air Force. More than 20 jets of its variant، dubbed Su-35SK، were purchased by the Chinese military. The first four aircraft were delivered in 2016، followed by 10 in 2017، and the final 10 last year.