Russia is all set to sell Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets of super maneuverability to Ankara, Russia’s top industrial tycoon and CEO of Rostec Corporation, Sergei Chemezov said today (Thursday), following U.S. decision to expel Ankara from F-35 fighter jet program over Ankara’s decision to purchase Russian S-400 Air Defense Missile System. Ankara had recently ordered more than 100 of the stealth fighters and Turkish defense companies were also involved in manufacturing the jets and some of the critical components for the aircraft.
“If our Turkish colleagues express a desire, we are ready to work out the deliveries of the Su-35,” Chemezov said.
According to reports, Turkey had long been considering the purchase of 5th generation Russian Su-57 fighter jets as a replacement for the F-35 jets.
Earlier, before the heat of S-400’s purchase escalated, Sergei on May revealed that Moscow was “ready to cooperate” with Turkey on the issue of Su-57s if the country’s planned F-35 purchase order fell through.
In November 2018, Russia successfully delivered 24 multi-role Su-35s to China in a deal worth around $2.5 billion. Indonesia currently has an order for 11 jets with deliveries expected later in 2019.
The Su-35 is a fourth-generation supersonic fighter jet, which is a derivative of the Su-27 plane, designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and built by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant. The single-seat, twin-engine, super maneuverable aircraft was recently used in Moscow’s military campaign in Syria. Russia has integrated 78 Su-35s into service since 2014. SU-35 variant has a modified cockpit and improved weapons control system compared to the Su-27 and uses thrust-vectoring engines instead of the canards.
Meanwhile, The U.S Foreign Ministry called on Washington to correct its decision, which it said would severely damage the Washington-Ankara relations.
Price of F-35 jets will also escalate up to 10% approximately, after the U.S. decision to expel Ankara from the fighter jet program, the head of Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) said Thursday.