Powerplants: Su-35 - Two 125.5kN (28,218lb) with afterburning Saturn/Lyulka AL-35F turbofans. Su-37 -Two 142.2kN (31,970lb) AL-37FUs.
Performance: Su-35 - Max speed Mach 2.35 or 2500km/h (1 350kt), max speed at sea level Mach 1.14 or 1400km/h (755kt). Service ceiling 59,055ft. Range with max internal fuel over 4000km (2160nm), range with in-flight refuelling over 6500km (3510nm). Su-37 - Similar but range with internal fuel 3300km (1780nm).
Weights: Su-35 - Empty 17,000kg (37,479lb), max takeoff 34,000kg (74,956lb). Su-37 - Max takeoff same.
Armament, Su-35 - One GSh-30 30mm gun. Twelve external hardpoints can carry 8000kg (17,655lb) of weapons, including R-27, R-40, R-60, R-73A and R-77 AAMs, Kh-25ML, Kh-25MP, Kh-29, Kh-31 and Kh-59 ASMs, S-25 IR and laser guided rockets, and laser guided GBU-500 and GBU-1500 laser guided bombs and GBU-500T and -1500T TV guided bombs. Su-37 - Same options plus R-37 and KS-172 AAMs and anti radiation Kh-15P and Kh-65S ASMs.
Operators: Russia*
History: Development of advanced Su-27s variants began in the mid 1980s.
A development Su-27 fitted with canards flew for the first time in May 1985, while the first prototype for what would become the Su-35, the T-10S-70, first flew on June 28 1988. For a time the improved Su-27 was designated Su-27M, it has since been redesignated Su-35.
Changes over the basic Su-27 are numerous. Canard foreplanes were added while power is from two upgraded Saturn AL-35F (or AL-31 MF) turbofans. Flight control is provided by a digital fly-by-wire system with quadruplex redundancy (the Su-27's fly-by-wire system is analog). The reprofiled nose houses a multimode Phazotron N011 Zhuk 27 radar (with a larger diameter, flat plate antenna) which has a search range of 100km (55nm), can track 24 targets simultaneously and has terrain following/avoidance. The tailcone houses a rearwards facing Ryazan radar. A new IRST set has been repositioned on the nose. The EFIS cockpit features three color CRTs and a HUD. Other features are a retractable in-flight refuelling probe, taller squared off fins each containing an auxiliary fuel tank and twin nosewheels. Some have been noted with large ECM wingtip pods.
The Su-37 first flew in 1996 and is a further improvement of the Su-35 with two dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles operated through the fly-by-wire flight control system. Other Su-37 features include a Zhuk-PH phased array radar and an improved cockpit with sidestick controller and four Sextant LCD multifunction displays.
The Russian air force had hoped to introduce the Su-35 into service in the late 1990s, although these plans may have been overtaken by the availability of the Su-37."
(source: International Directory of Military Aircraft 1998-1999)
