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SU-35BM (Bolshaya Modernizatsiya - Big Modernization)

The Su-35BM is a new project, and not a Su-27M. The original Su-35 was produced in response to the requirements of the Soviet Air Force, with a preliminary series units being manufactured. Sukhoi assigned the designation Su-35 to the export version of the Su-27M (T-10M) in 1992. This fighter was fitted with canards and the N011 radar. The financial crisis in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union precluded the Russian Air Force from buying this model in significant numbers. Production of the Su-27M had started in Komsomolsk during the last days of the Soviet Union, and a total of 15 aircraft (including the prototypes) were ultimately manufactured. The Su-35 was offered without sucess to several countries including South Korea, UAE and Malaysia. This model was part of the FX competition for for the new multi-function fighter for Brazil, despite of the lack of tradition of use of Russian military material for Brazil.

But fifteen years later the financial circumstances have chnaged and the requirements for updating the fighter plane forces of the Russian Air Force are concrete and pressing.

The Sukhoi-35BM is designed on the base of the engineering solutions applied for creation of the fifth-generation aircraft taking into account the experience of operation of the Su-30MK2 (Su-27SM) multipurpose aircraft family. The Su-35 combines both characteristics necessary for a modern fighter, such as: supermaneuverability, sophisticated active and passive sensor systems, high supersonic flight speed, high flight range, possibility to arrange aircraft interaction; and characteristics of a good combat aircraft, namely: high combat load, wide range of the “air-to-surface” missiles, sophisticated multichannel electronic warfare system, reduced radar observability, air-defense break capability at a low level flight.

Principle design features include:

• Aerodynamic cleanness, application of the integral aerodynamic layout with a lift fuselage
• Multifunctionality and combat effectiveness: high-performance solution of a wide range of “air-to-air”, “air-to-surface” tasks and reconnaissance
• High agile capabilities supporting super-maneuverability implemented by a new-generation power plant with thrust-vector control and new flight control system
• Reduced radar observability due to application of radar-absorbing materials and coating
• Combat survivability - two spaced engines, onboard systems redundancy, fuel tanks explosion protection, sophisticated electronic attack systems
• Target data distribution system (Air Force, Army and Navy network coordination)
• Highly integrated onboard equipment with a centralized control from an open architecture information-management system providing pilot intelligent support, using a “dark cockpit’ concept
• Passive and active detection system with high range of action, monitoring of aerial, ground and surface space at a long distance from the main air base
• Effective penetration of area and point air defense systems by implementation of modern electronic countermeasures and weapons systems
• New approaches to the aircraft operation and maintenance system - auxiliary powerplant, onboard oxygen generator, built-in systems operability test facilities
• Training aids including full mission simulator, special trainers, and PC-based training system

The Su-35BM (Bolshaya Modernizatsiya - Big Modernization), undertook alterations in its fuselage, weight, RCS, embarked avionics, radar and bombs. Originally the Su-35 project did not contemplate the adoption of canards, however during the development of the aircraft at the beginning of the 1990s, the radar was installed then in development N-011M “Bars” in a prototype of the T-10 / Su-27. At the beginning it was noticed that the extreme weight of N-011M Bars affected the center of gravity of the aircraft, the radar was much heavier than the N-001 radar of the original Su-27. This compelled the designers of the aircraft to adopt some system that supported the frontal surface of the aircraft. The solution of canards appeared to reequilibrate the center of gravity of the aircraft. It was noticed in the flight of tests of the Su-35 that canards had improved the stability of the aircraft, improved the sustentation capacity, in closed maneuvers with very great angles of attack. This change made as much “success” that was adopted in other variants of the Su-27. The down side was that it increased the aerodinamico drag in supersonic regimen and even more increased the wing area of the aircraft, which resulted in an increase of the RCS of the aircraft.

Aiming at to reduce the RCS of the aircraft, the designers of the T-10 had opted to remove canards from the aircraft. But to make this was possible it would be necessary to reduce the weight of the embarked radar, with the purpose of re-equilibrating the center of gravity of aircraft without the use of canards. This was possible with the new radar that was in development and that will have substantially inferior weight to the N-011M, having had similar weight to the original N-001 of the Su-27. This minituarization of components and use of in the manufacture of the parts of lighter materials, allowed the center of gravity of the aircraft came back to be as the original Su-27, making possible withdrawal of canards of the aircraft.

Moreover, all the control surfaces of the aircraft were perfected and reduced in relation to the original T-10. The Su-35BM also reduced the area of empennage of the aircraft, better that the original Su-27. Another change in the structure of the aircraft, was the adoption of the same flight control system developed in the Su-47 Berkut, a quadruple flight control system. This allowed the engineers to substantially to reduce the size of the vertical empennage of the aircraft, to such point that it is smaller than the original Su-27. The aft part of the cabin of the Su-35 was also reduced. This is the part of the aircraft where a part of the avionics of the aircraft are installed. Initially, the very great size was necessary to increase the space of the fuselage to be able to install the avionics. But with the adoption of the new smaller and better avionics, this part of the fuselage was reduced, much smaller thnt the original Su-27. To increase the useful life of the body of the aircraft, the composition of the aluminum fuselage was substituted in part for titanium.

The avionics, in contrast to the first version of the Su-35, are supplied by the Russian company MRPC AVIONICA, specializing in the development of aircraft avionics. The Su-35BM will count on a system of four fly-by-wire digital chanals of control called SDU-427. The configuration of cockpit of the Su-35BM has two large 23X30cm LCD viewfinder. One monitor displayes tatical combat information and navigation, with the secondary monitor provides other information about the aircraft for the pilot. In the field of Electronic Warfare, an un-specified set of equipment operates in several ways: “Self-defense”, “Mutual Protection” or “Protection of Group”. It will count on the system of protection for eletronic war L175M Khibiny-M. It is integrated with the Russian GLONASS system of global positioning. It also uses LINK 16, adata-communication system datalink standard of NATO, an unimaginable situation until recent years.

The radar on this new version of the Su-35 will be able operate in several bands, including X-band, and other frequency bands, thanks to the computer processor. The antenna has a diamentro of 900mm, with vertical polarization of waves and full-rate capacity in only 0.4ms. It can turn in azimuth of 60 degrees up to 120 degrees, with maximum angle of controlled deflection for eletronic and mecanical system. The radar is the Irbis-E Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) type, which is able to control up to 30 targets and able to go off against 8 different targets. It can control active and semi-active guidance missiles simultaneously. In the air-to-ground mode the numbers are no less impressive: four tracked targets at the same time, and two being attacked of one time. The radar can track the movement of targets in real time working in Dopler and SAR modes. The Irbis-E can detect an aircraft with 3m of RCS at a distance of 400 kilometers. And against aircraft with low RCS it can detect at 90km distance, while it can detect an aircraft with an RCS as small as 0.01m^2.

The main source of the Su-35's head-on RCS is the inlets. The straight duct provides direct visibility for the entire face of the engine compressor. While this may be good aerodynamics, Bill Sweetman noted that "the inlet might have been designed to advertise the fighter's presence at the greatest possible range." Part of the solution was a high-performance, ferro-magnetic RAM for the compressor face and duct walls. This model was carried through a work of radar signature reduction of approximately of 25db with the application of a process developed in experimental way with the Berkut and later perfected in the turbines of the new version for the Su-35. This goes beyond the application of a new type of absorbent material of high performance with bigger capacity of durability when subjected to the high temperatures emitted by the turbines. The modified Su-35 also has a treated cockpit canopy which reflects radar waves, concealing the high RCS contribution from metal components in the cockpit. Beyond these changes, radar absorbent material of greater durability allied with the structural changes, mean that it is expected that the RCS of the aircraft will be equivalent of a F-16, that is, around 1m (Reduced RCS (b/w F-16 (about 1m^2).

The maximum weight of the aircraft was reduced by 10% with the substitution of the composition of part of the components for lighter and resistant composite materials.

The Su-35BM is powered by a pair of the new AL-41 F1A turbofans, which provide 142 to 147 kN [36,000 pounds (approx)] of thrust each. The final production engine for the PAK-FA (T-50) will be the AL-41F1 fitted - when compared with the present A version - with a new core. Having installed in the nozzles the system of 3D vectored thrust, having useful life of 6,000 hours. The TVC possesss movement of deflection in the three axes of supersonic flow with amplitude of +-15°e in the horizontal plan of +-8°, with the made deflection being in a speed of 60°/second. The movement is carried through through a mobile ring, which the supersonic nozzle is set in motion, and that is set in motion by three located hydraulical actuators around of the nozzle axle. In turn, the proper actuators are fixed in a “located fixed brace” around of the post-combustion chamber (to afterburner).

For combat the Su-35BM will count for combat of short reach the R-74M (the missile is external identical to the R-73, but with processor of digital signals reprogrammable and new sensor more sensible multipursuing with 60 degrees of off-boresight, more good capacity of countermeasures and capable to acquire targets flying low.), for combat BVR incialmente the R-77M1 and after that the R-77-PD. The R-77M-PD will be equipped with engine ramjet of solid fuel Vympel KRLD-TT that functions for 50-70 seconds with reason weight: power of 7:1.

As weapon against targets of great strategic value as AEW/AWACS or bombers, the SU-35BM will count on the KS-172-1 with useful reach of 400km. Against ships it will have the PJ-10 and the Kh-59MK, and for the suppression of radars it will count on the Kh-31Pk and the R-27P. It will make use of the Kh-65 cruise missile of high precision with reach of up to 280km. And it will make use of new guided and un-guided bombs (KAB-500S, KAB-1500LG and LGB-250).

The Su-35 is intended both for single and for group usage. In the latter case, the aircraft can operate in a group numbering up to 16 of the same type or older airplanes. The commander of a combined group receives full information about the target situation which is received from his own supporting aircraft and commanders of interacting groups. He will have the capability to operating in networks of ground and naval forces and also in networks of AWACS airplanes. As a result, on the group commander's display will be presented full tactical and operational information which prevails at the given time. This is one of the most important features of the Su-35 avionics, which is evidence of its position in approaching the fifth generation aviation complex. As is known, the effectiveness of a combat unit which has inserted into a common control system grows in numbers in comparison with traditional types of combat equipment.

The first flight tests were foreseen for August of 2007, being operational in the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010. Beyond the Russian Air Force two other countries already had demonstrated interest for the modernized Flanker monoplace, Brazil and Venezuela. It may be that it goes to obtain customers with the same ability of the Su-30. It may be that China and India will turn into customers.

The Su-35 aircraft is designed by “Sukhoi Design Bureau”, but its production is mastered at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association named after Gagarin.