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Brazil - Su-35

As is known, the SU-35 has already participated more than once in the competition organized by the Brazilian government, but it never reached the end. In addition to the SU-35, three aircraft participated in this tender, which began in 2007: the Rafale, by French Dassault, the American F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, by Boeing, and the Swedish JAS 39 Gripen, produced by Saab.

The bidding aimed to supply 36 aircraft by 2015, in addition to the production of 84 more by 2024 by the Brazilians themselves, with the concession that would be provided together with the fighters. Favorites were the cheaper and easier Rafale and Gripen. But the final decision had not yet been made.

The competition had been postponed more than once. In the spring of 2011, for example, it was stopped due to lack of resources. Hypotheses were raised after a consultation visit by Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim to India, shortly after the Rafale won a tender in the country in February with 126 medium-sized multi-role fighters. Then, a number of journalists announced that the favorite would be the French fighter.

The Russian SU-35 aircraft, a 4++ generation fighter with the advantage of being barely visible, fully meets the demands of the fifth generation. It is capable of developing a speed of 2,500 kilometers per hour, exceeding 3,400 kilometers. The combat radius of the fighter reaches 1.6 thousand kilometers. The SU-35 is armed with 30mm caliber pieces. In addition, the plane has 12 suspension points for rockets and bombs of different types.

A very important feature of the aircraft is that its weapons control system is the new “Irbis-E” phased grid radar station, which has unique characteristics with regard to target detection capability. According to Russian experts, its target detection range in “air-to-air” regime exceeds 400 kilometers. This rate is significantly higher than that of analog fighters.

The RLS installed on the plane with phased grid radar also has more air target detection range. Furthermore, it can simultaneously analyze ground and air space and discover, track and bomb a greater number of targets (air: track 30 targets and attack 8; on land: track 4 targets and attack 2).

A wide range of long, medium and short-range weapons set the SU-35 apart from other aircraft. It can carry 8 tons of combat cargo, including air assets aimed at defeating long-range, as well as medium and short-range land and air targets – RLS, anti-ship, correctable bombs and others. The aircraft's potential characteristics allow it to outperform all the "Rafale" and EF 2000 type 4 and 4+ tactical fighters, as well as modernized F-15, F-16, F-18, F-35 and similar fighters.

Thus, the reason for the failure of the aircraft in the Brazilian bid may be the pressure from countries interested in the victory of their companies with the Brazilian government, according to experts. When former French President Nicolas Sarkozy learned that Dilma would travel to Moscow and could discuss the purchase of the SU-35 with Putin, he urgently flew to Brasilia, it is said, to defend Dassault's interests.

Their effort would have paid off when the tender was issued and the SU-35 was not yet part of the Russian armed forces. So, Brazil wouldn't want to buy Russian planes that didn't even fly in their homeland. Now, however, the Russian Ministry of Defense has signed a contract with Sukhôi for the purchase of 48 SU-35 fighter jets. The first squadron had already entered the combat system of the air forces.

Also in March 2012, the director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Aleksandr Fomin, commented on the renewal of the Russian fighter's participation in the Brazilian tender. “If a new bid is opened or if the last one is renewed, we will be prepared to cooperate with our Brazilian partners,” said Fomin.

One question remains open: what does Brazil gain from the purchase of Russian multi-role fighter jets? It is said that Moscow will be able to buy passenger planes from Brazil's Embraer in exchange. Mainly because Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev declared that the Russian passenger transport market needs this type of plane that Brazil has. The only problem would be the future of the Sukhôi Superjet, for up to 100 passengers. In this segment, there is also the Russian-Ukrainian An-148.

There are also issues related to licenses for the production of the SU-35 in Brazilian factories. The local capacity to build aircraft, as well as the qualifications of engineers and technical personnel are high enough so that, with the license, the production of this fighter can be assimilated very quickly.

In summary, there were still many open questions beyond the desire to strengthen technical-military cooperation with one of the BRICS leaders, which is Brazil. President Dilma Rousseff arrived in Russia on 14 December 2012. She met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and, according to some Brazilian analysts, in addition to cooperation issues within the BRICS, the two were to deal with the purchase of a batch of 36 SU-35 multifunctional fighter jets, from Russian Sukhôi, in value of US$ 4 billion.

A delegation of Russian ministers and technicians landed in Brazil on 14 October 2013 to negotiate the contract for the purchase by the Army of the individual Pantsir S1 and Igla 9K38 air defense systems - a deal valued at more than US$ 1 billion. In addition, the group wants to present a proposal for the sale of 36 Sukhoi-35 supersonic fighter jets. The offer would be made outside of the F-X2 choice, opened in 2006 by the Ministry of Defense to retool the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) and still without definition of choice. The finalist companies in the process are three - one from the United States, one from France and one from Sweden.

The Russian offensive will have a differential in relation to competitors: it includes the possibility of manufacturing entirely in the national territory, in a co-production system - first the Su-35 and then the future generation of stealth fighters, the Pakfa/T-50, fifth generation of military aircraft from the Sukhoi company. The problem is that the inclusion of the Russians in the procedure would only be possible with the cancellation of the F-X2 and the opening of an F-X3, causing enormous diplomatic and credibility erosion for the country.

In December 2013, the Brazilian government selected the Gripen NG for procurement.