At least four and perhaps as many as a dozen S-400s have been destroyed throughout the war in Ukraine.
The deputy commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces claimed on Friday that the service will soon be operating additional Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name “Felon”) fifth-generation stealth fighters. Fewer than three dozen of the aircraft have been produced, despite the Kremlin’s announcement last summer that it would increase its fighter jet manufacturing capabilities.
Russia is now claiming again that its military will receive additional Su-57s, but also more Su-35S (NATO reporting name “Flanker-E/M”) air superiority fighters and Su-34 (NATO reporting name “Fullback”) fighter-bombers in the coming weeks.
“In accordance with the state procurement order, the Russian Aerospace Forces are receiving modern and upgraded weapons and equipment on an annual basis,” Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces Lt. Gen. Alexander Maksimtsev told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper, per a report from TASS. “The delivery of Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets with modern aircraft armaments and hypersonic weapons is being ramped up.”
Last November, Rostec, the state-owned military-industrial conglomerate, and the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) had claimed another batch of various aircraft had also been delivered. However, the number of specific warplanes was not disclosed. Western analysts have suggested that fewer than a handful of the respective fighters are being produced monthly at most.
UAC had sought to double its production capacity to deliver 76 Su-57s to the aerospace forces by 2028. While that may not seem like a significant number of aircraft, even for a fifth-generation fighter, it could still be a lofty goal, given that as few as seven were delivered in all of 2024, and only two more were delivered by April of this year.
Beyond the fighters, Maksimtsev also said in the recent interview that Russian Radio-Technical Troops should expect to be equipped with the “advanced” Nebo-M, Kasta-VM, and Podlet-M radar platforms within the coming weeks. Moreover, the Russian Aerospace Forces’ air defense units will begin to receive additional S-350 Vityaz and S-400 Triumf air defense systems.
“In order to boost defense capabilities protecting administrative and political centers, important sites and regions of the country, as well as battlegroups and logistic support facilities from the enemy’s massive air strikes, the troops are being actively supplied with new Pantsir-SMD self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems. Rearmament with advanced S-350 Vityaz and S-400 Triumf systems continues,” added Maksimtsev.
Developed to counter existing and future air attack weapons, the medium-range S-350 surface-to-air missile (SAM) first entered service in 2020. The S-350 previously saw service in the Syrian Civil War, and continues to be employed in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The air defense system can counter tactical ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as UAVs.
The S-350 is used alongside the fourth-generation S-400 Triumf long-range air defense system, which has been touted as one of Russia’s most sophisticated SAM platforms in service. As previously noted by Maya Carlin in The National Interest, the S-400 utilizes “three different arrays that broadcast on various frequency bands to track, target, and locate aircraft, meaning it can likely detect America’s most advanced fifth-generation fighter jets, the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.”
At least four and as many as a dozen S-400s have been destroyed in the war in Ukraine, and even with the new batch on the way, the air defense system is another platform that is facing attrition problems on the battlefield.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
