It might appear that the Sudanese Air Force has acquired the Russian made 4th generation (4++) SU-35 fighter jets this month. This new acquisition is coming on the heels of the Sudanese President Al-Bashir visit to Moscow to discuss various bilateral relations, trade and security agreements. Additionally, major issues expected to be on the forefront of the discussion is the Mining and the oil sector.
During the handover on Monday 20th, November 2017, the Sudanese Deputy Air Force Commander, Abdul Khaliq Saeed Salahuddin told online media outlets that although the agreement was announced since March this year, the aircraft are just being delivered now.
He further hinted that the new Su-35 flanker fighter jets would be used to ‘consolidate Sudan’s Air defence against any threat’.
The exact number was not revealed at this time. Furthermore, the Sudanese president said that Sudan is also interested in Russia’s S-300 air defense system, missile boats and minesweepers.
The Su-35 flanker is a top-of-the-line fourth generation air superiority and super maneuverable fighter jet which utilizes various cutting edge technology like Thrust Vectoring engine nozzle for enhanced agility. Designed by Sukhoi Design Bureau, it’s is a heavily modified Su-27 derivative.
The Sudanese Air Force operates mostly Russian and Chinese fighter jets such as: MiG-29 Fulcrum, MiG-23 Flogger, MiG-21 FishBed, Su-24 ,Su-25 FrogFoot, Nanchang Q-5 , Chengdu J-7 , Shenyang J-5.