Ethiopia receives first batch of Russian Su-35 fighter jets

He expressed gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his efforts to ensure that Ethiopia received these aircraft a year ahead of the agreed schedule.


The Prime Minister of Ethiopia noted that these aircraft will allow the country to reach the top position among the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and will strengthen its sovereignty.

He added that Ethiopia will also receive four batteries of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems.

As Interfax specifies, a demonstration of the equipment to the Ethiopian recipients took place on Wednesday in Zhukovsky.

In the autumn, the situation in Ethiopia became more acute. In September, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which governed Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018 and was later removed from power by the current prime minister, and six other groups formed the "Alliance of Forces for the Survival of the Peoples of Ethiopia," aimed at overthrowing the government in Addis Ababa. The TPLF then accused the Ethiopian military of attacks and launched hostilities on September 23. However, the Ethiopian National Defense Force and allied units went on the offensive. On October 3, the military captured Mekelle, the administrative center of the region, and took control of several other significant cities.

Ethiopian authorities accuse Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of supporting the armed opposition. There were reports of Eritrean units entering Ethiopian territory. In turn, Asmara fears that Ethiopia, which has no access to the sea coast, is seeking to establish access to the Red Sea through Eritrean territory.

According to official information, China became the first foreign customer of Russian Su-35 fighter jets in 2015.

The Su-35 is the last aircraft built on the basis of the T-10S platform, which became the foundation for fighter jets of the Su-27/Su-30 family and their modifications. It is a conceptually new fighter with the aerodynamics of the Su-27 and elements of fifth-generation combat aviation avionics.

The fighter is equipped with a phased array radar, as well as thrust-vectoring engines. It can reach a speed of up to 2,500 km/h, its flight range reaches 3,400 km, and its combat radius is about 1,600 km. The fighter is armed with a 30 mm cannon and has 12 hardpoints for bombs and missiles.