Provocative maneuver by Russian Su‑35 narrowly avoids tragedy
United States aviation intercepted a group of Russian aircraft near Alaska. During what might have seemed like a routine procedure, a tragedy was narrowly avoided when the pilot of a Russian Su-35 fighter jet executed a very dangerous maneuver.
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) published photos and video footage of the incident on September 23 in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone.
Dangerous incident with Russian Su-35 near Alaska
United States aviation intercepted a Russian Tu-95 bomber escorted by Su-35 fighters. At one point, the pilot of one of the Russian Su-35s flew very close to an American F-16 fighter jet at high speed, nearly causing a collision.
Both American commanders and analysts describe the Russian pilot's behavior as extremely irresponsible.
"The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all – not what you’d see in a professional air forces," commented General Gregory Guillot.
Russia's most advanced serial multirole aircraft
As explained by Łukasz Michalik, a journalist for Wirtualna Polska, the Su-35 is Russia's most advanced serial multirole aircraft. It is a twin-engine fighter that entered service in 2014. It measures 71 feet long and has a wingspan of about 50 feet. It weighs approximately 42,000 pounds and is designed for combating aerial targets and ground and maritime objects.
The Su-35 can reach speeds of up to Mach 2.25 (about 1,500 mph) and is equipped with thrust-vectoring engines, which give it good maneuverability at low speeds. Its armament includes a standard 30 mm GSh-30 anti-aircraft cannon, but it also has 12 pylons that can carry suspended weapons, including R-37 air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 190 miles or bombs from the FAB family.
However, in the video shared by NORAD, it is not evident that the intercepted Russian Su-35s near Alaska were heavily armed. For this reason, the behavior of the pilot of one of these aircraft is viewed as a provocation rather than an attempt to engage with American fighters. Since Russian activity in this region is quite regular, the USA does not see it as a threat, but this was the first time such irresponsible behavior by a Russian pilot was recorded.
