CaliToday (17/9/2025): In a significant blow to Russia's defense export ambitions, three key international customers Egypt, Algeria, and Indonesia have reportedly abandoned plans to acquire the advanced Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E fighter jet. The collapse of these multi-billion dollar deals stems directly from the severe international sanctions imposed on Moscow, which have crippled its ability to source critical high-tech components for the aircraft.
Sources familiar with the matter indicate that Russia's defense industry is struggling to produce the export version of the Su-35. The primary obstacle is the inability to secure modern, foreign-made components, particularly for the aircraft's sophisticated avionics and powerful phased array radar system. These crucial parts were previously imported from several European nations and Israel. Faced with these production-halting shortages, Russia had reportedly requested deadline extensions from its potential buyers to resolve the technical and political hurdles, but to no avail.
"The Russian defense industry has lost three major orders for the Su-35 fighter jet at once due to its inability to replace the scanned array radar and avionics," sources told Defence Blog, highlighting the profound impact of the economic blockade targeting Russia's defense, oil, and sensitive technology sectors.
A Trio of Cancellations
The withdrawal from the deals has been most publicly confirmed by Indonesia. Speaking to local media in Jakarta, Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff, Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo, formally announced the end of the long-discussed procurement.
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| Indonesian aerobatic pilot “Thunder” group on the background of the Russian Su-35S (with) timawa.net |
"Regarding the Sukhoi Su-35, with a heavy heart, yes, we have abandoned that plan," he stated, as quoted by BenarNews. "We can't just keep talking about it."
Similarly, Egypt has put a firm halt on its agreement to purchase 30 Su-35 jets. The deal is now frozen until the Russian side can solve the critical issue of imported components. This decision comes despite the fact that Russia has already manufactured approximately a dozen of the aircraft intended for the Egyptian Air Force.
Meanwhile, Algeria has opted for a different strategic path. Instead of proceeding with the acquisition of new Su-35s, the North African nation has decided to redirect its financial resources toward the modernization and upgrade of its existing fleet of Russian-supplied Su-30SM fighter jets.
A New Potential Buyer Emerges: Iran
While Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-owned arms exporter, has declined to comment on the collapsed deals, a new potential customer has quickly emerged. Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that Russia is now preparing to sell the Su-35 fighters, including the airframes originally built for Egypt, to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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| Satellite imagery from Google Earth showed first Egyptian Air Force Su-35 fighter jets at the Gagarin Aircraft Plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia. |
This potential sale is expected to be part of a much larger, 20-year strategic and military cooperation agreement set to be signed between Tehran and Moscow. The landmark pact is reported to include an Iranian procurement of $10 billion worth of Russian military hardware. Beyond the Su-35 jets, the deal is rumored to encompass the formidable S-400 air defense system and advanced military satellites, marking a new era of deep military alignment between the two sanctioned nations.
