Russian AF Chief Admits US Air Superiority

Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin, the Russian air force chief, said the Su-35S avionics and integrated defense system falls short of the capabilities of “American fighters of the same type,” reported Stephen Trimble in his DEW Line blog. The announcement was made during a press conference with reporters preceding the 2011 Moscow Aviation and Space Salon air show, which was originally supposed to include Sukhoi’s Su-35, although that “appearance has been scratched,” wrote Trimble. It’s not clear if Zelin was referring to Boeing’s F-15 and F/A-18E/F or Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and F-22. Trimble believes Zelin meant the latter. The Su-35 is the newest and most advanced version of Russia’s Su-27 family of fighters.