Sukhoi Su-35 jet fighters of the Sokoly Rossii (Falcons of Russia) aerobatic team fly in formation during a rehearsal for an airshow in Krasnoyarsk, Russia [File: Ilya Naymushin/Reuters]
Al Jazeera: In arms race for air superiority, Russia challenges US hegemony
Moscow’s expanding sales bring money and geopolitical influence, with clients such as Egypt, Turkey and Algeria.
Athens, Greece – Five years since its return to the Middle East with a military base in Syria, Russia is moving into weapons markets left vacant by the United States and boosting sales to traditional clients.
Moscow’s expanding arms sales bring money and geopolitical influence, as it seeks to challenge US hegemony.
On February 25, Russia officially announced that Egypt had received five Sukhoi Su-35 advanced multi-role fighter aircraft, the first of an order of 24.
Egypt ordered the planes despite threats of US sanctions after Washington refused to sell Cairo its fifth-generation F-35 fighter-bomber.
Turkey, a NATO ally, is in talks with Russia to buy the Su-35 and eventually the state-of-the-art Su-57 fifth generation combat plane, after being shut out of the US’s F-35 program.
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WNU Editor: I am surprised to learn form the above report that Algeria has the second largest defense budget on the African continent.
