HEADLINE = Su-35 gives new edge to Indonesian air power

INTRO = Developed to take on stealth aircraft, the Super Flanker will boost the
Indonesian Air Forces air defence and power projection capabilities.

The Sukhoi Su-35 will be the lynchpin of Indonesias mission to build a modern
defence force. Codenamed Super Flanker by NATO, this Russian heavyweight is a
perfect fit for Indonesias geography. It finally solves the countrys long-standing
problem of having to defend a 5000 km archipelago with an under strength
military.
The Su-35 has a range of 3600 km on internal fuel, which will allow the
Indonesian Air Force to undertake missions far away from home. Because the
vast country of 18,370 islands has an underdeveloped network of airfields, the
Indonesian Air Force cannot disperse its air force. With its long legs, the Su-35
eliminates this problem.
The Indonesian Air Force will be able to patrol a larger area for a longer duration.
The aircraft is equipped with an aerial refuelling probe which can extend its reach
as well as loiter time. (The Indian Air Force, which trains Indonesian fighter pilots,
has conducted 10-hour Sukhoi missions so in theory the Indonesians can do the
same.)
For an aircraft that carries an enormous payload 8 tonnes of missiles and
bombs on 14 hard points it is a fast aircraft. Its blistering speed combined
with long range allows pilots to perform repeated probes and U-turns a Cold
War Russian tactic that can leave the opponent disoriented, exhausted and
vulnerable in a dogfight.
A defining feature of Russian fighter aircraft is they come with a large
complement of missiles. (Those 14 hard points arent for display.) This is a huge
advantage for pilots because they can carry more missiles and thereby fire
repeated salvos to achieve an air-to-air kill.
The Russians have sold missiles of considerable accuracy and kinetic impact to a
number of customers and it is very likely the Indonesian Su-35s will come with
such missiles. Extended range Russian land attack and anti-ship missiles will
allow the Indonesian Sukhois to attack targets from safe standoff distances. The
Su-35, therefore, eliminates the tyranny of distance. Places on the maps such
as Darwin and Perth that once seemed unreachable are now firmly in the
Indonesian Air Forces sights.
Super Flanker The equalizer
The Indonesian militarys weakness was exposed most glaringly during the East
Timor crisis. In 1999 it could only watch from the sidelines as a contingent of
largely Australian troops prised East Timor from Indonesian control. That it
happened under a UN mandate did nothing to lessen Indonesias humiliation.

Continuing economic weakness meant Indonesia was only able to drip feed its
military. After American sanctions virtually grounded its fleet of anyhow outdated
F-16s, Indonesia ordered two Su-27 single-seat and two Su-30 twin-seat fighters
from Russia in a 2003 contract worth $192 million. Four years later, it ordered six
more Sukhois. Defence analyst Martin Sieff
(http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Jets_for_Jakarta_Part_One_999.html) describes
the deals as peanuts in the international arms trade.
The upshot: with its existing fleet the Indonesian Air Force cannot take on
regional rivals. For instance, the Royal Australian Air Force has 69 F/A-18 Hornets
and 24 advanced Super Hornets. Australia also has the EA-18G Growler
electronic warfare aircraft, which can be a force multiplier in any conflict. Also,
the Australian air force, which loves to follow in Americas slipstream, has some
combat experience, even if such action involves pretend airstrikes against ISIS.
The Su-35 is a morale booster for the Indonesians as it will considerably even the
odds in the South East Asian theatre. The aircraft has a highly advanced avionics
suite that can burn through any electronic jamming and can blind enemy aircraft
with its own jamming devices. Most western analysts agree the Su-35 is the most
potent non-stealth aircraft in the world today and can defeat any contemporary
western fighter, except the F-22 stealth fighter. (But then the F-22 costs an
astronomical $350 million per plane compared with the Su-35s bargain
basement price of $65 million.)
China is the other worry. Jakarta has been involved in a regional scrap with
Beijing over disputed islands in the South China Sea. The Indonesians may never
be unable to match Chinas firepower, but with the Su-35 the Indonesian Air
Force will have the ability and confidence to escort Chinese jets over neutral
waters.
Neutralizingstealth
Although their effectiveness is being debated, it is likely that by the 2020s the
new breed of stealth jets will be a regular feature in all the major air forces of the
world. In Asia, the Chinese have commenced series production of their J-31 and J21 stealth fighters, and the Australians have ordered 70 F-35s from the US.
How is Indonesia placed in an incoming stealth environment? The Indonesian Air
Force had initially indicated it was interested in the Russia-India PAK-FA multirole
fighter. Later it joined South Korea as a junior partner to jointly develop the
Korean Fighter-Experimental (KFX). But things havent worked out as planned.
Like every ongoing stealth fighter in the world today, the costly KFX project has
hit turbulence. According to Forbes magazine,
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/donaldkirk/2015/10/16/u-s-rebuff-of-technologytransfer-jeopardizes-korean-dream-of-making-its-own-kfxfighter/#5639fa981bea) the US doesnt trust the South Koreans with four core
technologies needed for the project. It adds: The Koreans have professed bitter
disappointment over the refusal of the US to entrust its ally with the highest-tech

stuff they say is needed for the KFX not only to have stealth capabilities but to
be able to find and track hostile targets with the latest state-of-the-art radar.
The Su-35 is Indonesias insurance against the KFX getting delayed or
abandoned. Yang Cheng-wei, (http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/china-taiwanrelations/2015/12/13/453381/China-eyeing.htm) a Taiwanese expert on Russian
weapons systems, describes the aircraft as a fifth generation jet without the
appearance of a stealth fighter." In fact, it incorporates several futuristic
technologies that were developed for Russias PAK-FA stealth fighter.
An August 2015 report (http://nsnetwork.org/cms/assets/uploads/2015/08/F35_FINAL.pdf) by the US-based National Security Network (NSN) indicates the Su35 could club the F-35 to death in a one-on-one dogfight. In Thunder without
Lightning: The High Costs and Limited Benefits of the F-35 Program, the think
tanks policy analyst Bill French and researcher Daniel Edgren say the F-35 is
likely to be outmaneuvered and outgunned by its near peers such as the
Su-35.
Perhaps more significant than counter-stealth radar is the F-35s vulnerability to
detection by infrared sensors. Infrared search-and-track (IRST) systems, which
are widely deployed on foreign fighter aircraft, can detect aircraft otherwise
invisible to radar at significant distances without emitting any signal of their
own.
Nodding to IRST technologys implications in bypassing radar stealth, Chief of
Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert told NSN: Let's face it, if something
moves fast through the air, disrupts molecules and puts out heatI don't care
how cool the engine can be, it's going to be detectable.
The F-35 will be particularly vulnerable to IRST detection given its enormous
engine that puts out 40,000 lbs of thrust with no infrared shielding or
suppression. Already, the OLS-35 IRST featured on the Su-35 can detect aircraft
from the frontal aspect at nearly 30 nautical miles, from the rear at 50 nautical
miles, and missile launches at similar distances.
Gap filler
The Su-35 is, therefore, a future proof aircraft that will be able to take on
advanced fifth generation without working up a sweat. According to Defense
Industry Daily, if Indonesia decides to stay the course with the KFX, the country
needs a high-end gap filler as a hedge against the KFXs schedule, and its
development risks.
Alternatively, if the Russians are able to once again get Jakarta interested in the
PAK-FA programme, then the Super Flanker can be Indonesias final bridge to the
stealth era.