F-22 Raptor vs. Russia’s Su-35: Who Wins in a Dogfight?
Key Points and Summary
-In a head-to-head comparison, America’s F-22 Raptor holds a decisive advantage over Russia’s Su-35 Flanker-E.
-While both jets are evenly matched in raw speed, and the Su-35 may have a slight edge in close-range maneuverability due to its three-dimensional thrust vectoring, this is irrelevant against the F-22’s greatest weapon: stealth.
Su-35. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-The Raptor’s ability to remain invisible to radar allows it to achieve a “first-look, first-shot, first-kill” from beyond visual range.
-Even with a larger missile payload, the Su-35 is a fourth-generation fighter that simply cannot compete with the generational leap of fifth-generation stealth.
The F-22 Versus the Su-35: Who Wins?
Could a non-stealth fighter jet ever beat a stealth warplane?
A stealthy warbird would always have an advantage in a dogfight, but some jets have super maneuverability and could bring the fight to a stealth fighter.
Let’s see if this could ever happen by comparing Russia’s Su-35 to America’s F-22 to see which airplane is best.
It’s All About the Stealthiness
First, the F-22 may be the stealthiest fighter in the world.
It burst onto the scene with enviable radar evasion in 2005, featuring an ultra-stealth coating. Since then, it has been a stalwart in stealth.
This is a global air dominance fighter that could give the U.S. Air Force superiority on Day One of warfare.
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Reggie Fernandez, 199th Air Expeditionary Squadron F-22 Raptor crew chief, conducts a basic post-flight inspection at Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal, Northern Territory, Australia, July 29, 2023. Maintaining and building trust with like-minded allies & partners is crucial to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Mysti Bicoy)
The Su-35, on the other hand, is a fourth-generation “+” fighter with the kind of dogfighting ability that makes its pilots salivate.
But the F-22 could sneak up on the Su-35 in aerial combat and disappear from radar scopes effectively to shoot down a Su-35 before its aviator could know what was coming.
They Have the Same Top Speed
Both fighters are evenly matched in speed as they push out MACH 2.25. But the F-22 has a 1.25 thrust-to-weight ratio, which is the best in the world.
The F-22 Is a Hunter-Killer Wolf In the Air
The F-22 also features an upgraded AESA radar, which enables it to identify targets more effectively and track the Su-35, resulting in superior overall hunter-killer capability.
The F-22 would likely win a dogfight and a beyond-visual-range engagement with the Su-35.
The Su-35 does have excellent sensor fusion and networked warfare capability. The Su-35 was meant to be a stepping stone to the Su-57 Felon stealth fighter and also helped create the Su-75 Checkmate.
The Su-35 is still quite capable, and its pilots are enormous fans of the high speed and maneuverability.
More Raptors Than Flanker-Es
The Russians were able to produce the Su-35 quickly and in numbers. There are between 100 and 150 Su-35s in service, while the Americans have 187 operational F-22s. This means that the F-22 could lose a few Raptors in combat and still have enough left over to destroy a large force of Su-35s.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor approaches the boom of a KC-135 Stratotanker during a refueling mission over the Florida Panhandle, Dec. 14, 2022. Aerial refueling allows pilots to stay airborne for longer periods of time, increasing the mission capabilities individual aircraft can support. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Betty R. Chevalier)
The F-22 also has better radar and sensors than the Su-35. The Raptor has superior avionics. The F-22 can “discover” enemy airplanes quickly than the Su-35.
The Su-35 Has Better Ground Strike Capability
The Su-35 is equipped with air-to-air missiles and surface-to-air projectiles.
The F-22 is more of an air superiority fighter, not a multi-role. The Su-35 can carry ground strike missiles as well as anti-ship weapons.
This is its most significant advantage over the F-22, as the Su-35 has a more diverse mission set.
The Su-35 may also have an edge in maneuverability and agility. The F-22 could detect it at beyond-visual range and reach out and touch the Russian model before it could react, but the Su-35 has enviable dogfighting capability.
For close-in battle, the Russian pilot is equipped with a helmet-mounted sight, and this is an advantage. The F-22 pilot would have to depend on superior sensors to fly in for the kill.
The Su-35 can carry more missiles, though 12 compared to eight. The F-22 can launch six radar-guided AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinders. The Su-35 features the R-77, R-27, and R-73 air-to-air missiles.
The Su-35 can be compared to Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen or the Eurofighter Typhoon. It excels at air policing missions and ground strikes for better close air support to help infantry soldiers in need. The F-22 does not have the ground strike mission advantage. It can be equipped with laser-guided bombs, but the F-35 is better at air-to-surface missions.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 3rd Wing conducts flight operations at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 28, 2023. The F-22 Raptor is a critical component of the Global Strike Task Force, and is designed to project air dominance rapidly and at great distances to defeat threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Julia Lebens)
The Su-35 features two Saturn AL-41F1S engines. These have a thrust of 31,000 pounds and a thrust-to-weight ratio of greater than 1:1.
The Saturn powerplants also have three-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles. This allows the Su-35 to have better climbing ability. Its ceiling is 59,000 feet.
Two Pratt & Whitney F119 engines power the F-22. These have two-dimensional pitch vectoring exhaust nozzles. Therefore, the Su-35 may have a slight edge due to its Saturn engines.
However, the F119 has other compelling features. “The engine’s counterrotating core has an aerodynamically efficient six-stage compressor driven by a single-stage high-pressure turbine featuring the latest single-crystal superalloy blades and advanced cooling technologies. The robust, yet compact, high-pressure compressor features the most advanced airfoil aerodynamics and integrally bladed rotor disks for ensured durability,” according to the Pratt & Whitney corporate website.
The Bottom Line
The F-22’s stealthiness gives it a considerable edge in combat, whereas the Su-35 may be slightly more maneuverable due to its Saturn engines.
Most pilots would choose a stealth model to give a better aerial advantage of a see-first, shoot-first capability.
The Su-35 is a good transition airplane that allowed the Russians to produce their stealthy Su-57 Felons. The Su-35 has not enjoyed a dominant war over Ukraine, though. Ukrainian surface-to-air missiles have shot down several Su-35s, while the F-22 has enjoyed a better combat record since it has engaged in actions where the Air Force has air dominance.
Russia PAK-FA or Su-57 Felon. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Smart money is on the F-22 in a head-to-head match-up. They are both speedy with high thrust, but the F-22 has the enviable quality of radar evasion.
If both fighters were fourth-generation “+,” the Su-35 could have more advantages in combat, but stealth rules supreme, and the F-22 has radar evasion in spades.
Thus, the overall edge goes to the F-22.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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John Smith
September 5, 2025 at 1:46 am
Dumb idiot, “dogfight” means the two pilots already know where each other are. The more maneuverable aircraft wins, stealth does nothing at such a close range. Most of these points are irrelevant commonly-spouted nonsense