A Russian Air Force Su-35 fighter jet made a threatening approach to a U.S. Air Force F-16 near Alaska after U.S. fighter jets scrambled to intercept two Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers off the coast of Alaska. . Footage of the incident shows the Su-35, which was escorting the bomber, cutting into and across the path of the F-16 at very close range, in what some sources describe as a “head-butt” maneuver . The video shows that the F-16 pilot was highly panicked. The incident occurred on September 23 but was made public a week later. The Russian aircraft did not enter U.S. airspace. Russian sources have QuoteThe exercise “highlighted the tremendous courage of the pilots” and the dangers involved were seen as a sign of American resolve. “This is not so much professionalism as it is the great courage of our fighter pilots. He boldly and fearlessly showed who is the king over the high seas hundreds of kilometers away from our coast.” A retired Russian Air Force pilot said in The comments were made in an interview with the state-run TASS news agency. This show of force is particularly important at a time when tensions between the two countries are high and the West is still considering the possibility of escalating the conflict in Ukraine through long-range strikes against Russia. >
The Su-35 is nearly twice the size of the F-16, has far more than twice the engine power, and carries a radar several times larger, allowing Russian pilots to threaten the strong position of their American counterparts. The Su-35 has a wider wingspan and greater endurance than any fighter in the Western world, although they lack the advanced stealth capabilities of American and Chinese fifth-generation fighters and do not have integrated Modern air-to-air missilesEquivalent to American AIM-260Or Chinese PL-15. Su-35s and F-16s have encountered each other in several theaters, including Russia's clashes with F-16s. Target=”_blank”>The aircraft was deployed from the Khmeimim Air Base in Syria to intercept Israeli and Turkish F-16 fighter jets and prevent them from repeatedly attacking Syrian targets. It has The design is based on close encounters with U.S. fighter jets on multiple occasions over the past two years. The U.S. MQ-9 “Reaper” drone has repeatedly approached Russian Air Force fighter jets over Syria at close range, among which Su-35 fighter jets have repeatedly approached Russian Air Force fighter jets at close range. Targeted. Su-35s have also occasionally made aggressive maneuvers near Reapers over Syria, and in one incident in July 2023, caused severely damagedThese encounters have been taking place in Syrian airspace, which is violated daily by U.S. and other Western aircraft. In March 2023, a Russian Su-27 taking off outside Syria conducted a similar maneuver near a harvester near Crimea, causing it to crash.