The Russian integrated anti-aircraft defense is today, almost unanimously recognized, one of the most efficient in the world. It implements, within it, and in a coordinated manner, systems with complementary performances, such as the S-400 long-range interdiction systems, the Buk and S-350 medium-range systems, and the short-range systems TOR and Pantsir , so as to present at all times a homogeneity in defense that is difficult to fault. It also cooperates with air defense elements, such as the Be50 early air warning planes, the Su-27 and Su-35 fighters, and the Mig-31 interceptors, the awacs extending the detection capabilities of the device, and the fighters and interceptors intervening on demand to fill the weaknesses noted.
However, this system is now well known to NATO, which has implemented countermeasures to overcome it. One of them is based on the use of stealth aircraft and missiles, such as the F22, the F35 or the SCALP missile, to eliminate the key equipment of this system, such as surveillance radars. Other aircraft, such as the Rafale , are specialized in penetration at very low altitude and high speed, in order to take advantage of terrain masking to approach its targets without being subjected to enemy fire. Other aircraft, such as the US Navy's EA-18G Growler, use significant jamming capabilities to neutralize enemy radars. Finally, the arrival of long-range air-to-air missiles, such as the European Meteor, makes it possible to eliminate surveillance devices from a safe distance. It was therefore essential for Moscow to evolve its system to respond to these threats, and maintain a clear sky of enemy aircraft above its territory and its forces. It is precisely in this context that the new Russian Su-57 stealth fighter , in a new modernized version, will fit.
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