The Su-33 Flanker-D, the first carrier-based fighter jet developed by the Soviet Union and passed on to Russia, was officially introduced into service exactly 27 years ago.
The Sukhoi Su-33 is a twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fighter developed in the 1980s. The origin story of the Su-33 is straightforward: the Soviet Navy required a fighter jet that could operate from its renowned Kuznetsov-class carriers.
The Su-33 officially entered service with the Russian Navy on August 31, 1998, more than a decade after its first flight on August 17, 1987.
The new, cutting-edge technology represented a significant step forward in the USSR’s naval aviation capabilities.
However, the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s threw a spanner in the way of Su-33’s production, and only 40-50 fighters were reportedly produced (some reports peg the number at 24). The fleet has since undergone attrition, resulting in fewer aircraft in service.
The Su-33 was eventually replaced by the MiG-29K fighter jets. However, the aircraft saw its first and most notable combat deployment during Russia’s military intervention in the Syrian Civil War in 2016.
The Su-33s operated from the Admiral Kuznetsov off the Syrian coast, primarily conducting air-superiority missions to protect Russian forces and provide limited ground-attack support, according to reports.
Following this, the sole Russian aircraft carrier went for repairs in 2018, from where it never returned. Recent reports suggest that the Russian Ministry of Defense (RuMoD) is planning to abandon the refurbishment of the carrier, which essentially means that the Su-33 does not have the platform for which it was designed to operate.
The aircraft was, nonetheless, deployed in the ongoing Ukraine War for conducting combat patrols. The S-33 conducted a historic flight to airfields situated on the islands of the Arctic Ocean in 2023, as previously reported by the EurAsian Times.
More recently, in February 2025, two Su-33s reportedly escorted Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers near NATO airspace in the High North and were intercepted by Norwegian F-35s.
Russia has lost a few Su-33 fighters in combat against Ukraine, as per claims in the Ukrainian media. However, their continued deployment suggests that the Russians aren’t quite done with these jets — yet.
What Was Special About Su-33?
The Su-33 is a heavily modified version of the land-based Su-27 Flanker, adapted for carrier operations, including folding wings to save space on carrier decks, reinforced landing gear, and an arresting hook for carrier operations.
The aircraft was equipped with forward-mounted canard foreplanes to enhance low-speed handling and pitch control, which are crucial for ski-jump takeoffs and landings. These canards and broader wings meant that the Su-33 had a slower stall speed than the Su-27.
It is optimized for short takeoffs from the Admiral Kuznetsov’s ski-jump ramp, which requires high thrust and precise control.
It is powered by two Saturn AL-31F turbofan engines, each producing approximately 122.6 kN of thrust with afterburners. Additionally, the airframe was also reinforced to withstand the harsh marine environment and the stresses of carrier operations.
However, the aircraft failed to make a mark for the Russian Navy. Attempts were made to sell the aircraft to partners such as India and China, but this did not work out.
The Russian Navy then ordered the MiG-29K as a replacement in 2009, with plans to retire the Su-33 once it reached the end of its service life.
The MiG-29K and Su-33 have traditionally been competitors in a way. Work on both these fighters took place in the 1980s, with their first flight occurring a month apart.
However, the Russian Navy preferred the Su-33 as it was considered more capable due to a larger combat flight radius, increased cargo capacity, and extended mission time. In fact, only two MiG-29K prototypes were built in the early 1990s, as the Russian Navy had preferred the Su-33.
Years after the Soviet Union’s collapse, the Russian Navy faced budget cuts and a shrinking operational fleet (since only a few jets were constructed), making the large and expensive Su-33 impractical.
Additionally, the Russian Navy soon realized that the Su-33’s design limited its multirole capabilities, and high maintenance costs made it less viable.
The size of the Su-33, which is substantially larger than the MiG-29K, is one of its major drawbacks. The Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, could accommodate more MiGs than Sukhois due to the difference in their sizes.
The Su-33 was not only “too big” for comfortable mass operation on Russia’s Admiral Kuznetsov carrier but lacked the full range of payload delivery features necessary to fulfill its purpose.
The MiG-29K was also found to be cheaper to produce, maintain, and operate. Moreover, its commonality with the air force MiG-29 variants simplifies logistics.
When India placed an order for the MiG-29K in 2004, the Russian Navy followed suit, adopting the MiG-29K for its own fleet. The MiG-29K’s modern avionics, multirole capabilities (air-to-air, air-to-ground, and anti-ship), smaller size, and lower operating costs made it a better fit for Russia’s limited carrier operations.
Russia ordered MiG-29K for its Navy in late 2009, just 11 years after the Su-33 entered service. By 2015-2016, MiG-29Ks began replacing Su-33s on the Kuznetsov, with mixed deployments during the Syrian campaign.
Since then, the MiG-29K has become the primary carrier-based fighter, and for good reason. The MiG-29K is equipped with low-observability technologies, electronic countermeasures, and an advanced radar system to support its ground-strike capability. It is a multi-role fighter that can be effectively used in ground-attack and air-to-air missions.
Earlier reports suggested that the Su-33 was undergoing a modernization program. Major General Igor Kozhin, Chief of Aviation with the Russian Navy, announced in 2020 that Russia is upgrading some of its Sukhoi Su-33 carrier fighters, specifically those with sufficient remaining lifetime, to keep them operational until 2025.
If true, this could mean that the Su-33 might be withdrawn from service by next year, or after the Ukraine War is over, bringing its limited operational lifespan to an end.
It is, nonetheless, pertinent to note that despite being abandoned in favour of a more advanced aircraft in the Russian Navy, the Su-33 Flanker-D went on to inspire China’s main carrier-based jet: the J-15.
China Adopted The Su-33
The Chinese J-15 ‘Flying Shark,’ a carrier-capable fighter jet, is widely believed to be an unlicensed copy of the Russian Su-33.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, China sought to develop a blue-water navy, including aircraft carriers, to project power in what it refers to as the Asia-Pacific region.
For this, it acquired the Soviet-built Varyag, a Kuznetsov-class carrier from Ukraine, which was later rechristened and commissioned as the Liaoning in 2012, as explained in detail by the EurAsian Times earlier. Once the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) had the carrier in 2001, it realized that it needed a carrier-capable fighter.
As it contemplated options, the Su-33 emerged as an ideal candidate due to its compatibility with ski-jump carriers, specifically with the Kuznestov-class carriers. However, Russia’s reluctance to sell the Su-33 and concerns over intellectual property led China to pursue an independent path.
China had a history of reverse-engineering Soviet/Russian aircraft, notably the J-11 (derived from the Su-27), produced by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC).
This experience set the stage for the development of the J-15.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited several Soviet-era assets, including the T-10K-3, an early Su-33 prototype. Ukraine wanted to sell these military assets to raise funds to offset its dire financial troubles.
In 2001, China acquired the T-10K-3 from Ukraine. Reports suggest that the prototype was in poor condition, lacking engines and some avionics; however, its airframe provided critical insights into the Su-33’s design, particularly its carrier-specific features, such as folding wings, reinforced landing gear, and canards.
China reverse-engineered and enhanced the design to create a carrier-capable fighter tailored for its navy. The J-15 made its maiden flight in 2009, with carrier trials beginning in 2012 on the Liaoning.
The aircraft has since become crucial to China’s blue-water navy ambitions, enabling power projection in regions such as the Western Pacific and beyond. It forms a crucial component of China’s formidable area denial strategies (A2/AD), utilizing its anti-ship missiles, and provides air cover for naval task forces. It is routinely deployed for military drills near Chinese as well as international waters.
A Russian military analyst, Vasily Kashin, was earlier quoted as saying — The Chinese decided to save money and, rather than purchasing several Su-33s from Russia for later license manufacture in China, they opted to buy a Su-33 prototype from Ukraine.
“As a result, the J-15 took a longer time and more money than projected to develop, and the first planes were less reliable,” Kashin noted.
Now, the Chinese aircraft comes in different variants: the J-15A, the J-15B, which broke cover in November 2024; the more advanced J-15T, which is also undergoing trials aboard the latest Chinese carrier, Fujian; and the J-15D, an electronic warfare variant.
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