A Russian Su-35 Took a Picture of a Stealth F-22 Raptor (That Might Be a Problem)

Dave Majumdar

Security,

We explain. 

“Now if you combine two aircraft, the fusion algorithm, now you have lines of bearing from two different sources. Where those two sources cross, the algorithm is going to compute a weapons quality track on that aircraft. So that’s a huge advantage for the warfighter to see that long before you’re in the enemy’s radar range.”

An individual purported to be the pilot of a Russian Sukhoi Su-35S has posted a photo that is alleged to the a U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptor that supposedly was captured on the Flanker-E’s OLS-35 electro-optical infra-red search and track system.

(This first appeared several months ago.)

It is not clear if the photo is genuine or sort of attempt at disinformation.  However, there is not much that can be gleaned from the information presented. Without the context under which the image was taken, it is impossible to make any real judgments.

However, at close ranges, it is indeed possible that a Raptor—even with the F-22’s reduced infrared signature—would appear on the Su-35 electro-optical infrared sensors as it appears to be the case here (assuming the photo is genuine). Even civilian electro-optical infrared systems made by FLIR Systems can resolve a F-22 at close ranges as can be seen here in this video taken during the 2010 Farnborough Air Show. The fact is that the F-22 was designed to defeat infrared search and track from beyond visual ranges distances not at point blank range.

At close ranges, the Raptor will appear on infrared sensors just like any other aircraft. In previous years such as during exercises in 2009, the Raptor has been captured in air-to-air footage shot from French Rafales using their Optronique secteur frontal (OSF) electro-optical/infrared search and track systems. Meanwhile, during Red Flag Alaska in 2012, German Luftwaffe pilots flying the Eurofighter Typhoon noted that they could acquire a track on the Raptor at ranges of about 20 nautical miles using their EuroFIRST PIRATE infrared search and track.