OLS-35 system helps Su-35 capture F-22 in Syria

The source said that images posted on the Instagram account of a Russian military pilot on September 24 confirmed that the Su-35 intercepted the F-22. The images also showed the F-22 flying over Syria.

Responding to this information, Popular Mechanics said that the US F-22 could take off from Al Dhafra base in the UAE, flying close to the operating range of the Su-35s stationed at Hmeymim base in Syria.

According to this site, in order to detect and intercept the F-22 stealth fighter, Russia's Su-35 fighter is equipped with the OLS-35 - a system considered the nemesis of this 5th generation American fighter.

The F-22 Raptor is one of the most modern fighter jets in the world, belonging to the US Air Force. However, it still has some limitations, the most notable of which is that the F-22 is blind in the infrared range.

Therefore, when facing potential opponents equipped with standard infrared search and track (IRST) systems, the F-22's capabilities are greatly limited.

Popular Mechanics said that one limitation that significantly affects the combat effectiveness of the F-22 is that they are not equipped with the latest radar for self-guided missiles, so the aircraft is forced to adjust itself relative to the target.

In fact, the F-22 project did not initially receive special attention from the US Department of Defense, because at that time the F-16 fighter jet fulfilled all their missions.

However, witnessing the emergence of many new fighters from potential opponents, the US Air Force realized the need to develop them and especially focused on applying stealth technology.

To achieve this goal, during the design phase Lokheed technology is combined with the motor and Wave impedance (a characteristic of the wave propagation medium).

This technology was later used on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a vertical take-off version. According to the original design, the F-22 could be equipped with 8 missiles.

But for some reason this number decreased and then they were not equipped with engines with reverse thrust.

As a result, Pentagon leaders cut the budget for the fighter production line and launched the IRST system. Therefore, although it is a 5th generation fighter, the combat power of the F-22 is not highly appreciated.

Russia has known this weakness of the F-22, so the Russian Su-35 fighter is equipped with infrared sensors and tracking and a new radar system on the fuselage.

This allows the Su-35 to easily detect American fighters. Experts from Popular Mechanics said that, because of the F-22 Raptor's weakness with IRST, the Su-35 fighter could secretly shoot down the American F-22.

Although it is a 4++ generation fighter, the Su-35 is equipped with modern technology and is considered not inferior to 5th generation fighters. The Su-35 is equipped with infrared technology using the OLS-35 optical positioning station system.

The OLS-35 system has an infrared camera and an electro-optical camera. They use a common optical block as well as a laser rangefinder and a target rangefinder.

This system is installed in the nose of the Su-35, allowing it to detect targets within a combat radius of 80km and is capable of countering America's top F-22.