Russia has long been noted for its fighter jets, which were often seen as rugged and cheaper than their Western counterparts. Russia inherited a large military aviation industry from the USSR and has been one of the two main exporters of fighter jets. Russia’s leading fighter jet is the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker family (including the Su-30, Su-34, and Su-35 variants). While sanctions have played a large part in hamstringing Russian aircraft production, they are only part of the tale of the collapse of Russian fighter jet exports.