The Su-33 aeroplane has been developed on the platform of the Su-27; it is manufactured in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

The Su-33 is a single-seat ship-based STOBAR fighter, with upward folding wings and horizontal tail surfaces (for hangar storage); it is equipped with probe-and-drogue flight refuelling capability. The Su-33 is designed for defence of naval ships from aerial threats.