Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov announced plans to create a two-seat modification of the Su-57 fifth-generation multifunctional fighter jet.
It is assumed that its appearance will increase the demand for the aircraft among Moscow's partners in the area of military-technical cooperation.
“There is interest in this machine, and, in my opinion, it will grow from year to year, as our Russian army becomes saturated with this model.
Foreign customers first look at how this or that type of weapon of the Russian Armed Forces behaves, "Borisov told reporters during his working visit to Primorsky Krai.
In the RT commentary, Honored Pilot of Russia Major General Vladimir Popov called the creation of a two-seat modification of the Su-57 logical.
“As I understand it, we are talking primarily about the“ spark ”- a two-seater vehicle that will be used for training pilots and can be used in combat.
If any state buys the Su-57, then without a combat training version it will be difficult to methodically competently prepare the flight crew to operate the aircraft, ”Popov said.
Also, as the expert suggests, the two-seat version of the Su-57 will simplify the crew's missions in combat.
According to Popov, the versatility of the aircraft implies the need for the intensive use of a wide range of weapons - it is sometimes difficult for one pilot to cope with the control of all systems.
“Russia and a number of other states have such a multifunctional aircraft as the Su-30SM.
It is double.
It is equipped with highly automated systems, but the load on the crew during a battle can be very high.
And therefore, despite progress in improving electronic on-board systems, the need for a second pilot has not disappeared, ”says Popov.
In turn, military observer Dmitry Drozdenko, in a conversation with RT, recalled that the Su-57 can be used as a command post for a group of drones.
In this regard, the position of the co-pilot in the cockpit can be occupied by the operator, whose main responsibilities will include the control of the UAV.
“The Su-57 is a multifunctional vehicle, and in the future it can be used as a command post for controlling external weapons, for example, drones and, naturally, as a training and combat unit.
However, I would not rush to final conclusions - the lion's share of information on this aircraft is not disclosed, ”Drozdenko stressed.
Speed, agility and stealth
The Russian Defense Ministry should receive 76 Su-57 fighters under the state armaments program, calculated until 2028.
Initially, it was planned to purchase 16 fifth-generation aircraft, but in the end, the order was significantly increased due to a decrease in the cost of vehicles and weapons.
The production of the Su-57 is deployed at the Gagarin Aviation Plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
The first production aircraft has already been delivered to one of the aviation regiments of the Southern Military District.
Su-57 group on a demonstration flight
© sukhoi.org
The Su-57 is the most modern manned combat vehicle of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
The main advantages of the brainchild of the Sukhoi Design Bureau are super-maneuverability, the highest handling characteristics and the ability to use a wide range of ammunition.
The first production samples are equipped with an AL-41F1 (Product 117) turbojet two-circuit power plant, which is used by a Su-35 generation 4 ++ fighter.
In the future, the Su-57 will receive a so-called second stage engine (“Product 30”), which will allow it to maintain supersonic speed for a long time without significant fuel consumption.
Stealth radar technologies are widely integrated into the Russian fifth-generation aircraft.
The machine is distinguished by a special geometry of the body and the use of radio-absorbing composite materials.
Also, the Su-57 can be equipped with deforming camouflage that merges with the sky.
Such a coating distorts the visual perception of the vehicle's shape and makes it difficult to conduct aerial combat against it.
The onboard equipment is also made at a high level in the fifth generation aircraft.
“The Su-57 is equipped with a fundamentally new complex of deeply integrated avionics with an open architecture, which has a high level of control automation and intelligent crew support with the possibility of expansion and modernization.
The implementation of an open architecture significantly reduces the workload on the pilot and allows you to concentrate on performing tactical tasks, ”says Sukhoi PJSC.
The Su-57 avionics allows real-time data exchange both with ground control systems and in the aviation link, including drones.
In September 2019, the Russian Ministry of Defense published footage of the first flight of the Su-57 along with the prototype of the Okhotnik heavy reconnaissance and strike UAV.
According to experts, the fifth generation aircraft will fly drones to ensure effective interception and recognition of targets.
In May 2020, Russian pilots called the Su-57 the world's only fifth-generation aircraft for which there are no restrictions on the use of strike weapons.
According to them, the brainchild of the Sukhoi Design Bureau can produce rocket launches at any speed and height, which compares favorably with its American counterpart - the F-35 Lightning II.
As the deputy commander of the Swifts aerobatic team in 2001-2006, first class military pilot Vladlen Rusanov, noted in an interview with RT, the Su-57 is capable of using weapons almost imperceptibly for enemy detection equipment.
“The colossal advantage of the Su-57 is the viewing angle of the airborne radar station.
It allows for safer use of missiles with a radar homing head, ”explained Rusanov.
"We are ready to negotiate"
For the first time, the export version of the Su-57 was demonstrated at the end of August 2019 at the MAKS international air show in Zhukovsky.
The sample was examined by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
During a short public conversation, Erdogan inquired about the possibility of acquiring a fifth-generation aircraft and received a positive response.
Prior to that, in an interview with Anadolu agency, the head of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, announced the possible delivery of Su-57E to Ankara.
Inspection of the multifunctional aircraft Su-57 at MAKS-2019
RIA News
© Sergey Guneev
At the moment, Ankara has not made a final decision on the purchase of a Russian multifunctional aircraft.
In an interview with RIA Novosti in March 2021, Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank announced the continuing interest in the Su-57E and Su-35.
“If Russia has an aircraft that meets our current needs, if there are no difficulties with its introduction into our system and its launch, then, of course, we can buy it from Russia or from another country in Europe.
In this sense, we do not have any categorical antagonistic position, ”said Varank.
Commenting on the statement of the Turkish minister, the press secretary of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Valeria Reshetnikova stressed that Moscow is ready for a dialogue on this issue.
“With regard to potential plans for Ankara to purchase Russian Su-35 and Su-57 fighters, it is worth noting that the Turkish side is fully informed about their technical specifications.
If there is an application from Turkey for these aircraft, then we are ready for negotiations on this issue, "Reshetnikova explained.
Experts explain the slowness of Ankara by investing significant resources in the development of its own project of the fifth generation fighter TF-X.
If this development drags on or fails, then Turkey is likely to buy Russian cars, analysts say.
Another incentive for concluding a contract with Moscow, RT interlocutors, call the exclusion of Ankara from the F-35 program at the initiative of the United States.
Dmitry Drozdenko believes that, in addition to Turkey, India is among the contenders for the purchase of a fifth-generation domestic aircraft.
In February 2021, the Su-57E was presented by Rosoboronexport at the Aero India 2021 international aviation exhibition in Bangalore.
“India is definitely a potential buyer of the Su-57.
New Delhi realizes that Moscow, unlike the United States, will be ready to share a number of technological innovations implemented in this machine.
The Indians cannot expect anything detailed from the deal, for example, on the F-35, ”Drozdenko explained.
A pair of Su-57 aircraft
© sukhoi.org
The expert is convinced that Russia will be able to make good money on contracts for the supply of the Su-57E.
“The Su-57, of course, is more expensive than the fourth generation aircraft.
Moscow will also face tough competition with the Americans, who practically force them to buy their F-35 and threaten Russia's partners in military-technical cooperation with sanctions.
But for states with a sovereign policy, US pressure is unlikely to become a significant obstacle, ”Drozdenko said.
Vladimir Popov believes that the countries of the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South America will be interested in buying the Su-57.
However, deliveries of the Russian aircraft will begin closer to the mid-2020s, the expert predicts.
“Many countries want to replenish their air force fleet with our aircraft.
Its conditional drawback, perhaps, is only one - the complexity of operation due to the mass of the latest technical solutions.
Now potential buyers are studying information about the Su-57.
For Russia, in my opinion, in the coming years, not so much export will be important as the saturation of its own air regiments with these machines, ”Popov concluded.