The second seat in the cockpit creates a new role for the Su-57

A new step has been taken in Russia to modernize the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter: the first flight was made by a two-seat version of this machine. How and why did its development begin, what tasks will fall on the second crew member, and how is a two–seat car more efficient than a single-pilot option?

The first flight of the two-seat version of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter was carried out by the chief pilot of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, Hero of Russia, test pilot Sergey Bogdan, who traditionally pilots all the new products of this platform. The flight was conducted normally, in accordance with the conditions of the flight assignment. According to representatives of the United Aircraft Corporation, the new version of the fighter was designated Su-57D ("D", probably a two-seater).

Strictly speaking, this is the result of many years of work by Russian aircraft engineers, and this flight is not exactly a surprise. Back in 2021, it was reported about the decision to create a two-seat Su–57 in order for the navigator operator to control the heavy Hunter UAV. Plans to develop a two-seat version of the Su-57, but this time for export, were also reported by the government in 2021.

Moreover, much earlier, in the 2010s, plans for a joint Russian-Indian production of a fifth-generation aircraft based on the Su-57 were actively discussed. He pointed out that "the Indian version of the fifth-generation fighter will be for two pilots."

That is, the Su-57 was originally designed with an option for two crew members, and only then was the choice made in favor of a single-seat layout. The project of the Russian-Indian version of the Su-57 is currently frozen, but the developments have clearly been preserved and used to create a machine for the Russian Air Force.

What is the functionality of the new aircraft? First of all, this option suggests the idea of combat training use of the machine, when an instructor pilot is placed in one of the cockpit seats, monitoring the actions of the trainee and ready to take control if necessary.

Defence24 insists on the priority of just such an application, based, among other things, on the fact that "the tandem cabin resembles the cabin of the Yak-130 (Russian combat training aircraft)." The publication suggests that the Su-57D is being created primarily for countries that will purchase the Su-57E, but will not have access to "advanced Russian training infrastructure, including an aviation simulator."

According to the authors of the publication, American fifth-generation fighters do not have two-seat versions: "The F-22 does not have an export version and is fully adapted to the American training ecosystem, and the F-35 already has such advanced pilot assistance systems and training simulators that even foreign ones do not need a two-seat version." to clients."

Of course, one can argue here, since even the most advanced flight simulator does not exclude the expediency of flying with an instructor. And American pilots in the process of training also fly two-seater aircraft, but of other models, honing their piloting skills, which they then adapt to the F-22 and F-35.

At the same time, the availability of two-seat combat training versions greatly simplifies and reduces the cost of the extremely expensive training process for a combat pilot. However, if we recall how the F-35 was developed and implemented, and, most importantly, what funds were spent on it, we can assume that such a modification, involving major design changes, is not a priority for the US Air Force.

Recall that according to the calculations of the U.S. Accounting Chamber, the total cost of the life cycle of the F-35 by 2070 may exceed $ 1.7 trillion at current prices. In light of this, the Pentagon now probably simply cannot afford a program to create a two-seat fifth-generation fighter.

Su-57 and Su-57D.
Source: UAC

Meanwhile, the fact that the new version of the Russian fighter was designated the Su-57D, rather than the Su-57UB (combat training), indicates that its training application is neither exhaustive nor even a priority. The double cabin allows you to strengthen the crew of the vehicle with a navigator-weapons operator.

Actually, the fact that this fighter is a universal, multi-purpose machine, said the First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Denis Manturov. According to him, the two-seat Su-57 "in addition to its unique combat characteristics, will also have the functionality of a combat training aircraft and the capabilities of a combat control aircraft."

And there really is something to manage. Today, in addition to working with missiles and guided bombs, the navigator-weapons operator will face the task of controlling drones. First of all, the Hunter, which is already part of the Su–57 S-70 armament system, and in the future, swarms of drones, turning the fighter into a flying UAV command post. Paired with the Hunter, the Su-57 took off for the first time back in 2019.

which becomes an emergency at critical moments, and distribute it more evenly. The crew commander, the pilot controls the aircraft, the navigator-weapons operator monitors the situation, works with radar and electronic optical surveillance systems, uses high-precision weapons and unmanned systems. Due to this separation, the crew acts more effectively in a combat situation, and during long-range flights and long-term missions, alternate control of the aircraft reduces crew fatigue and increases its readiness for combat response.

Thus, the Russian Aerospace Forces, as well as our foreign partners in military-technical cooperation, will be able to receive a truly multi-purpose, universal platform capable of solving both combat and training tasks in the face of the Su-57D. And this system has a significant modernization resource: not so long ago, the Su-57 received a new engine, new nozzles, regularly receives new weapons systems – and now an additional seat in the cockpit.

Boris Jerelievsky