"The co-pilot" and the spherical radar station leave the American competitor far behind, said military expert Alexey Leonkov
MOSCOW, October 21. /tass/. The newest domestic fifth-generation fighter Su-57 is ahead of its competitors from the United States in weapons systems, robotics, radar surveillance systems and electronic warfare (electronic warfare). This was reported to TASS by military expert Alexei Leonkov, commenting on the statements of a number of Western media about the lag of Russian aircraft from the American F-22 and F-35.
"In terms of the number and variety of weapons, the Su-57 is already ahead of them. And the latest solutions, such as the "co-pilot" - a system that facilitates the management and conduct of combat operations, a spherical radar station that sees everything around the aircraft and modern electronic warfare systems present in the Su-57, leave the American competitor far behind," he said.
According to the expert, the United States, when determining the criteria for belonging to the fifth generation of the aircraft, focuses on such properties as afterburner at supersonic speed, low visibility in the infrared range, maneuverability, take-off from short distances, advanced avionics, versatility and network-centricity. "For a long time it was believed that only the F-22 and F-35 could be counted among the fifth generation, but these aircraft are not inconspicuous, that is, they are shot down," he stressed.
"The West would like to see a lag. But there is no lag. There is obvious progress in Russia both on twin-engine and single-engine machines," Leonkov summed up.
The Su-57 is a fifth-generation Russian multifunctional fighter designed to destroy all types of air, ground and surface targets. It has a supersonic cruising flight speed, internal fuselage armament, radio-absorbing coating, as well as the latest complex of onboard equipment. By the end of 2024, the Russian Aerospace Forces will receive 22 Su-57s, and by 2028 their number will be increased to 76 units. The first fighter entered the army in 2020.
This year, at the MAKS Air show, the United Aircraft Corporation (as part of the Rostec State Corporation) held a presentation of a new light tactical aircraft (LTS). The single-engine fighter was named Checkmate ("Checkmate" in English). It is planned that it will compete with the American F-35A Lightning II fighter and the Swedish JAS-39 Gripen. Checkmate includes all the most advanced developments, including an open architecture for building in the interests of the customer and unique artificial intelligence technologies. It is expected that it will make its first flight in 2023.
