The Russian Aerospace Forces are using Su-57 fighters during a military special operation in Ukraine. The application began two or three weeks after the start of the special operation. Aircraft operate outside the zone of active destruction by enemy air defenses, using missile weapons. This was reported by the TASS news agency with reference to its source in the military-industrial complex. The Ministry of Defense did not officially confirm the information, but did not refute it either.
As you know, the Su-57 was tested for the first time in real combat operations in Syria in 2018. We can say that the success of those tests is now being consolidated.
The fifth-generation Su-57 fighter is still a secret machine. However, it is shown at air shows and Army forums, and some interesting information is leaking to the press.
Most likely, the Su-57 is working on ground targets. He can do this without flying into the territory of Ukraine. Last year, the American edition of Military Watch called the Su-57 an "aerial sniper" capable of hitting key ground targets. The Americans assumed that the missile armament of this fighter is capable of destroying enemy air defense radars at a range of 150 km. Another overseas publication, The Drive, promptly responded to the TASS report. It was noted that the use of a fifth-generation fighter in a special military operation to protect Donbass does not make sense.
American experts show miracles of awareness, claiming that a fighter could use an air-to-air missile "Product 810" with a range of 200 kilometers to destroy air targets. And for ground targets - the X-59MK2 missile, whose flight range is 290 kilometers. Whether this is true or not, we cannot say. But The Drive has put forward an interesting version, with which it is impossible not to agree. The publication suggests that one of the reasons for using the Su-57 as part of a special military operation could be a demonstration of its capabilities to potential foreign buyers.
And although, it is worth repeating, the Su-57 is a secret fighter, some of its publicly disclosed features can be said.
The corporate magazine of the United Aircraft Corporation "Horizons" for the first time published a material in which the internal view of the Su-57 cabin was shown. And Nikita Dorofeev, the head of the cabin department of the Sukhoi Design Bureau of the Sukhoi company, spoke in detail about what its features are.
According to him, the maximum automation of the "routine" processes of piloting and combat use has been achieved on the fighter. The pilot, after taking off and before landing, may not be engaged in piloting at all, completely focusing on finding and attacking various targets - air and ground.
A "permissive" button is installed in the cockpit to activate the "anti-missile maneuver" mode. If there is a risk of a missile attack, but at the same time it is necessary to perform the main combat task without being distracted by possible dangers, the pilot presses the button. Artificial intelligence is activated, which tracks hazards. In case of firing, the fighter itself performs an evasive maneuver taking into account the direction of attack, the spatial position of the aircraft itself and other factors.
To reduce fatigue during a long flight, the control pedals are shifted forward so that the pilot can fully stretch his legs. No other fighter has this.
Now the designers are analyzing the wishes of combat pilots to make the Su-57 even more combat-ready.
Sergey Ptichkin