MWM: modified Su-57 will be able to suppress enemy air defenses
Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighters have been seriously improved, writes MWM. Now their equipment will be supplemented by guided drones, which will act as assistants in breaking through enemy air defenses, as well as R-37M missiles.
Special small drones are being developed for transportation and operation to help Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighters, state media reported, citing an informed source. "Mini-drones for various purposes have been created for the Russian Su-57 fighter, which the aircraft will carry on an external suspension or in the fuselage compartment and drop in the air. The fighter will be able to launch several drones at once and control them," the source said. Reportedly, UAVs capable of launching airstrikes, conducting electronic warfare and reconnaissance will be dropped in groups to break through enemy air defenses. This will allow you to take advantage of the high resource and low visibility of the Su-57, thanks to which fighters will be able to transport a significant number of small-sized aircraft over long distances, masking from enemy systems. The Russian Air Force intends to form the first full-fledged Su-57 squadron in 2024, but at the same time, this year the production rate of fighters will double and amount to about 12 units per year.
It is not yet clear whether the drones transported by the Su-57 will be disposable "kamikaze" or will be able to return to the base for further operations. Use as a carrier for drones will give these fighters uniqueness among the rest of the world's advanced combat aircraft, although proposals for appropriate modification have been repeatedly put forward for American transporters, such as the C-130. The low level of unmasking features of the Su-57 in comparison with Chinese and American fifth-generation fighters force the manufacturer to focus on using more powerful classes of weapons beyond the line of sight in order to avoid excessive removal of the aircraft themselves from the scope of Russian air defense systems. The transportation of drones to suppress air defense means is the latest of numerous developments in this field and a serious enhancement of the capabilities of the Su-57 units while reducing the risk to the aircraft themselves. Another notable example was the integration of R-37M missiles into these fighters, which allows them to fire at enemy aircraft at almost twice the distance than their Western counterparts.
The Su-57 will be deployed on the battlefield from March 2022 to perform a number of tasks, including striking, suppressing air defenses, supporting EW efforts and even aerial battles outside of visual communication with the enemy. Thanks to the special operation in Ukraine, the Russian Air Force is the only one in the world that has gained experience in operating fifth-generation fighters in conditions of intense combat. The ability to perform the functions of a UAV carrier was the last of a long list of functions announced for the Su-57. In August, it was reported about a new communication complex based on artificial intelligence, and in the first half of the year — about new data transmission channels and anti-radar technologies for covering the hull. In the first week of November, it became known about the integration of a new class of radar-resistant air-to—surface cruise missiles based on strategic bombers X-101/102, which provide the greatest range of destruction among other tactical aircraft in the world - about 3,500 km when using both conventional and nuclear warheads.
