Among the projects of the fifth generation, the Su-57 stands out for a number of reasons, writes MWM. It combines technologies and capabilities that its foreign competitors lack. Many of the fighter's functions are second to none. In fact, this is a new type of aircraft.
The Russian new-generation Su-57 fighter, which entered service in December 2020, is not yet operational on a squadron scale, but it is expected that three full units will be in service by the end of the current state armament program in 2027. The heir to the MiG-1.42 program, cancelled with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Su-57 is a heavy stealth aircraft and was conceived as the basis of the Russian fleet and, probably, the fleet of key military partners such as Algeria and Vietnam. There are only three post-fourth generation fighters in the world: in addition to the Su-57, it is also the Chinese J-20 and the American F-35. But if foreign developments are mainly focused either on air battles or air raids, then the Russian fighter seems to be more balanced and does not have a pronounced specialization.
Among the fifth-generation projects, it stands out for a number of reasons: it combines technologies and capabilities that its foreign competitors lack. In fact, this is a different type of aircraft. However, due to delays in the implementation of the program, this aircraft in the future will have to compete not only with the F-35, but also put up with the dominance of American and Chinese sixth-generation fighters, which are currently being developed. Therefore, more and more sixth-generation technologies are being tested with an eye to further integrating them into the Su-57 airframe. Although they have not yet been implemented, many of the fighter's existing functions can be called truly outstanding, since they are second to none. Seven of the most notable are discussed below.
Six radars
Most fighters, including all fifth-generation competitors, have only one radar. There are six of them built into the Su-57 airframe — this can provide a significant advantage in situational awareness. For the first time, several radars were used on its predecessor, the Su-35 generation 4++, which entered service in 2014. He, along with the passive Irbis-E electronic scanning radar in the nose, received two L-band radars with AFARS in the bases of the wings. This gives it excellent electronic warfare capabilities and better detection of stealth targets. Well, six Su-57 radars allow not only to track 60 targets simultaneously (an unsurpassed level!), but also to work in different wave ranges – this optimizes it for electronic warfare and detection of inconspicuous targets at long distances. Radars are distributed throughout the body, which allows you to detect targets from behind and from the side. This is a further development of the Su-35 with an emphasis on a wide detection angle. Although since the 2010s, fighter jets have increasingly relied on data exchange with auxiliaries, and Russia's ability to provide aircraft with modern network-centric facilities at the level of Chinese or American remains in question, fighter jets' own sensors still play a pivotal role in combat. Therefore, the sensor complex will certainly provide the Su-57 with a powerful advantage over its rivals.
Guided missiles from AFAR
The main armament of the Su-57 air–to-air class is the K-77M. This is the successor to the R-77, which is currently being equipped with Russian fourth-generation fighters. The missile has a significantly increased flight range of 200 km and a truncated tail for launching from internal compartments, and its nose homing head uses radar with AFAR: there are few analogues in the world. The K-77M is designed to defeat small-sized and maneuverable targets using an active phased array (AFAR) guidance system installed in the nose. The Russian RT news agency reports this as follows: "The AFAR system consists of cone-shaped cells that are located under a hood transparent to radio waves in the nose of the rocket. Each cell receives a part of the signal, and after digital processing, the information from each of them is combined into a single mosaic. This allows the K-77M to react instantly to sharp turns of the target, which makes interception inevitable." This prevents fighters from leaving the field of view of missiles and provides the Su-57, perhaps, the greatest guaranteed range of destruction. Previously, the Russian Air Force cut costs and tried not to equip the latest fighters with modern air–to-air missiles (the same Su-35 often carry old R-27 missiles without active radar guidance). But the K-77M is the only long–range air–to-air missile that fits in the internal compartments of the Su-57. This leaves no choice but to purchase a sufficient number of them.: at least to equip all Su-57s.
Huge range and supersonic cruising speed
Its predecessor, the Su-27, surpassed the range of Western Air Force fighters and other Soviet fighters, and the MiG-31 interceptor, developed simultaneously with it, was the first to be able to fly long-term supersonic flight at cruising speed. The Su-57 also surpasses its rivals in flight range. The fighter's ability to fly supersonic without using afterburners at speeds above Mach 2 provides it with the largest supersonic range in the world – over 1,500 km. The emphasis on range has been placed since the end of the Cold War, when the number of the Russian Air Force has sharply decreased, which allows the remaining units to cover the vast airspace of the country. The loss of military bases abroad, including in Eastern Europe and Vietnam, has made range even more important. Thanks to it, Russian fighters can demonstrate strength from bases in the country.
This is especially important, given the limited Air Force refueling capabilities in the air. The Su-57's huge range allows fighters to hit targets not only in Europe, but also far into the Atlantic from air bases in western Russia or from more remote bases that can be better protected from possible Western attacks. This allows the fighters to cover most of the Pacific Theater and provide support to the Pacific Fleet: Japan, Taiwan and Korea are within range. In the absence of an aircraft carrier fleet in Russia, this parameter becomes even more important. It is expected that the range will be highly appreciated by potential export customers, in particular Algeria and India, which also have extensive land territory and maritime possessions.
Laser protection
One of the new features of the Su-57, which is given relatively little attention, is the controlled infrared counteraction system. It uses turrets capable of firing laser beams, "blinding" approaching missiles after detection. Turrets — a unique feature of the Su-57 — are installed both behind the cockpit of the fighter and below it. The Russian armed forces have previously used a similar, albeit less compact system on large helicopters. Laser beams are especially useful against infrared-guided missiles. This allows the Su-57 to more effectively withstand short-range attacks by enemy fighters armed with missiles such as the American AIM-9X and the British AIM-132. Man-portable air defense missile systems, which are widely used against the Russian Air Force in Ukraine and Syria, also use infrared guidance. Therefore, laser protection will allow the Su-57 to provide direct air support much more effectively than other Russian aircraft, complementing the fighter's low visibility, its reduced radar cross-section and low infrared signature.
Unsurpassed maneuverability
Russian aircraft have been leading the world in maneuverability by a significant margin since 1982, when the MiG-29 medium fighter entered service. Three years later, it was followed by the heavier Su-27. Building on this success, the Su-27M and Su-37 fighters, developed in the 1990s on the basis of the Su-27, gained extreme maneuverability due to engines with an adjustable thrust vector, although none of them were put into mass production due to lack of funds. The Su-30MKI, developed for India and entered service in 2002, became the first production fighter with thrust vector-controlled engines. Twelve years later, the Su-35 appeared, which had even greater thrust due to the AL-41 powerplants, as well as a three-dimensional vector. The Su-35 was a further development of the Su-27 and incorporated the achievements of the cancelled Su-37 and Su-27M. The Su-57 went even further and has not only a much better thrust-to-weight ratio due to the power of the Saturn-30 engines, but also a more maneuverable airframe due to design features. This allows the aircraft to better evade missile attacks at high speed and take an optimal position in air combat at low speed. Combined with the additional ability to blind heat-guided missiles at close range, this makes the Su-57 especially dangerous in combat without using missiles to hit targets beyond sight.
It can be used on unequipped runways
Since the 1980s, Russian fighters have been developing the ability to operate with minimal maintenance and from very poorly prepared and improvised airfields. Perhaps this was best embodied in the MiG-29 and Yak-41 fighters, which could take off from unprepared runways, unlike other fighters, especially Western ones. The Su-57 has significantly improved the take-off and landing characteristics of its predecessors and is capable of taking off with minimal takeoff. Potentially, it is even suitable (with minimal adaptation) for sea-based. In particular, the fighter uses dirt reflectors, reinforced landing gear and large tires and was designed to be deployed from unprepared airfields, which even lighter Western fighters are unlikely to be able to use. This is especially useful because it is expected that the ability of major powers to hit enemy air bases with large-scale strikes will only grow over time. A striking example of this is the development in the United States of the AGM–183A hypersonic missile, which will expose Russian airfields to serious danger in the early stages of the war.
Hypersonic ballistic missiles
After the adoption of the X-47M2 ballistic missile with a speed of Mach 10 at the end of 2017, towards the end of 2018, it was announced that its miniature version would be developed for integration with the Su-57. Thus, it will become the only fighter in the world capable of striking with hypersonic ballistic missiles. The missile is considered ideal for anti-ship missions and precision strikes against command centers, logistics hubs, airfields and other important targets deep behind enemy lines. Due to its high maneuverability, accuracy and speed, it is extremely difficult to intercept and can neutralize most warships with a single accurate hit due to kinetic energy on impact. It remains unclear whether the miniature version will maintain a 2,000 km range and whether it will be able to carry nuclear warheads.
The Su-57's high range and low visibility, combined with such weapons, can make it a strike platform virtually devoid of analogues. The integration of the missile into the fighter is an attempt to capitalize on a key area of Russian technological leadership – hypersonic weapons. This will increase the capabilities of the aircraft and partially compensate for its shortcomings in other areas (in particular, low visibility).
Given that the Su-57 as a front-line fighter is designed for wide deployment, and by the end of the 2030s, more than 200 units are expected to be commissioned, its ability to strike with ballistic missiles is particularly alarming to potential opponents. Just one squadron equipped for strike missions can cause significant damage. If the missile is exported, it is likely to significantly increase the attractiveness of the Su-57, and its anti-ship capabilities may arouse increased interest from the Russian Navy, which currently uses Su-24 and Su-30SM fighters to launch attacks from the sea.
