Is Russia's Su-57 (NATO reporting name "Felon") really a highly capable fifth-generation aircraft, or is it simply the latest propaganda ploy by Moscow to make the West believe the myth of Russia's military might? The Kremlin has long touted the Su-57 as being one of the most advanced fighters in service anywhere in the world today.

Yet, it has largely been absent from the skies over Ukraine. Moscow clearly doesn't want the bad press that comes with losing such a weapon in combat – and as a result, the aircraft has only been employed in sorties where it launched missiles into Ukraine while "safely" over the skies of Russia.

Su-57: First Russian "Stealth" Fighter

The Su-57 has been noted for being the first Russian-built aircraft to feature stealth technology, while it further served as a test bed for the basis of a family of stealth-based aerial combat systems that could include unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

However, like other Russian military platforms now in service, the development of the Su-57 began at the end of the Soviet era. Though a number of the programs to find a replacement for the MiG-29 and Su-27 were eventually canceled due to lack of funding or withered on the proverbial vine, in 1999 the Russian Ministry of Defense again began to consider a "next-generation" fighter.

That led to the PAK FA program, which led to the Su-57.

The aircraft was developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau within United Aircraft (UAC), part of the state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec. It was seen as a momentous leap forward in Russian aircraft design. 

As a "fifth-generation" aircraft – a marketing term introduced by Lockheed Martin to tout its F-35 Lightning II – the Russian warbird was noted for combining the functions of an attack aircraft with a fighter jet. It was touted to be able to engage and destroy various land, airborne, and maritime targets.

The Kremlin also boasted that it employed composite materials including polymer, fiberglass, and aluminum load-bearing honeycomb fillers. It also featured an aerodynamic configuration that includes a pair of internal weapons bays, which help provide a low level of radar and infrared signature.

Each of the aforementioned bays was designed to carry up to four K-77M beyond visual range radar-guided missions. In addition, the Su-57 can carry a pair of K-74M2 short-range infrared-guided missiles in underwing fairings, but at the expense of its stealth.

According to Air Force Technology, the aircraft is also equipped with 3D thrust vector jets for higher maneuverability and is capable of developing supersonic cruising speed. The twin-engine fighter is powered by Izdeliye 117 or AL-41F1 augmented turbofans, and it can fly at a speed of up to Mach two without afterburners, while it can reach a range of up to 3,500km at subsonic speeds.

The aircraft has been further noted to employ a powerful onboard computer – which has been described as an electronic second pilot – while its radar system is spread across its body. Its onboard avionics systems include active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and ELINT systems.

Don't Believe the Hype

On paper at least, the Su-57 is an impressive aircraft.

Russia has further suggested that an upgraded and even more advanced model of the Su-57 could be in the works and that it would be the world's first in-service "sixth-generation" aircraft.

This was first noted in a November 2017 report from Russian state media outlet Tass, which cited Russian Aerospace Force ex-commander and Chairman of the Federation Council Defense and Security Committee Viktor Bondarev, who explained, "This is actually a splendid plane and it can embrace both fifth-and sixth-generation features. It has huge modernization potential. Importantly, it is the best among the existing versions of its stealth characteristics. It incorporates all the best that is available in modern aviation science both in Russia and in the world."

Yet, even as Russia continues to tout the aircraft, Western aviation experts have suggested the Su-57 is all hype – and that Moscow lacks the manufacturing capabilities even to produce the aircraft in significant numbers. That has been noted by the fact that the Su-57 first flew in January 2010 but didn't enter service until December 2020.

A full decade can truly be an eternity for any "advanced" military platforms – and that fact explains why the United States Air Force is already seeking to phase out its first fifth-generation air superiority fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor as it looks to develop a sixth-generation platform.

But more importantly, some Western analysts have suggested that Russia's Su-57 fighter has a design that is much closer to an advanced fourth-generation fighter than a true fifth-generation aircraft. Its stealth is nowhere near as effective as that of the F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II. It may be less detectable than an F-15 Eagle or F-16 Fighting Falcon, but the Su-57 simply has a poor cross-section compared to its main fifth-generation rivals.

Too Few To Matter

However, the biggest knock against the Su-57 remains its numbers – as Moscow simply doesn't have that many, and won't likely ever have the Felon in significant numbers.

According to statements made by UAC and the Kremlin, the Russian Aerospace Force will reportedly receive 22 Su-57 fighters by the end of next year, while that number is set to increase to 76 by 2028. It is worth noting that those goals were set before Moscow launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Whether Rostec can reach the goals, especially as Russia is still under international sanctions, remains anyone's guess.

Author Experience and Expertise

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

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