Amidst the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Russia is reportedly acquiring additional new batches of its fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet platform. At the tail end of 2024, Russia’s Air Force received these shipments by the state owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) in addition to Su-34s. The Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant in Russia expanded over the summer to accommodate these new orders. According to UAC, the Su-57 is also being equipped with next-generation technology. “When creating this platform,” said UAC’s Director General Vadim Badekha, “we thought about at least a 50-year prospect of its development. Therefore, initially, the designers laid down the possibility of development and change by the customer’s requirements, and the requirements of the time. We are already introducing sixth-generation elements into this aircraft.” While Moscow has a history of exaggerating the capabilities of its airframes, the Kremlin has indeed joined its counterparts in Washington and Beijing in the race to introduce next-generation technology. 

What we know about the Felon

Designated by NATO as the “Felon,” the Su-57 can be traced back to the height of the Cold War when the former USSR first conceptualized a next-gen platform. The resulting I-90 program would become the basis for the Su-57, designed to replace the nation’s aging Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters. As the first Russian airframe to feature stealth technology, the Felon has remained a favorite of the Kremlin.

The first Su-57s to be produced were equipped with two Saturn/Rybinsk AL-31F1 after-burning turbofan engines for power. Down the line, the Izdeliye 30 was incorporated, generating even more thrust. The fifth-generation platform can reach Mach 2.0, which is much faster than the American-made F-35 Lightning II fighter. However, while the Su-57 may be faster, it certainly is not as stealthy as its American near-peers, including the F-22 Raptor. The fighter’s radar cross section is larger than its near-peers, making it easier for enemy airframes to detect. So, while the platform is “stealthy,” it lags behind other fifth-generation airframes.

Has the Su-57 performed well in Ukraine?

Despite being lauded as one of Moscow’s most formidable airframes available, the Su-57 has not performed well in the ongoing Ukraine invasion. Over the summer, one of these fifth-generation fighters was reportedly damaged following a drone raid launched by Ukrainian forces. A Royal United Services Institute report covering the incident described the “before and after” photos of the Felon which circulated on social media following the strike. Although the extent of the damage inflicted on the Su-57 in question remains murky, the RUSI report suggested that shrapnel damage of any significance to the aircraft’s nose section would be quite serious.

According to Flight Global 2024 World Air Forces Directory, only 14 Su-57s remain in active service today. While Russia has ordered roughly six dozen additional Felons, the timely production of these jets is unlikely. Embroiled in its nearly three-year long invasion of Kyiv, Moscow’s production output has dwindled significantly. The Su-57 may be purported by the Kremlin as the “best of its kind” to fly the skies, but the platform’s limited combat history and lackluster performance in Ukraine indicate the Felon’s mediocracy.

Maya Carlin is a National Interest security contributor, an analyst with the Center for Security Policy, and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. 

Image: Wikimedia Commons.