What You Need to Know: A recent video showing a Russian Su-57 Felon stealth fighter carrying Kh-59M2 cruise missiles on external pylons has raised questions about Russia’s missile stockpiles and strategic decisions.

-The externally mounted missiles compromise the stealth capabilities of the fifth-generation fighter, leading some analysts to suggest a shortage of the internally carried Kh-69 cruise missiles.

-Alternatively, Russia may believe it holds air superiority over Ukraine, reducing the need for stealth. Another theory posits that the visible mounting of the missiles is a deliberate attempt to confuse Western radar data and mask the Su-57’s actual stealth profile.

Russian Su-57 Felon Stealth Fighter Spotted Carrying Cruise Missile on External Pylon – But Why?

There is now speculation that Russia may not have enough Kh-69 cruise missiles – the modified version of the Kh-59Mk2 that can be carried internally on the Russian Aerospace Force's Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name Felon). While the Kremlin operates fewer than three dozen of the fifth-generation stealth fighters, it could be running low on the ordnance that enables the multirole fighter to maintain its stealth capabilities.

Last week, a video shared on the Telegram social messaging app showed a Su-57 carrying two Kh-59M2 cruise missiles on the external pylons – meaning the aircraft could be identified and tracked on radar. That would further compromise "its ability to operate in a high-threat environment," Steve Brown, former British military officer and analyst for the Kyiv Post suggested.

The 13-second-long clip was shared by the pro-Kremlin milblogger FighterBomber account, reportedly to be run by a former Russian military pilot with ties to Moscow. Though he has been critical of the handling of the war in Ukraine, his commentary remains fiercely loyal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The same video was subsequently posted by the ClashReport TR on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

It was unclear when or exactly where the Su-57 was operating when it was spotted with the cruise missile on its external pylons.

Shortage of Ordnance?

There is a debate as to why Russia would send up one of its super expensive Su-57s with the ordnance. Is it short on the smaller but less capable Kh-69 cruise missiles? The Su-57 can carry up to four of the missiles internally, and according to The Defence Blog, the "Kh-69 stealth cruise missiles (were) designed to destroy small, well-protected targets at ranges exceeding 180 miles."

As previously reported, the missiles had been used this past April to destroy the Typillia Thermal Power Plant outside of Kyiv. On multiple occasions in the spring of 2024, the Kh-69 subsonic cruise missile was used in strikes on Ukrainian targets, while the Su-57 has operated from within Russian-controlled territory.

So, is the Kremlin running low on the Kh-69 and having to resort to its stocks of the Kh-59M2 missiles?

"It could be that the Russian forces simply have a shortage of the internally carried, far more expensive missiles, but still want to deploy the Felon, for which external hardpoints are available," the Kyiv Post's Brown suggested.

Confusing the Matter?

The alternate theory presented by Brown is that "Russian armed forces may believe they have sufficient air superiority over Ukraine which has fewer radars, fighter aircraft, and surface-to-air missiles that would threaten conventional non-stealthy fighters." The Kh-59M2 has greater range after all – so why expend the stealthier models if the Su-57 was operating from well within Russian air space?

If the Russian aircraft was operating from deeper within Russia its stealth may not have been as important.

The Kyiv Post's analysis offered a third possibility. 

"Another explanation is that the carrying of external missiles alters is a deliberate attempt by Russian forces to mask the stealth signature of the Su-57 making it more difficult to record its actual radar profile in Western recognition databases and to deceive a future enemy's radar," suggested Brown, and it could have been done to "skew data gather" by Ukrainian and Western radar.

Given that the video was also shared by a pro-Kremlin milblogger also makes clear that Russia wasn't trying to hide the fact that its much-touted aircraft operated with the missiles on its pylons. Russia continues to be a riddle, and this may be a form of its misdirection.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

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. You can email the author: [email protected].

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