Ten Years Later, Russia Finally Begins Production of the Su-57 Stealth Fighter

[The SC]

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a28568277/russia-su-57-production/

Russia’s first fifth generation fighter, the Sukhoi Su-57, has entered serial production. Under the terms of a contract signed last June United Aircraft Corporation will produce 76 Su-57s, with the first jet likely to enter service before the end of 2019.

First sighted in 2010, the Su-57 takes its name from the famous Sukhoi Design Bureau. The Su-57 was a previously unknown design and its appearance took the West by surprise. The Su-57 is described as a “fifth-generation fighter,” a term referring to to the fifth-generation of post World War II fighter jets. Fifth-generation fighter jets typically include a stealthy design, the ability to cruise at speeds of Mach 1 or greater, and a powerful radar and the ability to send and receive data with friendly forces in a networked environment.

The Su-57 is technically a multi-role fighter, with the ability to operate in both air-to-air and air-to-ground roles. The fighter will also be a launch platform for the Kinzhal (“Dagger”) hypersonic missile. Experts believe Kinzhal is a 9K720 Iskander land-based short-range ballistic missile modified to be carried underneath an aircraft. Kinzhal has a top speed of Mach 10 and and a range of 1,242 miles.

But the world's initial surprise of the Su-57's existence has been tempered by extensive delays. The aircraft, previously known as T-50, first flew on January 29, 2010. In 2012, the head of the Russian Air Force claimed production of the aircraft would begin in 2015. That never happened. India, an early partner in the program, dropped out after repeated delays, demands that it contribute more money to the program, and a refusal by Russia to share software source codes.

According to TASS, a Russian government-owned state media source, Moscow signed a contract for 76 Su-57s last June. At the time, Russia had only committed to buying 16 of the fighters. United Aircraft Corporation, the parent company of the Sukhoi bureau, somehow made the jet twenty percent cheaper, prompting the larger buy.

The big question is how the Su-57 magically got cheaper. Currently there are nine Su-57 prototypes flying, all powered by the AL-41FM1 engine. The AL-41FM1 generates 32,000 pounds of thrust, and the big Su-57 is equipped with two of them. However, the Su-57 is supposed to be equipped with the more powerful Item 30 engines and reportedly cannot cruise at Mach 1 or faster without them. The Item 30s have proven difficult to develop but the Su-57 finally flew with them in 2017. Does the cheaper price reflect the use of the older, less powerful engines? If not, did UAC cut corners on some other aspect of the aircraft's design?

Regardless of how capable Russia’s Su-57 is, it will be severely outnumbered by fifth-generation fighters fielded by the country’s potential adversaries. F-35 production is nearing a hundred fighters a year, with the U.S. military ordering 2,400 jets, and even countries such as the U.K. and Japan are buying more than a hundred each.

By 2028, when Moscow’s existing orders for Su-57s will be filled, the U.S. and its allies will field 187 F-22 Raptors and somewhere around 1,400 F-35s.

The 76 SU-57 won't be alone in combat, they will be accompanied by hundreds of The Sukhoi S-70 "Okhotnik" or Hunter combat drones:

The drone features stealth technology and a jet engine that can propel it to a top speed of around 620 miles per hour, according to TASS. It boasts an anti-radar coating and surveillance equipment.

The Okhotnik's design is based on the flying-wing scheme and incorporates use of composite materials and stealth coatings, making the drone low-observable in flight. It has a weight of about 20 tons and a wingspan around 65 feet (20 m). The drone is powered either by a single AL-31F turbofan, as used on the Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft, or by the improved AL-41F derivative installed on Su-35S fighters and Su-57 prototypes. The maximum speed of the drone is reportedly 1,000 km/h while carrying its payload internally.[7] It is likely the Okhotnik was designed to act as a "loyal wingman" controlled by a parent aircraft, namely the Su-57.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_S-70_Okhotnik

 

[Ultima Thule]

seriously bro MIG-25 was the interceptor not a CAS jet and its already retired and replace with Mig-31 @

Mig-25

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

There are rumors that Russia is going to produce two more manned plane one of them is to replace Su-31

You mean MiG-31?

 

[Hack-Hook]

You mean MiG-31?

While it be more fun flying something based on Su-31, yes that's true I meant Mig-31,don't knew why I wrote su-31.