Russia's only operational fifth-generation fighter-jet, the Sukhoi Su-57 Felon. This aircraft has advanced aerodynamics that allow it to fly supersonic with no afterburners. It also has canted thrust vectoring nozzles, which are designed to increase the range of its missiles. Additionally, its single-barrel 30 mm cannon has a firing rate of 1500 rounds per minute. A virtual co-pilot can also be found on the Su-57's Flight Deck, which allows it to gather crucial information from the aircraft sensors.
The Su-57 Russian plane is the first one to be made from scratch. The aircraft's design and construction are largely based upon titanium alloys and other proprietary Russian metals. There have been several versions of this aircraft. Some of the aircraft are expected to be mass-produced, while others are being offered to other countries for export.
The Su-57 was originally intended to be the first of a new generation of Russian stealth fighters. The jet's development was delayed by technical and financial issues as well as a lack of funds. While a few prototypes were produced, the project's progress has been challenging. The program has seen many setbacks, including engine cracking during the public showcase and an uncontrolled test flight that crashed. In a recent interview with the Eastern Military District newspaper Suvorovsky Natisk, Deputy Regiment Commander Lt. Col. Ilya Sizov said that there is no official confirmation of a third batch of Su-57s, though two have been spotted in an airbase near Novosibirsk.
Lack of funding is the biggest obstacle to Su-57's development. Since the aircraft's development began in 2007, the Kremlin hasn't always followed through on orders. Russian defense has faced budgetary woes due to sanctions from the world. India withdrew earlier this year from the program. This has resulted in a reduction of $7 billion in the Su-57’s development budget. Russia is still looking for partners to the project, despite this loss. South Korea, Turkey and Brazil have expressed an interest in the jet.
The Su-57 was initially expected to arrive in the Russian Air Force around 2022. The United Aircraft Corporation announced expansion plans to help accelerate production. These plans include additional production lines and the establishment of a motor test facility to support the Su-57 Order. As of today, there have been four aircraft manufactured.
The fifth-generation Su-57 fighter is still promising, despite the many setbacks. It can perform flat turns with minimal altitude loss, and can also be used to perform high angle of attack maneuvers. The future "sixthgeneration" aircraft will likely feature its artificial intelligence system. Another unique feature of the Su-57 is its onboard computer cluster, which transforms the aircraft into a data center in the sky. Artificial intelligence is also able to gather data from the aircraft’s sensors, providing crucial information for the human operator.
The upgrade of the engines will be the next phase in Su-57 production. The new "izdeliye30" engines will produce thrust of approximately 16 tonnes. They are expected to be operational by 2023.