When did the Sukhoi Su-57 first fly?
The Su-57's maiden flight took place on the 29th of January 2010. Piloted by Sukhoi test pilot Sergey Bogdan, the 47-minute flight occurred at KnAAPO's Dzemgi Airport in the Russian Far East.
Questions about Sukhoi Su-57
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did the Sukhoi Su-57 enter service with the Russian military?
The Su-57 entered service with the Russian Aerospace Forces in December 2020, when the second production aircraft was delivered after the first had been lost in a crash in December 2019. By the end of 2023, a total of 12 aircraft had been delivered.
Why did India withdraw from the Su-57 FGFA programme?
India withdrew from the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft programme in April 2018 because the Su-57 did not meet its requirements. The Indian Air Force cited limited stealth characteristics (effective only within the frontal 60-degree arc), the absence of supercruise capability, and concerns over workshare, technology transfer, and combat avionics.
How stealthy is the Sukhoi Su-57 compared to the F-22 and F-35?
The Su-57 has an estimated radar cross-section of 0.1 to 0.5 m2, compared to approximately 0.0005 m2 for the F-22 and around 0.005 m2 for the F-35. Sukhoi's own patent cites a target average RCS of approximately 0.1 to 1 m2, roughly thirty times smaller than the Su-27 it replaces.
Has the Su-57 been used in combat in Ukraine?
Russian sources claim the Su-57 has been used in Ukraine since approximately two to three weeks after the invasion began in 2022, striking targets with missiles from outside Ukrainian air defence range. On the 18th of February 2024, a Su-57 launched a Kh-69 cruise missile strike from above Luhansk Oblast. No independent hard evidence for claimed air-to-air kills has been verified.
How many Su-57s has Russia ordered and what is the production status?
Russia signed a contract in June 2019 for 76 aircraft to be delivered to the Aerospace Forces by 2028, at a price reduced by 20% through negotiations. Serial production began in July 2019, and 21 production aircraft were in service as of the operators information available, out of the total order of 76.