Russia's last operational fifth-generation fighter-jet is 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. The Su-57 also has a virtual co-pilot on its flight deck. This allows it to collect vital information from aircraft sensors.
The Su-57 Russian aircraft is the first to be built entirely from scratch. The aircraft's design and construction are largely based upon titanium alloys and other proprietary Russian metals. Multiple versions of the aircraft were developed. Some models are set to be mass produced, and others are being sold to other nations as possible exports.
The Su-57 was originally intended to be the first of a new generation of Russian stealth fighters. However, development for the jet was hampered by a lack of funding and technical issues. The project's development was difficult despite the fact that a few prototypes had been built. There have been many setbacks in the program. The engines of the first stage prototypes cracked during a public display and the 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.
The lack of funding is one the biggest obstacles to the Su-57's development. Since 2007, when the Su-57 was developed, the Kremlin didn't always follow through with its orders. Russian defense has faced budgetary woes due to sanctions from the world. India pulled out of the program earlier this year. This has reduced the Su-57's development budget by up to $7 billion. Russia continues to search for partners for the project despite the loss. Brazil, Turkey and South Korea have expressed interest in the jet.
In 2022, the Su-57 was originally expected to be delivered to the Russian Air Force. The United Aircraft Corporation announced expansion plans to help accelerate production. These plans include the expansion of production lines and the installation of a motor-test facility to support Su-57-57 orders. There are currently four aircraft in production.
Despite the numerous setbacks and challenges involved in the program, the Su-57 is still a promising fifth-generation fighter. It can perform flat rotations with minimal altitude loss and can be used to perform high angles 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 can also be used to collect data from aircraft sensors and provide crucial information to human operators.
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 in service by 2023.