Russia's Su-57-hype and reality
###Ukraine claimed to hit Russian Su-57 fighter plane
In the latest attack on Russia's military prestige, Ukraine claimed this week that it had hit at least one, possibly two, Russia's most advanced fifth generation fighter Su-57, for the first time. It is reported that these aircraft were damaged in the attack on Akhtubinsk Airport (located in Astrakhan region in southern Russia, 589 km away from the front line).
The Su-57 is the most modern fighter aircraft in service in the Russian Air Force, but the number is limited.
####Russia's Evaluation of Su-57
Last year, the Russian propaganda media Sputnik praised the Su-57 in an article, claiming that the aircraft was "better" than the F-35, the fifth generation fighter made in the United States. The article wrote: "Russia's advanced Su-57 fighter has taken the lead in aerospace technology and will accelerate its deployment." The article also said that the operational capability of the Su-57 in the current conflict in Ukraine has been demonstrated.
In 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with senior military officials and defense industry leaders in the Kremlin that the Su-57 and Su-35 are considered to be the best fighter planes in the world.
However, after careful examination, the Su-57 is not only inferior to the F-35 made in the United States, but even inferior to the older F-22.
####What is the "fifth generation" fighter?
Although the US military or NATO has no official definition of the fifth generation fighter, experts generally believe that to become the fifth generation fighter, the aircraft must meet the following technical standards:
-Supersonic flight without afterburner
-Stealth design to avoid detection
-Ultra high mobility
-Advanced avionics
-Multi role capability
In 2018, India withdrew from the project of jointly developing and producing the Su-57 with Russia, showing the problems of the Su-57 for the first time. One of the main reasons is that Russia has not yet developed the fifth generation engine for its "fifth generation fighter". Andrei Haruk, a military historian and weapons expert, told Kyiv Independent: "This aircraft is positioned as the fifth generation fighter, but before receiving a new engine, it cannot meet one of the fifth generation standards - supersonic cruise flight can be carried out without turning on afterburner."
The current Su-57 model uses the same engine version as the fourth generation Russian fighter Su-34 and Su-35, although the Russian media reported in February that the new engine will be ready for the Su-57 this year.
In addition, people also questioned the stealth performance of the aircraft. The real fifth generation fighter, such as the F-22 Raptor made in the United States, has specially designed a square exhaust nozzle in addition to other functions to keep the aircraft as undetectable as possible. The nozzle of Su-57 is round, the same as that of Su-34 and Su-35. It is reported that Russian engineers are unable to develop their own square nozzles due to lack of funds and/or technical capacity.
Viktor Haruk, a retired Ukrainian military official and defense expert, told Kyiv Independent, "On the whole, the Su-57 is not bad, but only 4+generations. According to the concept of the fifth generation aircraft, the engine must be protected by the radiation of electronic equipment and try to hide the thermal radiation, which is not achieved in the Su-57." "The main standard - concealment - cannot be achieved."
####How advanced is the Su-57?
The Su-57 should have competed with the fifth generation fighters of other countries, especially those of the United States. Harouk said, "The Su-57 was born in response to the F-22 Raptor, but the US Air Force is already retiring the oldest F-22, and the production of the Su-57 has just begun."
The F-22 Raptor was introduced into the United States Air Force (USAF) in 2005. Its production ended in 2011, and the US Air Force has 186 F-22s. It is still considered to be one of the best fifth generation fighters in the world.
Nine years after the United States stopped manufacturing the F-22 Raptor, the first Russian Su-57 was put into use, although there were some compromises on the fifth generation technology. The first non prototype plane crashed in a test flight in December 2019. It is called "the worst stealth fighter in the world".
It is expected that the first fully operational group consisting of 24 Su-57s will be put into operation next year. By December 2022, pilots are still only conducting theoretical training.
"At present, it is estimated that only about 20 such aircraft have been produced," Harouk said.
####How does Russia use the Su-57 against Ukraine?
According to Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian Defense Minister, in 2022, the Su-57 "performed well" in the attack on Ukraine. He added, "This aircraft has a high defense capability against various air defense systems and missiles... The most important thing is that it has very powerful weapons. We also tested and tested these weapons, and they performed well.".
In fact, it did not show stronger capabilities than the old Russian fighter.
Harukh said, "So far, the Su-57 has not shown any special characteristics - it is only used as a platform for launching cruise missiles and does not enter the [Ukraine] air defense zone."
The Su-57 can carry Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles that regularly attack Ukrainian cities. In recent months, Kh-69 has caused particularly serious damage, leading to the destruction of the Trypillia Thermal Power Plant in Kiev on April 11, 2023. However, it is not clear which aircraft launched these missiles - it is reported that the Su-34 and Su-35 can also launch these missiles from Russian airspace.
Harouk said, "In Russia, there are already hostages who doubt the 'uselessness' of the Su-57 - they say that the same task can be completed by cheaper aircraft.".
The true cost of Russian fighter jets has not been disclosed, but the costs of Su-57, Su-34 and Su-35 are all tens of millions of dollars. The cost of UAVs used by Ukraine to attack the Su-57 is only a small part.
If Russia's boast about the capabilities of the Su-57 is true, then it has not verified these claims through practical actions. Harukh said, "Considering the problem, the enemy uses Su-57 from a distance outside Ukraine's airspace".
Harouk added that the Su-57 was more suitable for showing off at the arms exhibition "than for fighting". In an assessment report in January 2023, the British Ministry of Defence said that Russia's cautious attitude towards the use of the Su-57 was a "sign" of its broader attitude towards war.
According to the report, "Russia is likely to give priority to avoiding reputation damage, reduction of export prospects and damage to sensitive technologies caused by losses in Ukraine (Su 57)".
Harukh pointed out that the story of Su-57 in Ukraine is the same as the story of another highly praised but almost unused Kremlin weapon, the Amata tank.
The British Ministry of Defence said, "This marks that Russia continues to be cautious about the use of its air force in the war.".
