In the 1970s, Soviet engineers
conceived the ideal stealth fighter. It was the middle of the Cold War, and the
nation needed a modern, multifunctional fighter. As Sukhoi developed the next-generation S-47, the company kick-started a new era in aviation
for the country. But never did they foresee that the Soviet Union would fall apart before
their dream stealth fighter came through. The cuts in funding and multiple delays
dragged the project into the 2000s, but the Sukhoi-57 was still ready to serve
its country, albeit in a different shape. It didn’t matter if the S-47
was conceived 40 years ago; it was more than ready to compete
against the finest American aircraft… A Long Road In the late 1970s, the Soviet Union outlined
the requirement for a next-generation fighter that would enter service in the 1990s. The
need of the falling nation called for a multifunctional fighter that featured
advanced ground attack capabilities. Two programs branched from the original appeal, namely the Multifunctional and the Light
Frontline Fighters. While Mikoyan was selected for the MFI and developed the MiG
1.44/1.42, Sukhoi started a program of its own. Though not an official participant, the
company developed the required technology for a next-generation fighter that led to the
forward-swept-wing S-32, later known as S-47. However, when the USSR dissolved, the MFI was
repeatedly delayed due to a lack of funding. Making matters worse, the Russian Ministry
of Defense canceled both initiatives. Soon after, the Ministry initiated the Prospective
Aeronautical Complex of Front-Line Air Forces Program, or PAK FA, as a supposedly more modern
and affordable alternative to the older concept. Due to the emerging country's financial struggles
in 1999, the project’s main objective was to produce a single multi-role fifth-generation
fighter to replace both the Su-27 and the MiG-29. Sukhoi's and Mikoyan's approach to the new
competition differed in fundamental ways, with Mikoyan's smaller E-721
eventually giving way to the comparatively larger and more capable Sukhoi T-50. By the spring of 2002, Sukhoi emerged as
the winner and the lead design bureau for the new fighter, and the Ministry approved the
conceptual design two and a half years later. Government funding eventually increased, and
the development stage was finally complete. Now the construction of the
first prototypes could begin. Getting There In 2007, the T-50's maiden flight had to be
postponed due to unspecified technical problems. And two years later, Air Force
Commander-in-Chief Alexander Zelin had to acknowledge that problems
with the engine remained unsolved. After several delays, the first taxi test
proved successful, and in January of 2010, the fighter took its maiden flight with
test pilot Sergey Bogdan at the helm. Slowly but steadily, the program moved on with
a total of ten flying and three non-flying prototypes for preliminary flight tests and
state trials. However, another issue soon emerged when the initial prototypes demonstrated poor
fatigue life and formed early structural cracks. The aircraft required structural redesign,
including an increase in composite material, a reinforced airframe, an elongated
tail "sting," and an enhanced wingspan. The plan initially contemplated six
prototypes before serial production, but the sixth flyable one was part of a
"second stage" of refurbished aircraft. Moreover, the last two flying prototypes
were test articles of the final SU-57 production aircraft, fully equipped
with its mission systems on board. Still, the structural redesign increased
the standard takeoff weight to 25 tonnes despite the reduced weight
growth of the second stage. Thus followed a series of accidents during
testing that further delayed the program. In fact, the delivery of the first production
fighter was pushed back from 2015 to 2020. The Felon The T-50 prototype endured many setbacks
leading up to the adoption of the final Su-57. In a 2011 public showcase, not
one but two airframes cracked during flight despite the imposed 5-g restriction. In addition, the models also suffered from
engine problems, such as a compressor stall. Then, in 2014, a prototype had an engine fire,
and five years later, another one crashed in Eastern Russia during factory trials prior
to its delivery to the Russian military. The company's CEO resigned
after the factory incident, further setting the program back and
adding to the fighter's rocky history. But for all its setbacks, Russia boasts that
the Su-57 has g limits surpassing 9.0 and Mach 2 capabilities. Also, the aircraft is reportedly
armed with an internal 30-millimeter autocannon and can carry missiles and bombs in a dozen
hardpoints, six internal and six external. What’s more, the fighter features advanced
avionics such as a powerful radar, infrared search and track, an ultraviolet
missile approach warning system, and an electronic countermeasure suite.
Also, its electronically scanned array, located on its so-called "cheeks,"
provides better situational awareness and enables advanced maneuvers that
could come in handy during a dogfight. Finally, the onboard infrared search-and-track
sensor upgrade helps with missile targeting and can be resistant to enemy jamming. In
other words, the fighter can "blind" an incoming missile with a modulated laser beam
that confuses the heat-seeking projectile. Under NATO designation, the Su-57 was given
a "fighter" name and was dubbed "Felon." An Unfulfilled Promise Russia has praised its Su-57 as the most
capable fifth-generation fighter in the world. Not only that, but it assures its fighter could
outcompete the American F-22 and F-35. In fact, several Russian defense "experts" claim
that the new fighter has extremely potent weaponry and radar elements, and that its
electronic warfare system is cutting-edge. Still, the Russian military is
promising a lot and not delivering. One culprit of the advanced fighter's
sluggish progress is its dainty engines. Although the engineers originally
wanted to power the aircraft with the latest Izdeliye-30 engine, the
model wasn't a good fit and the designers were forced to fall back on
the older but reliable Saturn AL-41F1. As intriguing as the Su-47 program is, there's no
doubt that it has hit a few bumps with equipment failures, finicky engines, a fair deal of
delays, and the inevitable cost overruns. However, the endeavor does promise
to compensate with innovations such as the ability to soft-kill incoming
missiles, thus improving survivability. That is, if the system ever works adequately. While the program has been highly touted, as of 2022, the country has less
than a dozen operational Su-57s. Still, it has 22 planned for the next two
years and a total fleet of 76 by 2028. Looking For Attention In early 2018, two Felons were seen
operating near Khmeimim Air Base in Syria. Several reports state that they were later
joined by another two Su-57s three days later. On March 1, the Minister of Defense, Sergey
Shoygu, confirmed that a pair of fighters spent two days in Syria carrying out trials, albeit
not for combat. And towards the end of that year, the Defense Ministry shared a video showing
the aircraft operating over the country. The footage didn't show any
combat or even weapon deployment, and several analysts insist that
claims of the operation in Syria could be part of the developer’s push to
market the fighter to foreign nations. Admittedly, developing a modern stealth
fighter is extremely expensive - not taking into account setbacks and delays,
let alone the amount the Su-57 experienced. Evidently, Russia is expecting
to recoup some of the costs of its native design by selling
the export version, the Su-57E, to foreign militaries. This is common practice
for aircraft, tanks, helicopters, and small arms, given that Russian-made equipment is
generally cheaper than Western machinery. Still, the model has been unsuccessfully pitched
to several countries on multiple continents. At some point, the United Arab
Emirates showed interest in the fighter but did not dare sign a
contract to avoid US sanctions. Likewise, Iraq expressed interest in
the purchase but made no official deal. On its part, India signed early in the
development, but claimed that the fighter did not meet its requirements for stealth and
avionics and eventually opted out of the contract. According to reports, only Algeria
has signed an order for 14 aircraft, and expects to receive its first Su-57 in 2028. Stealth-Like Capabilities As of 2022, Russian state-run media assure
that the new fighter is flying missions in Ukraine - though some experts suspect that the
Felon is only firing stand-off missiles. Brent M. Eastwood, the Defense and National Security Editor
of the ‘1945’ foreign policy web magazine, added that the Su-57 may be firing outside of Ukrainian
air defenses and maybe even in Russian airspace. The fighter's limited use must
have let down the Russian military, which expected to outcompete the most advanced
American fighter as well as its own neighbors. Now, the Russian defense industry will
undoubtedly suffer from Western sanctions and will be hobbled in the coming years. With
all the money and resources allocated to pay for the current conflict, experts wonder
if the fleet is ready for combat at all. Eastwood believes Russia will
probably hold its valuable fleet back, allowing the aircraft to fly only when
out of surface-to-air missile range. The author ponders: (QUOTE) "If the Russians
were to gain air superiority early in the war, as they planned, the Su-57 may have
taken on a wider role in the fight." The analyst also doesn’t believe the Felon
is as stealthy as the F-22 or the F-35, not even the J-20, claiming that
total advancement is not assured, and that the aircraft is probably better
referred to as having stealth capabilities. Despite the optimistic production targets, the
Su-57 will probably suffer many more delays even before broader manufacturing kicks off. Until
then, the expert guesses: (QUOTE) "Russian media will likely spin the airplane as a better
version of American and Chinese stealth fighters." Thank you for watching our video! Please
subscribe to Dark Skies to learn more about technological marvels of the 20th and 21st
centuries, and make sure to check out the rest of our Dark Documentaries channels to learn
about epic heroes from modern history. Stay tuned!
