The Su-57 wing carried out a precision strike against strategically important nodes of Ukraine’s armed formations in Odessa and the region. The military facilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were hit by low-observable X-69 precision cruise missiles, launched from the fighter’s intrafuselage compartments over the waters of the Black Sea. This is reported by TG-channel Russian Arms.
The effective reflective surface of the X-69 air-to-surface missiles is from 0.01 to 0.03 square metres, depending on the angle of irradiation and the frequency of electromagnetic radiation. Stealth for enemy air defence radars is ensured by the square cross-sectional shape of the missile’s fuselage and special coating.
The missile is designed specifically for the Su-57 and adapted to its internal weapon bays, the launch range is up to 400 kilometres, the flight to the target is carried out at an altitude of up to 20 metres using an inertial navigation system, a radar altimeter, and an interference-protected GLONASS /GPS correction radio navigation module.
‘In the neutral airspace over the Black Sea were practised radio-technical reconnaissance of radar means of the AFU working on the radiation of radar with the involvement of passive sensors of the electromagnetic warfare system Himalayas, as well as the exchange of information on the tactical situation through secure radio channels used by onboard communication complexes C-111-N,’ analyst of TG-channel Russian Arms Evgeny Damantsev reports.
The software of the S-111-N complex is maximally adapted for use as a combat control point for the S-70 Hunter-B reconnaissance and strike UAVs. Secure data exchange channels between the C-111-N complexes and the terminals installed on the Hunters unite the Su-57 and the C-70 into a single information field in which the Su-57 pilots will be able to use the UAVs as ‘unmanned wingmen’ carrying out radar and radio-technical reconnaissance.
On the threshold of a new era in military aviation, the fifth generation of aircraft is becoming the standard for the leading powers. The development of machines with low visibility, super manoeuvrability and powerful armament is the prerogative of a few states. The US was the first to introduce the F-22A Raptor fighter in 2005, China has had the J-20 fighter in its air force since 2017. The Russian Air and Space Forces has at least 23 Su-57 multirole fighters in service.
The F-22, J-20 and Su-57, are heavy-lift machines designed to gain air superiority and destroy enemy aircraft. However, a full-fledged fifth-generation combat aircraft can be considered only one that is capable of attacking not only air targets, but also ground and sea targets. In Syria and Afghanistan, the use of F-22 aircraft was reduced to a small number of strikes on ground targets, for which the Raptor’s armament, previously limited only to air-to-air missiles, included aerial bombs with a calibre of 110 and 450 kg.
The Su-57 also struck real targets in Syria, but Western media and OSINT-analysts began to report on this only after the aircraft returned to Russia and the Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the fact of the Su-57’s combat use in the Middle East. Here the factor of the aircraft’s low-observability played a role.
The Chinese J-20 has not been used in real combat conditions, and it is not possible to speak objectively about its multifunctionality.
Information about the Su-57 being used to strike military facilities in Ukraine appeared in 2022. On 9 June 2022, RIAN reported about the detection and defeat of Ukrainian air defence by a link of 4 Su-57 fighters, which were integrated into an information network through an automatic communication system (S-111-N), data transmission, navigation and identification in real time. Also in June 2022, the fighters carried out precision-guided weapons strikes on the Darnitsa Carriage Repair Plant in Kiev and military facilities in Dnipropetrovsk.
Rostec representatives later said that the Su-57 was being finalised taking into account the combat experience gained. Recently, military correspondents have been increasingly reporting new cases of the Su-57’s use, with Russian aviation carrying out massive strikes on the locations of the AFU units and defence-industrial complex facilities of the Kiev regime.
New Su-57 fighters were handed over to the Russian Air Force in Komsomolsk-on-Amur
The Su-57’s design features make it flexible for a wide variety of missions, and it effectively complements the Su-34 frontline bombers, Su-30SM and Su-35S multirole fighters. In addition to the development of weapons and communications systems for the Su-57, its modernisation is also underway in terms of its propulsion system. The first stage engine AL-41F-1 will be replaced by the ‘product 30’ (AL-51F-1).
With the new propulsion system, the Su-57’s range without refuelling is estimated to increase to 5,000 kilometres due to reduced fuel consumption. The aircraft will be able to accelerate faster, its high-speed lift will increase and its rear hemisphere visibility will be significantly reduced. From 2024, all Su-57 fighters being built at the Gagarin Aviation Plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur will be transferred to Russia. Gagarin Aviation Plant and will be transferred to the Russian Air Force, will receive new AL-51F-1 engines.
According to a report by the Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAMTO), taking into account the combat use in Syria and Ukraine, the Su-57 is the most tested fifth-generation aircraft in a real situation of armed confrontation. This is recognised in the West, despite the almost complete absence of information from official Russian sources on statistics and specifics of Su-57 combat operations in the Ukrainian frontline.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...