RuAviation

Russia is developing the two-seat Su-57D as a platform for manned-unmanned teaming and as a testbed for technologies intended for future combat aircraft, according to the Sukhoi Design Bureau.

Mikhail Strelets, director of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, said the second crew station is intended primarily for combat functions rather than pilot training. A key role will be controlling the S-70 Okhotnik heavy unmanned combat aircraft operating alongside the Su-57D.

The concept envisages the S-70 acting as a ‘wingman’ to the fighter, allowing the second crew member to manage external unmanned systems while the pilot concentrates on flying the aircraft and executing the primary mission. Strelets said the operator could eventually coordinate several unmanned aircraft or groups of systems incorporating artificial-intelligence capabilities.

The arrangement is intended to increase the effectiveness of manned-unmanned operations by separating aircraft control from the management of networked unmanned assets. The S-70’s low-observable characteristics and weapons payload are expected to complement the capabilities of the manned fighter.

Sukhoi also sees the Su-57D as a flying testbed for artificial-intelligence technologies. These include processing data from multiple sensors, target recognition, mission planning, electronic warfare functions and autonomous control of strike UAVs. Testing such systems on an operational fighter platform would allow software and associated operating concepts to be developed before their incorporation into future combat aircraft.

The role envisaged for the second crew member differs from the traditional use of two-seat fighter variants in Soviet and Russian aviation, where the additional cockpit was primarily associated with conversion training and combat training.

Su-57 test pilot Sergey Bogdan said in May that two-seat aircraft could acquire broader operational roles as combat operations become increasingly networked. He said the interaction between a two-seat fighter and other aircraft could provide capabilities beyond those available from a single-seat platform.

The Su-57D is therefore being positioned not simply as a two-seat derivative of the Su-57, but as an experimental platform for manned-unmanned teaming and future combat-aircraft technologies. Sukhoi has indicated that additional operational roles could emerge as the concept matures.