Su-57 fighter aircraft of the Russian army. (Source: TASS)

Military expert, director of the Museum of the Russian Air Force, Colonel Yury Knutov talked about this fighter jet with Russian media.

“The Su-57 fighter is a truly unique machine. The Su-57 has some elements of a sixth generation aircraft, which is demonstrated when it flies in remote control mode. The cabin is fully glazed and protected from electromagnetic radiation. Stealth technology is used in key parts of the aircraft, making it discreet and undetectable. The plane has sensors that allow it to see all objects around it,” Mr. Knutov said.

“In addition, the Su-57 is equipped with extremely modern aiming devices and in the co-pilot is a computer with artificial intelligence elements. Currently, engines are also being perfected to allow aircraft to fly at extremely low altitudes at supersonic speeds,” the expert added.

The maximum weapon load of the Su-57 is about 14 – 16 tons. For comparison, the maximum weapons load of the Su-35 is 12 tons, the Su-30 is 10,4 tons, the US F-22 Raptor is about 10 tons, and the F-35 is 8,1 tons.

The load of combat weapons that the Su-57 can carry is much higher than that of fighter aircraft of previous generations. This result was achieved using composite materials. For example, the Su-30SM and Su-35 use 25% non-metal materials (including composites, fiberglass, Kevlar fabric, various plastics). On the Su-57, this ratio increases to 35%, so the aircraft will be lighter despite having the same size as its predecessors. In addition, the new engine increases thrust by another 15%, also contributing to increasing weapon load.

By carrying a record number of weapons, the Su-57 is fully capable of being equipped with the latest weapons, accompanied by many large support devices, such as radar. The Su-57 fighter is not just an aircraft, but a combat complex, including the latest weapons launched from aircraft. Enterprises of the Russian Defense Industrial Complex have developed about 15 new weapon models for this type of aircraft.

The Su-57 has four weapons bays embedded in the fuselage. The two main compartments are large and take up most of the fuselage length, designed to mount large weapons, such as long-range air-to-air missiles (such as the Vympel R-37 with a range of 400 km, rockets anti-ship Kh-59, large bombs up to 1.500 kg…) On both sides there are two additional small storage compartments, which can only accommodate a missile as small as the short-range air-to-air missile RVV-MD (range 40 km). .

The Su-57 has 12 weapon mounting points, some of which can mount weapons with a maximum weight of 1,5 tons each. The Su-57’s weapons compartment system can hold up to four new generation Vympel R-4 missiles, providing outstanding air-to-air capabilities. If equipped with larger missiles, such as the R-77 missile with a range of up to 37 km, the Su-400 can carry 57 missiles of this type in two large compartments in the body.

Even though it is a 5th generation fighter, the Su-57 is still equipped with a 30mm cannon type 9A1-4071K with 150 bullets for close combat.