MOSCOW – Russia’s most advanced fighter jet – the Sukhoi Su-57 – has crashed for the first time, during tests earlier this week in a remote area in the eastern part of Russia, only days before the Russian Air Force (RuAF)was due to receive its first serial produced Su-57, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) reports on Tuesday. The pilot survived the crash by using the ejection seat. It’s not clear what caused the Su-57 to crash.

“The Su-57 crashed during a test flight 111 kilometers from its home airfield,” UAC said.

Last week General Valery Gerasimov – the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces – said that Russia has tested the Su-57 in combat in Syria at least twice.

First Russian stealth fighter jet

The Sukhoi Su-57 Felon – formerly known as PAK FA and T-50 – is a single-seat, twin-engine, multi-role, 5th-generation fighter jet and the first aircraft in Russian military service to use stealth technology. It’s Russia’s answer to the USAF F-22 Raptor. The Su-57 is – like the American F-22 – a 5th-gen stealth fighter jet and a true dogfighter, while the F-35 Lightning II is a more versatile jet, a flying computer – not made for dogfights.

The Su-57, developed since 2002 for air superiority and attack operations, is the product of the PAK FA 5th-generation fighter programme of the RuAF. T-50 is Sukhoi’s name for the Su-57.

The Su-57 is super maneuverable, has advanced avionics and is capable of supercruise, just like the American F-22.

First flight and future

On January 29, 2010 the Su-57’s 47-minute maiden flight took place – piloted by hero of the Russian Federation Sergey Bogdan – at KnAAPO’s Dzemgi Airport in the eastern part of Russia.

On 22 August 2018, during ARMY 2018, The Russian Defence Ministry and the aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi signed the first contract for delivery of 2 serial Su-57s. The first Su-57 will be delivered at the end of this year and the second one will be delivered in 2020.

On May 15, 2019 Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that 76 aircraft will be purchased and delivered to the RuAF by 2028. The contract for the 76 aircraft was formally signed on June 27, 2019 at ARMY 2019. Sukhoi has started the serial production of the Su-57 in July 2019.

The Su-57 is replacing the RuAF MiG-29 and Su-27 in the coming years.

United Aircraft Corporation

The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is a majority state-owned Russian aerospace and defense corporation, with its headquarters in based in the Krasnoselsky District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. UAC consolidates Russian private and state-owned aircraft manufacturing companies and assets engaged in the manufacture, design and sale of military, civilian, transport, and unmanned aircraft. Manufacturers of the UAC Group include; Sukhoi, Irkut, Tupolev, Yakolev, Ilyushin, Beriev, MiG and AeroComposit design bureaus.

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(Head photo: Rulexip (CC BY-SA 3.0)