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| File Image: Su-57-& Su-75 (Checkmate) |
International Military - There is a claim that Russia has deployed modern Su-57 fighter aircraft in Ukraine. This claim is supported by several eyewitnesses and video recordings.
Russian state media have confirmed claims of the appearance of Su-57 fighters in Ukraine. The source who did not want to be named said that the Su-57 aircraft had indeed entered service. "The use of the Su-57 aircraft in Ukraine begins two to three weeks after the start of special operations," he said.
Reporting from Defense Security Asia, the Su-57 is said to operate using its own missile system. The involvement of the Su-57 fighter in Ukraine is said to be not too much. Russia is said to have deployed only a few units of Su-57 fighter aircraft.
The reason may be that Russia is reluctant to provide publicity about the presence of the Su-57 in Ukraine. Or because of Russia's concern about Ukraine's air defense system. Or it could be because of concerns that the sales promotion of the Su-57 could be damaged if the fighter were shot down by Ukraine.
For buyers, of course, they will think twice about continuing the conversation in purchasing the Su-57 if the fighter is destroyed in Ukraine. As is well known, the Su-57 has had a poor record in its testing period.
Most likely, the poor test record of the Su-57 is also the reason Russia decided to hide the use of the modern fighter in Ukraine. European Military Observers said the same thing regarding the possible reasons Russia fielded a small number of Su-57s in Ukraine.
The European Military Observer feels that Russia still does not have a sufficient number of fighter planes to use. To note, Russia has indeed ordered as many as 76 units of Su-57 fighter aircraft for their country. However, to date, Moscow only has four Su-57s used for flight tests.
The Su-57 fighter is currently still in service at the 929th State Flight Test Center based in Akhtubinsk. Of course, it would make sense if the above was the biggest reason Russia decided not to be too bold about deploying their advanced aircraft.