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| Production is Starting to Increase, But the Su-57 is Still Doubtful Being a Stealth Fighter |
Moscow - Russia will get the latest fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jets. Rostec company, the jet production house also revealed that they are working to increase production of this fighter jet.
However, it is not yet known how many Su-57 units will be transferred to the Russian Air Force. Given that the service only has a small number of fifth-generation aircraft in its inventory, each new aircraft will significantly increase its air power.
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Quoted from the Eurasian Times, Sergey Chemezov, head of the Rostec company, visited the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant (KnAAZ). The facility, named after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, was responsible for producing the Su-57 fighter jet.
"The company is working to increase the production of these aircraft within the framework of the contract between the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and the Ministry of Defence, a number of new fighters will be delivered to the troops soon," the press release said.
Two Su-57s with airframes numbered '53′ and '54′ in red were allegedly spotted at Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport in Siberia, Russia, in late May. Rostec said Russia intends to increase production of the fifth-generation fighter at KnAAZ. This will be done by implementing advanced production methods, building new facilities, and procuring modern equipment.
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Plans to increase production make sense given the country's fifth-generation fleet lags far behind the United States and China.
So far, there appears to be a significant discrepancy in the reported number of Su-57 aircraft that Russia currently has. According to some reports, the Russian Air Force currently has three operational models of the Su-57. However, many other sources confirm that the country now operates about a dozen of these aircraft. On the other hand, the Su-57 as a stealth fighter is still in question.
Quoted from topwar.ru, the Su-57 was criticized for its lack of stealth. It is clear that the aircraft that are not visible to radar are more adapted to cope with enemy air defense systems. In this regard, the Su-57 has direct air intake ducts, unlike the American F-22 and S-35, where these elements are S-shaped. Of course, because of this, it is more visible to radar.
On the other hand, the thrust of American aircraft engines due to this air inlet design is somewhat lost. The Su-57 nozzle design also makes Russian aircraft more visible in the infrared (thermal) range.