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| Russia Tests New Version Of Su-57 Fighter Jet Equipped With Advanced Smart Avionics System |
Moscow - The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a Russian state-owned company, has tested the latest version of the Su-57 stealth fighter on October 21 near Moscow. The announcement from UAS did not make it clear whether the fighter was tested with the long-awaited Izdelie 30 engine. The lack of Izdelie 30 is one of two reasons why the Su-57 Felon is still categorized as a 4++ generation fighter. The second reason may be the lack of an azimuth sensor.
Russia advertises its product as an absolute azimuth fighter, i.e. 360 degree sensitive capacity. Based on open source data, a similar technology, namely the azimuth sensor, has not yet been developed in Russia. The last announcement was in mid-2021 when it was claimed (by western sources) that Russian specialists from various research and development institutes were close to developing the sensor.
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| New Sukhoi Su-57 Fighter Jet |
The flight test that the Su-57 carried out a few days ago was a test of a new technology, which integrates the aircraft's avionics. It is a smart system that allows pilots to focus on other operational roles while the aircraft is flying. In line with these tests, UAS said that a new weapon was also being tested, but did not specify what the target was.
Read Also: First Flying Felon Su-57 Stealth Fighter in Ukraine, Becoming a Sign Russia is Getting Serious?
According to Yury Slyusar, Director General of UAC, in the future, a set of intelligent sensors will control the aircraft. This is what was tested during the flight on October 21. The aircraft is given the functions of co-piloting and preparation for use of weapons, while the pilot is concentrated on other critical functions.
Reporting from BulgarianMilitary, in February last year it was also reported about the possibility of a similar modification. Then Nikita Dorofeev, who was part of the cockpit designer of the Sukhoi Su-57 Felon mentioned in an interview that such a possibility exists.
A few months later, Dorofeev gave a second interview to Russian media, claiming that the next integration into the intelligent Su-57 would be eye and voice pilot control of the aircraft. Sources in Russia, including Dorofeev, say that UAC has produced this prototype.
Read Also: Genius! Russian Pilots Planned to Control Su-57 Fighter with Eyes and Voice in the Future
There is a possible second function, the aircraft's voice command was tested on October 21. Rafael Suleymanov, a test pilot at UAC said that the plane is currently studying the phrases used. However, Suleymanov did not say whether at the time of the flight test the aircraft was being trained, or whether another aircraft, a prototype, was being tested on the ground.
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| Russian Sukhoi Su-57 Fighter Jet |
It is also unclear whether the new sensor capability of the Su-57 being tested is actually an unmanned version of the aircraft. In 2020, BulgarianMilitary reported that Russia was working on an unmanned version of the fighter. Later, the information that came to us was that these functions were being tested in the UAC laboratory. Russia announced that the Su-57 would have an unmanned version in the same year.
Suleymanov defined the Su-57 Felon as "a powerful weapon in the hands of the pilot". According to the pilot, the Su-57 is dangerous in all weather conditions and at all latitudes. This is in line with Russia's stance that it has officially confirmed that the Su-57 has taken part in the war in Ukraine.
The fighter does not engage in direct aerial combat with Ukrainian aircraft, due to its ability to engage targets beyond visual range. The Su-57's first combat debut was in Syria while the prototype was still being developed. This information was also officially confirmed by Russia in a statement by General Serhiy Surovikin, commander of the unified troop group in Ukraine.