The Russian Aerospace Forces suffer from numerous and continuous problems regarding sending the Su-57 Felon fighter jets into service, significantly worsened by persistent production problems and Western sanctions. While the pressing need for advanced aircraft impels the conflict against Ukraine, only a small portion of Su-57s remain in service, many of which are prototypes.
Having been hailed as a fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Su-57 has made little difference in this war. Its primary uses have been long-range strike missions to show how highly restricted usage has been of the aircraft itself. Multiple production problems and delays have affected the aircraft for many years. More recently, in 2019, the first production Su-57 Felon crashed shortly after leaving the factory.
The Kremlin had taken the unusual step of putting the first dozen prototypes into service, underscoring an urgency to demonstrate a fifth-generation capability. But production issues and Western sanctions on military hardware and technology have so far kept Russia from delivering more aircraft. Innovative manufacturing processes, such as using augmented reality, have not overcome these adversities.
Russian technicians use augmented reality to build the plane: major parts come with QR codes that technicians scan for location. Similar to IKEA assembly instructions, this is how it’s done in the car industry, a quicker way of building things. But aircraft manufacturing requires extreme precision to maintain low-observable attributes, essential to stealth capabilities. Even a minor mistake in the order of incorrectly tightening a screw could result in affecting the stealth characteristics of the fighter jet.
The Su-57 Felon is a twin-engine, single-seat multi-role fighter. The Russian military claims that the aircraft has stealth capability. This, however, is not necessarily corroborated by analyses coming from the West. Nonetheless, the Su-57 does bring some important capabilities to the Russian Aerospace Forces as well, carrying a heavy load-out of ordnance such as R-73 heat-seeking air-to-air missiles, R-27 radar-guided air-to-air missiles, cruise missiles, hypersonic munitions, glide bombs, rockets, and conventional bombs. For dogfighting or strafing, it also boasts an impressive 30mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 cannon; movement is possible via a muzzle configuration that allows it to remain under cover when not used, so it doesn’t disturb the jet’s basic aerodynamic performance or low-observability characteristics.
The Russian Aerospace Forces have deployed the Su-57 Felon fighter jets, a very limited fleet, according to Western intelligence services, in Ukraine. However, the Kremlin has treated its most advanced fighter jet gingerly-only sending it into combat in very limited instances and only to conduct long-range strike missions with stand-off munitions. To date, the Su-57 has been a failure to the point that it has not seen relevant involvement in the biggest conflict the Russian military has seen since World War II.
The Su-57 program has had its fair share of problems. The biggest issue has been the development of the jet’s intended second-generation engine. The current prototypes are flying with the older engine, and though the Russian Air Force is to receive 76 Su-57 jets by the late 2020s, the product delivered will not feature the second-generation engine as intended. Delays in developing low-observable stealth technology, advanced avionics, and sensor capabilities also pushed delivery timelines out to the late 2020s.
The 2014 invasion of Crimea and occupation of eastern Ukraine further restricted the Su-57’s development through an end to critical co-development production with Ukraine. Further limitations on importing essential microelectronics and information technologies have come as a result of Western sanctions. The 2017 enactment of the U.S. Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) has further challenged Russia’s ability to develop and export defense systems.
Financial constraints have further cramped Russia’s defense industry. Major defense companies have to borrow money to support developments, such as the Su-57. Delays in development or problems with the exportation of military aircraft can create debt if these factors occur. Industries that have produced such items have had to be bailed out by the Russian government, putting added pressure on overall government and defense spending, which is in line with income derived through the sale of oil and gas.
Despite this, the Russian government has still extended several countries an offer for co-development. India had participated in a joint development program from 2007 until its withdrawal in 2018 due to delays in its development. Then, in December 2019, there were subsequent reports that Algeria had signed a contract for 12 Su-57 jets and may be the first export customer. This deal, however, is still under skepticism due to various production delays and Algerian law, which requires that imported military aircraft need to be flight-tested within the country – a requirement that would most likely never be granted by the Russian military.
Despite continued aggressive overseas marketing of the Su-57 by Russia, it is highly doubtful that a fully mature and producible Su-57 will emerge any time before the late 2020s.