Russian aerospace forces have acquired their sixth mass-produced stealth Su-57 fighter after a pair of Su-57 fighters number 53 and 54 were spotted at Tolmachevo’s Novosibirsk airport. Sources claim that their stay was short, after which they flew west.
The acquisition of the fifth and sixth Su-57 fighters is the first delivery of two new series produced this year. BulgarianMilitary.com recalls that in April information was received about the participation of the Su-57 in the war in Ukraine, bombing targets in the Kirovograd region, and Odesa using the Soviet Kh-59 TV-guided cruise missiles.
There is no official confirmation from the Russian Federation for the acquisition of the fifth and sixth fighters. All information on this topic comes from observers and aviation experts, who carefully record the serial and side numbers of the machines observed at airports or during shows. The previous two machines, produced in 2021, were “tracked” only in February this year. They bore the emblem of the 929th Chekalov State Aviation Test Center in Akhtubinsk [Astrakhan region], which is probably the basis for the training of the crew of the Su-57 program.
Sources claim that the stealth fighters Su-57 acquired from Russia so far are equipped with Su-35 engines, which speaks of a serious lag in the work of the long-awaited Article 30. Whether because of the war or lack of sufficient funding, the renovation and work of new targets for pilot helmets and new fighter computers are also slowing down.
READ ALSO: Palestine: Israeli forces kill Palestinian woman near West Bank camp
Russia’s program for a fifth-generation Su-57 fighter has been delayed for years and has been fraught with failure. In 2019, the Russian Aerospace Force was supposed to receive the first mass-produced Su-57 number 01, but during factory tests, it crashed. Thus, serial works with number 02 entered service in the Russian army, but only in 2021.
Despite the desire of the Russian Federation to sell the latest mass-produced fighter, so far there are no real candidates for its purchase. China and India have long been linked to potential new operators, but no deal has been reached. The names of Egypt and Iran are circulating in the public sphere, but this can be reported mainly as rumors.
