The Russian fourth-generation Su-35 fighter is capable of defeating the fifth-generation Su-57, which is why, most likely, the “bright future” of the latter is out of the question, says The National Interest.
According to the American magazine, the fighters differ slightly from each other. The publication, in particular, writes that the Su-35 and Su-57 systems are similar, and the latter is distinguished from the first mainly by “a glider that has a certain degree of stealth”.
The National Interest notes that, for example, the (first stage) Su-57 engine is based on the Su-35 powertrain. “The Russians seem to understand that the initial version of the Su-57 will not have particularly useful capabilities compared to the Su-35,” the magazine writes.
The publication assures that Russia will continue to arm the Su-30 and Su-35, supplementing them with the Su-57 systems. According to the magazine, this circumstance may be associated, in particular, with the improvement of radars capable of detecting aircraft created using stealth technology.
“Thus, it is entirely possible that the Su-57 does not have a particularly bright future,” the publication concludes.
In March, RIA Novosti sources reported that the first and second prototypes of the S-70 Okhotnik heavy attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which are the wingmen of the Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighter, will differ significantly. One of the interlocutors, in particular, explained that the first aircraft is more an experimental product, while the second is an experimental pre-production device.
