First Russian 5th generation Su-57 fighter jets to be put in service ‘very soon’


The Russian military is expected to receive the first batch of fifth generation Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets “very soon,” the corporation developing the plane said. The jet was known earlier as the PAK FA and T-50.
“The newest 5th generation aviation complex T-50/PAK FA, for which we have high hopes and plans, will be delivered to the Russian Air Force very soon,” the Joint Aviation Corporation (OAK) said in a Facebook post.
Earlier on Saturday, a source in the aviation industry told Interfax that the delivery of the first planes of the maiden batch is expected to take place in 2018. A similar estimated time of delivery was given earlier by then-Russian Air Force commander Colonel General Viktor Bondarev.
The first nine machines are currently undergoing flight tests, according to the manufacturer. While the early jets were fitted with older “first-stage engines,” the Su-57 recently received a new engine, developed specifically for the fifth-generation fighters. The fighter, fitted with the new Product 30 engine, successfully performed its maiden flight on December 5. While little is known about the specifications, the OAK said last year it was an entirely new engine designed from scratch.
The Su-57 jet fighter, designed to replace the iconic Sukhoi Su-27 in frontline tactical aviation, made its maiden flight in 2010. One plane has an estimated price tag of about $50 million.
The new planes have already been featured in several exhibitions, including the MAKS 2017 airshow last July. A pair of the aircraft, known then as the T-50, stole the show, performing a variety of amazing stunts. The Su-57 designation was officially confirmed for the new plane last August.
The aircraft features an entirely new planer, built largely from composite materials, modern radar and avionics. The new flight equipment allows the jet to exchange information in real time with other planes and ground command units, as well as perform individual missions, according to the OAK. The avionics provide a high level of automatization and “intellectual support” for the crew, helping pilots to focus on their tactical objectives.

The Su-57, originally called the T-50, made its maiden flight in January 2010.


The Su-57, originally called the T-50, made its maiden flight in January 2010.
knaapo.ru

Russian President Vladimir Putin himself even checked out the Su-57 after it first flew.


Russian President Vladimir Putin himself even checked out the Su-57 after it first flew.
Putin checking out the Su-57 after its maiden flight in 2010.Associated Press

The most current Su-57 prototype is fitted with an Izdelie-30 engine, but it reportedly has been problematic and is slated to be tested near the end of 2017.


The most current Su-57 prototype is fitted with an Izdelie-30 engine, but it reportedly has been problematic and is slated to be tested near the end of 2017.
Associated Press
The fighter also only needs about 1,100 feet of runway length to take off. 

The Izdelie-30 engine, however, will reportedly provide the fighter with up to 70,000 pounds of thrust and a climbing rate of 70,000 feet per minute.


The Izdelie-30 engine, however, will reportedly provide the fighter with up to 70,000 pounds of thrust and a climbing rate of 70,000 feet per minute.
United Aircraft Corporation

As well as a cruising speed of about 800 mph.


As well as a cruising speed of about 800 mph.
United Aircraft Corporation

And a top speed of about 1,616 mph.


And a top speed of about 1,616 mph.
Dmitry Terekhov/Flickr
The F-22, on the other hand, has a top speed of about 1,500 mph. 
The Su-57 can also hit altitudes of about 65,000 feet, while the F-22 has a ceiling of about 50,000 feet. 

The Su-57 holds a variety of bombs and missiles in its two large internal weapons bays.


The Su-57 holds a variety of bombs and missiles in its two large internal weapons bays.
Associated Press

The graphic below shows all the missiles and bombs the Su-57 can hold.

Not included in the graphic, however, is the jet's two internally mounted 30mm cannons. 
This graphic from Sputnik gives a good overview of the Su-57's capabilities.

The Su-57 is also incredibly agile and maneuverable — some say more than the F-22 Raptor — and therefore can dodge missiles and put itself in strategic firing positions relatively easily.


The Su-57 is also incredibly agile and maneuverable — some say more than the F-22 Raptor — and therefore can dodge missiles and put itself in strategic firing positions relatively easily.
Associated Press
The Su-57 is reportedly equipped with three-dimensional thrust vector jets, while the F-22 only has two-dimensional thrust vector jets.
Some, however, are skeptical of the Su-57's agility.
Watch the Su-57's maneuverability below:

It's also equipped with an OLS-50M infrared and tracking system, which the Raptor doesn't have.


It's also equipped with an OLS-50M infrared and tracking system, which the Raptor doesn't have.
Associated Press

The Su-57's stealth capabilities, however, have been questioned, and some analysts have even doubted that it's actually a fifth generation fighter.


The Su-57's stealth capabilities, however, have been questioned, and some analysts have even doubted that it's actually a fifth generation fighter.
United Aircraft Corporation
While Russian media touts the Su-57 as an "aerial ghost," one scientist working on stealth aircraft for the US called it a "dirty aircraft," with many glaring flaws that would light up radars scanning for the plane.

Moscow even recently announced that it's looking to turn the Su-57 into a sixth generation fighter, meaning it would at least have unmanned capabilities.


Moscow even recently announced that it's looking to turn the Su-57 into a sixth generation fighter, meaning it would at least have unmanned capabilities.
Associated Press
The shot above shows the Su-57 flying below an Su-34 during the 2017 MAKS air show. 

Ultimately, though, it's difficult to tell whether the Su-57 or F-22 would win in a dogfight.


Ultimately, though, it's difficult to tell whether the Su-57 or F-22 would win in a dogfight.
Associated Press
The Su-57 is reportedly faster, but the F-22 is stealthier. The two fighters are also both extremely agile, but there is disagreement over which moves better.
The F-22 is also reportedly more lethal than the Su-57 at long ranges, giving it the edge in the initial stages of the fight. However, the Su-57's agility and infrared and tracking system might give it the edge in close combat. 
The main armament of the plane is concealed in internal bays to boost its aerodynamic capabilities and reduce radar cross section. The Su-57 can also carry munitions on external pylons. The jet’s armament includes a recently modernized 30mm internal autocannon and a range of modern guided missiles.
First Russian 5th generation Su-57 fighter jets to be put in service ‘very soon’
The US Navy said it is preparing to roll out a sea-based laser weapon capable of disabling small enemy vessels and shooting down surveillance drones.

The laser system will be deployed in 2014, two years ahead of schedule, aboard the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport ship retrofitted as a waterborne staging base, the Navy said Monday.
Chief of Naval Research Admiral Matthew Klunder said the cost of one blast of "directed energy" could be less than $1.
"Compare that to the hundreds of thousands of dollars it costs to fire a missile, and you can begin to see the merits of this capability," he said in a US Navy statement.
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Naval Sea Systems Command successfully tested high-energy lasers against a moving target ship and a remotely piloted drone.
"The future is here," ONR official Peter Morrision said.
"The solid-state laser is a big step forward to revolutionizing modern warfare with directed energy, just as gunpowder did in the era of knives and swords."
The laser runs on electricity, so the weapon "can be fired as long as there is power," and is a lot safer than carrying explosives aboard ships.
The Navy released a video of a laser test and posted it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmoldX1wKYQ&feature=youtu.be .
The New York Times, which said the USS Ponce would deploy to the Gulf, noted the Pentagon had a "long history of grossly inflating" claims for experimental weapons.
Navy officials had acknowledged that the prototype laser was not yet strong enough to bring down a jet fighter or a missile, although those remained the long-term targets, The Times reported.
A March 14 report from the non-partisan Congressional Research Center said the new weapon was a potential game-changer in naval warfare.
"Compared to existing ship self-defense systems, such as missiles and guns, lasers could provide Navy surface ships with a more cost effective means of countering certain surface, air, and ballistic missile targets," the report read.
Equipping Navy ships with lasers "could lead to changes in naval tactics, ship design and procurement plans for ship-based weapons, bringing about a technological shift for the Navy - a ‘game changer' - comparable to the advent of shipboard missiles in the 1950s," it added.