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159-628: During the mid-1970s, the Soviets initiated the I-90 fighter project, Sh-90 attack aircraft project, B-90 bomber project and M-67 reconnaissance aircraft project. The I-90 consisted of a heavyweight fighter project (MFI) and a lightweight fighter project (LFI). The LFI was subsequently cancelled and replaced by the LFS during the early-mid-1990s. In the early 2000s, both the MFI and LFS projects were canceled in favor of

318-519: A Phazotron N001 Myech coherent Pulse-Doppler radar with track while scan and look-down/shoot-down capability. The fighter also has an OLS-27 infrared search and track (IRST) system in the nose just forward of the cockpit with an 80–100 km (50–62 mi) range. The Su-27 is armed with a single 30 mm (1.18 in) Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 cannon in the starboard wingroot, and has up to 10 hardpoints for missiles and other weapons. Its standard missile armament for air-to-air combat

477-557: A glass cockpit with no analogue gauges; information is displayed on two 38 cm (15 in) main multi-functional LCD displays similar to the arrangement of the Su-35S. Supplementing the primary display is a smaller multi-functional display and digital control panel. The cockpit has a wide-angle (30° by 22°) head-up display (HUD). Primary controls are the joystick and a pair of throttles, with all major functions controlled with hands on throttle and stick ( HOTAS ). The aircraft uses

636-652: A Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 was scrambled to intercept Russian fighter jets over Ukraine's airspace over the Black Sea on 3 March. With no aerial opposition and other aircraft available for ground attack duties, Ukrainian Su-27s played only a small role in the war in Donbas until 24 February 2022. Ukrainian Su-27s were recorded performing low fly passes and were reported flying top cover, combat air patrols and eventual escort or intercept of civil aviation traffic over Eastern Ukraine. Videos taken of low-flying Su-27s involved in

795-523: A delta wing and one engine. Mikoyan entered the MiG 4.12. MiG could not afford to develop both the MFI and LFI, so their LFI entry was eventually withdrawn. The focus of the LFS (Lyogkiy Frontovoy Samolyot, Light Frontline Aircraft) project shifted to creating a strike fighter with significant surface attack capability, while retaining respectable air combat abilities. Work on the project began around 1994, although

954-581: A design based on their S-54 trainer aircraft. The S-55 bore a strong resemblance to the Su-27, although it only had one engine. Sukhoi later proposed the S-56, a stealthy fighter design with canards and one engine. Mikoyan proposed the I-2000, an aircraft with an unusually large LERX which gave it an ability to sustain controlled flight at a very high angle of attack . The LFS project was cancelled in 2001 in favor of

1113-482: A family of combat aircraft for the Russian Aerospace Forces, similar to the Su-27 family. Under the program name Megapolis (Russian: Мегаполис , lit.   'Megapolis'), the company is developing a new variant, designated Su-57M, that augments the base Su-57 design with improved mission systems, reliability and maintenance enhancements, incorporation of electromechanical drives, and

1272-712: A fully armed Soviet Su-27, Red 36, intercepted a Norwegian Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft flying over the Barents Sea . The Soviet fighter performed different close passes, colliding with the reconnaissance aircraft on the third pass. The Su-27 disengaged and both aircraft landed safely at their bases. These aircraft were used by the Russian Air Force during the 1992–1993 war in Abkhazia against Georgian forces. One fighter, piloted by Major Vatslav Aleksandrovich Shipko (Вацлав Александрович Шипко)

1431-569: A high-speed test, killing the pilot. Eventually the T-10-15 demonstrator, T-10S-3 , evolved into the definitive Su-27 configuration. The T-10S-3 was modified and officially designated the P-42 , setting a number of world records for time-to-height , beating those set in 1975 by a similarly modified F-15 called "The Streak Eagle". The P-42 "Streak Flanker" was stripped of all armament, radar and operational equipment. The fin tips, tail-boom and

1590-562: A large wing, clipped, with two separate podded engines and a twin tail . The 'tunnel' between the two engines, as on the F-14 Tomcat , acts both as an additional lifting surface and hides armament from radar. The T-10 was spotted by Western observers and assigned the NATO reporting name 'Flanker-A'. The development of the T-10 was marked by considerable problems, leading to a fatal crash of

1749-603: A lightweight fighter with respectable air-to-ground capabilities. Yakovlev proposed the Yak-43 , an upgraded Yak-41 with a stealthier design and more powerful engines. After neglecting the MFI competition, Sukhoi decided to submit a design for the LFI called the S-37 (unrelated to the heavyweight forward-swept wing fighter). This S-37 resembled the Gripen in that it had canard foreplanes,

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1908-593: A memorandum of understanding for the preliminary design was signed in December 2010, and the development of the FGFA was expected to take 8–10 years. By 2014, however, the Indian Air Force began voicing concerns over performance, cost, and workshare. India found that the aircraft does not meet its requirements and eventually left the partnership in 2018. Nevertheless, Sukhoi continued to develop and promote

2067-573: A modified ejection seat angle, upgraded fly-by-wire, upgraded hydraulics, an arresting hook and retractable inflight refuelling probe with a pair of deployable floodlights in the nose to illuminate the tanker at night. The Su-27K began carrier trials in November 1989, again with Pugachev at the controls, onboard the first Soviet aircraft carrier, called Tbilisi at the time and formal carrier operations commenced in September 1991. Development of

2226-485: A next-generation fighter, eventually resulting in the forward-swept wing S-32 experimental aircraft, later redesignated S-37 and then Su-47 . Due to a lack of funds after the dissolution of the Soviet Union , the MFI was repeatedly delayed and the first flight of the MiG 1.44/1.42 prototype did not occur until 2000, nine years behind schedule. Owing to the high costs, the MFI and LFI were eventually cancelled while

2385-415: A pair of Klimov VK-10M engines with 10–11 tonnes (98.1–108 kN, 22,000–24,300 lbf) of thrust each. In contrast, Sukhoi's T-50 would be comparatively larger and more capable, with normal takeoff weight goal of 22–23 tonnes (49,000–51,000 lb) and powered by a pair of Lyulka-Saturn AL-41F1 engines each with maximum thrust in the 14.5-tonne (142 kN, 32,000 lbf) class. In April 2002,

2544-475: A refueling probe. Yakovlev's entry was visually similar to Mikoyan's entry - a canard-equipped fighter - although Yakovlev's design had only one engine and boxed air intakes on the sides. The Yak-MFI design never materialized and only remained a mockup. Sukhoi did not submit an entry, due to their confidence in the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker design. Eventually, Mikoyan was awarded the development of

2703-662: A refueling vehicle were burned out by fire after a Russian attack on Ozerne Air Base in Zhytomyr District during the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine . The next day, another Su-27 was shot down in Kyiv by a Russian S-400 system and was recorded by residents on their cell phones and published on Twitter ; its pilot, Colonel Oleksandr Oksanchenko , was killed. A third Su-27 was reported lost by Ukrainian officials over Kropyvnytskyi , in central Ukraine; its pilot

2862-529: A result of technical obstacles encountered during testing, India's unclear commitment to the partnership, and Russia's economic downturn due to international sanctions after its annexation of Crimea and the drop in oil prices. Russian Deputy Minister of Defence Yury Borisov stated in 2015 that the Russian Air Force would slow production, reduce its initial order to 12 fighters, and operate large fleets of upgraded fourth-generation fighters such as

3021-404: A revised forward fuselage to accommodate a side-by-side cockpit seating arrangement with crew access via a ladder in the nose-wheel undercarriage and enlarged canards, stabilisers, fins and rudders. The wings had extra ordnance hard-points and the fold position was also moved further outboard. The inlets were fixed and did not feature foreign object damage suppression hardware. The central fuselage

3180-626: A separate one by India. According to HAL chairman A.K. Baweja (speaking shortly after the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Committee meeting on 18 September 2008), both the Russian and Indian versions of the aircraft will be single-seaters. The FGFA will be predominantly armed with weapons of Indian origin such as the Astra , a beyond-visual-range missile (BVR) being developed by India. Although in keeping with

3339-415: A significant kinematic advantage and extends the effective range of missiles and bombs over previous generations of aircraft. Combined with a high fuel load, the fighter has a supersonic range of over 1,500 km (930 mi), more than twice that of the Su-27. An extendable refueling probe is available to further increase its range. The first aircraft in Russian military service to emphasize stealth,

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3498-475: A time, while the ejection seat and the new PPK-7 flight suit allows safe ejection at altitudes from 0 to 20,000 m (66,000 ft) and instrument airspeeds from 0 to 1,300 km/h (810 mph); the system also includes a survival kit to assist the pilot after ejection. One of the main technical goals of the PAK FA programme is to achieve total integration of avionics systems, or sensor fusion, increase

3657-612: A two-piece canopy , with the aft section sliding forward and locking into place. The canopy is treated with metallized coatings to reduce the aircraft's radar signature. The Su-57 integrated computer system at Chip "1890VM8Ya" – FGU FSC NIISI (in Russian). The aircraft uses the NPP Zvezda K-36D-5 ejection seat and the SOZhE-50 life support system , which comprises the anti-g and oxygen generating system. The pilot

3816-524: Is a twin-engine stealth multirole fighter aircraft developed by Sukhoi . It is the product of the PAK FA ( Russian : ПАК ФА , prospective aeronautical complex of front-line aviation) programme, which was initiated in 1999 as a more modern and affordable alternative to the MFI ( Mikoyan Project 1.44/1.42 ). Sukhoi's internal designation for the aircraft is T-50 . The Su-57 is the first aircraft in Russian military service designed with stealth technology and

3975-510: Is a highly improved and uprated variant of the AL-31 and produces 9 tonnes (88.3  kN , 19,840  lbf ) of dry thrust, 14.5 tonnes (142.2 kN, 31,970 lbf) of thrust in afterburner, and 15 tonnes (147.1 kN, 33,070 lbf) of thrust in "special" emergency power. The engines have full authority digital engine control ( FADEC ) and are integrated into the flight control system to facilitate maneuverability and handling. The AL-41F1

4134-527: Is a mixture of R-73 (AA-11 Archer) and R-27 (AA-10 'Alamo') missiles, the latter including extended range and infrared homing models. The Soviet Air Force began receiving Su-27s in June 1985. The first frontline unit to receive the Su-27 was the 831st Fighter Aviation Regiment at Myrhorod Air Base , Ukrainian SSR, in November 1985. It officially entered service in August 1990. On 13 September 1987,

4293-569: Is also an example of a tailed delta wing configuration, retaining conventional horizontal tailplanes . The Su-27 had the Soviet Union's first operational fly-by-wire control system, based on the Sukhoi OKB 's experience with the T-4 bomber project. Combined with relatively low wing loading and powerful basic flight controls, it makes for an exceptionally agile aircraft, controllable even at very low speeds and high angle of attack . In airshows

4452-719: Is being developed to eventually replace the R-74M2. For longer ranged applications, the Su-57 can carry the izdeliye 810 missile, a further development of the R-37M with shorter control surfaces and updated motor and seeker, with two in each main weapons bay; the R-37M could be carried externally. For striking surface targets, the aircraft can carry the 250 kg (550 lb) KAB-250 or 500 kg (1,100 lb) KAB-500 precision guided bombs in its main bays. Internal weapons also include

4611-558: Is closely related to the Lyulka-Saturn izdeliye 117S engine, or AL-41F1S, used by the Su-35S, with the latter's separate engine control system being the key difference. The aircraft employs thrust vector control (TVC) where the vectoring nozzles' rotational axes are each canted at an angle, similar to the nozzle arrangement first employed on the Su-30MKI and also used on Su-35S. The nozzles themselves vector in only one plane;

4770-531: Is designed with an estimated thrust of 11 tonnes (107.9 kN, 24,300 lbf) dry and 17 tonnes (167 kN, 37,500 lbf) in afterburner. In addition to improved performance, reliability, and costs compared to the AL-41F1, the AL-51F-1 will also reduce the aircraft's radar and infrared signature with glass-fibre plastic IGVs and a new nozzle with serrated flaps. In 2023, it was reported that UEC Saturn

4929-459: Is equipped with a ZSh-10B helmet which mounts the NSTsI-50 digital display system, which enhances pilot situational awareness through pupil tracking and allows engagement of targets at high angles off-boresight. The 30 kg (66 lb) oxygen generating system provides the pilot with unlimited oxygen supply. The life support system enables pilots to perform 9-g maneuvers for up to 30 seconds at

Post-PFI Soviet/Russian aircraft projects - Misplaced Pages Continue

5088-509: Is intended to be the basis for a family of stealth combat aircraft. A multirole fighter capable of aerial combat as well as ground and maritime strike, the Su-57 incorporates stealth , supermaneuverability , supercruise , integrated avionics and large payload capacity. The aircraft is expected to succeed the MiG-29 and Su-27 in the Russian military service and has also been marketed for export. The first prototype aircraft flew in 2010, but

5247-558: Is planning a "sixth-generation" engine design for the Su-57. As of December 2023, all future Su-57 fighters delivered to the Russian Air Force by the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) will be powered by the advanced and more powerful Stage 2 engine, also called Izdeliye 30. The Su-57 has two tandem main internal weapon bays each approximately 4.4 m (14.4 ft) long and 0.9 m (3.0 ft) wide and two side weapon bays with triangular section fairings under

5406-626: Is yet unclear whether this airframe represents a Su-57M, as the "second-stage engine" (alluding to the Izdeliye 30) was reportedly not mounted. The flight was carried out by Russian test-pilot Sergey Bogdan. The Su-57 is a fifth-generation multirole fighter aircraft and the first operational stealth aircraft for the Russian armed forces. In addition to stealth, the fighter emphasizes supermaneuverability in all aircraft axes, capacious internal payload bays for multirole versatility, and advanced sensor systems such as active phased-array radar as well as

5565-557: The 101KS "Atoll" (Russian: 101КС "Атолл" ) electro-optical system. In a departure from prior Sukhoi aircraft, the IUS systems integration was performed by Sukhoi itself rather than RPKB of Ramenskoye. The integrated avionics suite, called IMA BK (Russian: ИМА БК , short for: Интегрированной модульной авионики боевых комплексов , lit.   'Integrated Modular Avionics Combat Systems'), uses fibre optic channels and runs on over 4 million lines of code . The Sh-121 consists of

5724-548: The 4+ generation . The strike capability was enhanced with the addition of the Kh-29T/TE/L and Kh-31P/Kh-31A ASM and KAB-500KR/KAB-1500KR smart bombs. The avionics were also upgraded. The Russian Air Force is currently receiving aircraft modernized to the SM3 standard. The aircraft’s efficiency to hit air and ground targets has increased 2 and 3 times than in the basic Su-27 variant. Su-27SM3 has two additional stations under

5883-630: The California Air National Guard . Both pilots died in the crash, that happened about 5:00 p.m. local time in the Khmelnytskyi province of western Ukraine. On 15 December, an Su-27 crashed on final approach about 2 km (1 mi) from Ozerne Air Base in Zhytomyr Oblast , after performing a training flight. Major Fomenko Alexander Vasilyevich was killed. On 29 May 2020, Ukrainian Su-27s took part in

6042-643: The Eritrean-Ethiopian War in February 1999 and destroyed another two in May 2000. The Su-27s were also used in combat air patrol (CAP) missions, suppression of air defense, and providing escort for fighters on bombing and reconnaissance missions. The Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) used their Su-27s to deadly effect in Somalia during late 2000s and 2010s, bombing Islamist garrisons and patrolling

6201-456: The Kh-38M air-to-ground missile, Kh-35U (AS-20 "Kayak") anti-ship missile, Kh-58UShK (AS-11 "Kilter") anti-radiation missile , and Kh-69 (originally designated Kh-59MK2) cruise missile. For missions that do not require stealth, the Su-57 can carry stores on its six external hardpoints which can use most Russian tactical fighter weapons. New hypersonic missile with characteristics similar to

6360-561: The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ALBM is also being developed for the Su-57. The missile is to have intra-body accommodation and smaller dimensions to allow it to be carried inside the Su-57's main bays. The aircraft has a 9A1-4071K ( GSh-30-1 ) 30 mm autocannon with 150 cartridges mounted internally near the right LEVCON root. The weapon has an effective range of 800 m (870 yd) against aerial targets and 1,800 m (2,000 yd) against surface targets. The Su-57 has

6519-639: The LMFS (Russian: ЛМФС , short for: Лёгкий многофункциональный фронтовой самолёт , lit.   'Light Multifunctional Frontline Aircraft') at its own expense. The research and development programme of the PAK FA was called Stolitsa (Russian: Столица , lit.   'Capital city'). In 2002, Alexander Davidenko selected as the T-50's chief designer at Sukhoi. The Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association (NAPO) and Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAZ) would manufacture

Post-PFI Soviet/Russian aircraft projects - Misplaced Pages Continue

6678-699: The Lyogkiy Perspektivnyi Frontovoy Istrebitel , "Light Perspective Frontline Fighter" ( Лёгкий Перспективный Фронтовой Истребитель , LPFI). The goal of the TPFI project was to develop a fighter capable of long-range flight, primarily to intercept hostile aircraft, which resulted in the Sukhoi Su-27 "Flanker" series of aircraft. The LPFI was intended to develop a light multi-role fighter with short flight range, but capable of providing air-to-ground support when deployed close to

6837-475: The MFI (Russian: МФИ , short for: Многофункциональный фронтовой истребитель , lit.   'Multifunctional Frontline Fighter') and smaller LFI (Russian: ЛФИ , Russian: Л short for: Лёгкий , lit.   'Light'), with conceptual work beginning in 1983. Mikoyan was selected for the MFI and began developing its MiG 1.44/1.42 . Though not a participant in the MFI, Sukhoi started its own programme in 1983 to develop technologies for

6996-624: The N036 Byelka radar system and L402 Himalayas electronic countermeasures (ECM) system. Developed by Tikhomirov NIIP Institute, the N036 consists of the main nose-mounted N036-1-01 X band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, or in Russian nomenclature, active phased array radar (Russian: АФАР , romanized:  AFAR , short for: Активная фазированная антенная решётка ), with 1,514 T/R modules and two side-looking N036B-1-01 X-band AESA radars with 404 T/R modules embedded in

7155-514: The Okhotnik UCAV in 2018. Additionally, work is underway to make a variant of the aircraft that can operate on aircraft carriers. Sukhoi has also used technology from the Su-57 to produce a mockup of a more affordable lightweight single-engine aircraft, designated as the LTS (Russian: ЛТС , short for: Лёгкий тактический самолёт , lit.   'Light Tactical Aircraft'). At

7314-626: The PAK FA program. The Sh-90, B-90 and M-67 projects were never realized, although Yakovlev 's and Mikoyan 's entries for the Sh-90 were based on the Yak-130 and MiG-AT , respectively. Both are trainer aircraft currently being offered for sale by the two companies, with the Yakovlev Yak-130 accepted into service and starting to replace Aero L-39 Albatros as the primary jet trainer of

7473-659: The Russian Air Force . Sukhoi , Mikoyan and Yakovlev were the major competitors in these projects, although Tupolev and Myasishchev may have also submitted entries for some projects. In 1969, the Soviet Union became aware of the existence of the United States ' "teen"-series of aircraft , including the Grumman F-14 Tomcat , McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle , General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet . In response,

7632-631: The Russian Ministry of Defence began work on a new next-generation fighter programme; in 1999, the ministry initiated the PAK FA or I-21 programme, with the competition announced in April 2001. Because of Russia's financial difficulties, the programme aimed to rein in costs by producing a single multirole fifth-generation fighter that would replace both the Su-27 and the MiG-29. Further cost-saving measures include an intended size in between that of

7791-545: The Sea of Japan before turning back to the north. Four Mitsubishi F-2 fighters were scrambled to visually confirm the Russian planes, warning them by radio to leave their airspace. A photo taken by a JASDF pilot of one of the two Su-27s was released by the Japan Ministry of Defense . Russia denied the incursion, saying the jets were making routine flights near the disputed Kuril Islands . Russia plans to replace

7950-671: The TPFI ( Tyazholyi PFI , Heavy PFI). The LPFI program resulted in the Mikoyan MiG-29 , a relatively short-range tactical fighter, while the TPFI program was assigned to Sukhoi OKB, which eventually produced the Su-27 and its various derivatives. The Sukhoi design, which was altered progressively to reflect Soviet awareness of the F-15's specifications, emerged as the T-10 (Sukhoi's 10th design), which first flew on 20 May 1977. The aircraft had

8109-652: The V-PVO and Frontal Aviation. Operational conversion of units to the type occurred using the Su-27UB (Russian for Uchebno Boevoy - "combat trainer", NATO designation 'Flanker-C') twin-seat trainer, with the pilots seated in tandem. When the naval Flanker trainer was being conceived the Soviet Air Force was evaluating a replacement for the Su-24 "Fencer" strike aircraft, and it became evident to Soviet planners at

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8268-528: The integration of these systems to achieve high levels of automation. In the Su-57's design, Sukhoi cited the Lockheed Martin F-22 as the baseline for a supermaneuverable stealth fighter, but addressed what the bureau considered to be the limitations, such as the inability to use thrust vectoring to induce roll and yaw moments, a lack of space for weapons bays between the engines resulting in insufficient payload, and complications for post-stall recovery if thrust vectoring fails. In particular, Sukhoi considered

8427-423: The 1990s. The programme became the I-90 (Russian: И-90 , short for: Истребитель 1990–х годов , lit.   'Fighter of the 1990s') and required the fighter to be "multifunctional" (i.e. multirole) by having substantial ground attack capabilities, and would eventually replace the MiG-29 and Su-27 in frontline tactical aviation service. Two subsequent projects were designed to meet these requirements:

8586-585: The 2021 Moscow Air Show (MAKS-2021), Sukhoi revealed its LTS mockup, named Checkmate, which shares many systems with the Su-57, including radar, main weapons bay, vertical stabilizers, and wings. As of 2024 , international sanctions on Russia's defence industries has made it far more difficult for Russia to source the Western avionics and micro-electronics that have been essential components of its advanced fighter and attack aircraft cockpits. The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) reported that an upgraded Su-57 aircraft made its first flight on 21 October 2022. It

8745-416: The Bomber Task Force in Europe with B-1B bombers for the first time in the Black Sea region. On 4 September 2020, three B-52 bombers from the 5th Bomb Wing , Minot Air Force Base , North Dakota , conducted vital integration training with Ukrainian MiG-29s and Su-27s inside Ukraine’s airspace. The Su-27 was used by both sides in the Russian invasion of Ukraine . On 24 February 2022, a Ukrainian Su-27 and

8904-459: The Central Scientific Research Radio Engineering Institute in Moscow were selected for the development of the PAK FA's avionics suite. In April 2004, NPO Lyulka-Saturn (now NPO Saturn ) was signed as the contractor for the AL-41F1 engines with the development designation izdeliye 117. Sukhoi used existing airframes as testbeds for various subsystems and concepts; the Su-47 tested internal weapon bays, and Su-27M prototypes served as testbeds for

9063-408: The Chinese negotiator insisted on purchasing the Su-27, the most sophisticated fighter Soviets had at the time. The sales were approved in December 1990, with three fighters delivered to China before the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991. Russia completed the contract and allowed China to manufacture the Su-27 domestically, where the aircraft is designated as J-11. The earliest batch of Su-27s

9222-541: The F-22 and F-35 , likely as a result of cost reduction as well as the Russian doctrine of operating the aircraft within the umbrella of friendly integrated air defense systems . As with other stealth fighters, the Su-57's low observability measures are chiefly effective against super-high-frequency (between 3 and 30 GHz ) radars, usually found on other aircraft. The effects of Rayleigh scattering and resonance mean that low-frequency radars , employed by weather radars and early-warning radars are more likely to detect

9381-512: The F-22 design unsuitable as a multirole fighter required for PAK FA due to the limited payload that was too focused on air-to-air missiles. The aircraft has a wide blended wing body fuselage with two widely spaced engines and has all-moving horizontal and vertical stabilisers , with the vertical stabilisers canted for stealth; the trapezoid wings have leading edge flaps , ailerons , and flaperons . The aircraft incorporates thrust vectoring and large leading edge root extensions that shift

9540-416: The Indian Air Force openly expressed concerns over the reliability and performance of the AL-41F1; during the 2011 Moscow Air Show (MAKS-2011), a Su-57 suffered a compressor stall that forced the aircraft to abort takeoff. The planned Su-57M will be equipped with a new engine from NPO Saturn in the mid-2020s under the development designation izdeliye 30 and eventually designated AL-51F-1. The powerplant

9699-480: The J-11B made extensive use of Chinese developed systems within the Su-27SK airframe. Starting in 2004, the Russian Air Force began a major update of the original Soviet Su-27 ('Flanker-B') fleet. The upgraded variants were designated Su-27SM (Russian for " S eriyniy M odernizovanniy" - literally " S erial M odernized"). This included upgrades in air-to-air capability with the R-77 missile with an active radar homing head. The modernized Su-27SM fighters belong to

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9858-417: The LFI was cancelled in favor of the LFS, although both the LFS and MFI were subsequently canceled in favor of the PAK FA. The goal of the Mnogofunksionalni Frontovoy Istrebitel ("Multifunctional Frontline Fighter"; MFI) project was to create a heavy fighter with exceptional air-to-ground capabilities. Initially, Mikoyan worked on the project 512, which resembled the F-15 because of the boxed air intakes on

10017-427: The MFI and LFS programs in lieu of a newer, more affordable next-generation multirole fighter. Mikoyan, Sukhoi and Yakovlev submitted designs, but the PAK FA program was awarded to the Sukhoi T-50 (unrelated to the T-50 Golden Eagle ). Both Mikoyan and Yakovlev have a 15% share on development and production of the aircraft. The flight testing phase of the aircraft began in 2010, and the aircraft entered service in 2020 as

10176-434: The MFI project. However, as work on the MFI progressed, Sukhoi discovered that the MiG-MFI design was a major threat to the Su-27 design, and began a heavy fighter design of their own, although the MFI project was awarded to Mikoyan two years before. This design resulted in the S-32 forward-swept wing fighter with two engines and canard foreplanes. The design was later altered to add an elevator and modified canards. The design

10335-497: The Ministry of Defence had planned on buying the first 10 aircraft for evaluation after 2012 and 60 production standard aircraft after 2015. These plans were refined under the State Armament Programme from 2011 to 2020 (GPV-2020), with serial production hoped to begin in 2016; the Ministry of Defence was planning to acquire 52 aircraft by 2020, and another 150–160 by 2025. Additionally, export orders for 250–300 FGFA were expected to begin in 2017. Plans were greatly cut down in 2015 as

10494-526: The Ministry of Defence selected Sukhoi over Mikoyan as the winner of the PAK FA competition and the lead design bureau of the new aircraft. In addition to the merits of the proposal, Sukhoi's experience in the 1990s was taken into account, with the successful development of various Su-27 derivatives and numerous exports ensuring its financial stability. According to the Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Mikhaylov , flight tests were projected to begin in 2007. Mikoyan continued to develop its E-721 as

10653-416: The PAK FA program, although the I-2000 later influenced the design of the HESA Shafaq . The PAK FA ( Perspektivnyi Aviatsionnyi Kompleks Frontovoy Aviatsyi - "Perspective Aviation-Complex Frontline Aviation" [Perspective Multirole Frontline Aircraft]) is an ongoing program to develop a stealth -capable multirole fighter for the Russian Air Force . The program began in 2001, just after the cancellation of

10812-627: The PLAAF occurred shortly thereafter. China found some of the aircraft delivered were Su-27UBs that had been built in 1989 for the Soviet Union but never delivered. Russia delivered 2 more Su-27UBKs to China as a compensation. Differences in the payment method delayed the signing of the second, identical contract. For the first batch, 70% of the payment had been made in barter transactions with light industrial goods and food. The Russian Federation argued that future transactions should be made in US dollars . In May 1995, Chinese Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Liu Huaqing visited Russia and agreed to

10971-399: The Russian BVR doctrine of using a variety of different missiles for versatility and unpredictability to countermeasures, the aircraft is expected to have compatibility with various missile types. The FGFA may include systems developed by third parties. India withdrew from the program in 2018 due to concerns over performance and technology sharing. The Mikoyan LMFS ( Russian : Микоян ЛМФС )

11130-410: The S-111 system, developed by Polyot . The UOMZ 101KS "Atoll" electro-optical system consisted of the 101KS-V infrared search and track (IRST), 101KS-O directional infrared counter measures ( DIRCM ), 101KS-U ultraviolet missile approach warning sensors (MAWS), 101KS-P thermal imager for low altitude flight and landing, and 101KS-N navigation and targeting pod . The IRST turret is mounted on

11289-465: The Soviet coast from aircraft carriers and flying long range fighter escort for Soviet heavy bombers such as the Tupolev Tu-95 , Tupolev Tu-22M and Tupolev Tu-160 . The Su-27 was developed into a family of aircraft; these include the Su-30 , a two-seat, dual-role fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions, and the Su-33 , a naval fleet defense interceptor for use from aircraft carriers . Further versions include

11448-595: The Soviets initiated the Perspektivnyi Frontovoy Istrebitel ( Перспективный Фронтовой Истребитель , ПФИ, PFI, "Perspective Frontline Fighter") project to develop a multirole fighter aircraft capable of countering the new generation of U.S. aircraft. The PFI project then branched into two projects, the Tyazholy Perspektivnyi Frontovoy Istrebitel , "Heavy Perspective Frontline Fighter" (TPFI) and

11607-510: The Su-27 and the MiG-29 and normal takeoff weight considerably smaller than the MiG MFI's 28.6 tonnes (63,000 lb) and the Su-47's 26.8 tonnes (59,000 lb). Sukhoi's approach to the PAK FA competition differed fundamentally from Mikoyan's; whereas Mikoyan proposed for the three design bureaus ( Mikoyan , Sukhoi , and Yakovlev ) to cooperate as a consortium with the winning team leading

11766-738: The Su-27 and the Mikoyan MiG-29 eventually with the Sukhoi Su-57 fifth-generation multi-role twin-engine fighter. A squadron of Su-27SM3s was deployed to Syria in November 2015 as part of the Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War . A Russian Su-27 crashed over the Black Sea on 25 March 2020, in mysterious circumstances. The pilot was not found, after a large-scale rescue effort hampered by inclement weather involving four helicopters, 11 civilian and military vessels, and several drones. The plane's last location

11925-532: The Su-27 to NATO standards in 2012, which involved a minor overhaul of the radar, navigation and communication equipment. Aircraft with this modification are designated Su-27P1M and Su-27UB1M. The Ministry of Defence accepted the project on 5 August 2014, and the first two aircraft were officially handed over to the 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade in October 2015. In 2014 during the Annexation of Crimea,

12084-416: The Su-27. Sukhoi's patent for the T-50 stealth features cites an intention to reduce average RCS to approximately 0.1 to 1 m , compared to the Su-27's RCS of approximately 10 to 15 m . The Su-57's design emphasizes frontal stealth, with RCS-reducing features most apparent in the forward hemisphere; the shaping of the aft fuselage is less optimized for radar stealth compared to American stealth designs such as

12243-607: The Su-35S and the Su-30SM . In 2017, Borisov stated that the PAK FA would most likely enter service in 2018 and be part of the new State Armament Programme from 2018 to 2027 (GPV-2027). On 30 June 2018, an order for 12 aircraft was agreed, while deliveries to the Russian Armed Forces was pushed back again to 2019 with the first aircraft planned to join fighter regiments at the Lipetsk Air Center . At

12402-413: The Su-57 due to its size. Such radars are also large, susceptible to clutter and are less precise. The aircraft has been scrutinized for the rough production quality, particularly on test aircraft often used for flight and static displays; production aircraft generally have better quality. The Su-57 is powered by a pair of NPO Lyulka-Saturn izdeliye 117 , or AL-41F1, augmented turbofans. The engine

12561-505: The Su-57 employs a variety of methods to reduce its radar signature. Similar to other stealth fighters such as the F-22, the aircraft aligns the planform edges to reduce its radar cross-section (RCS); the leading and trailing edges of the wings and control surfaces and the serrated edges of skin panels are carefully angled to reduce the number of directions the radar waves can be reflected. Weapons are carried internally in weapons bays within

12720-494: The Su-57 for prospective export customers and marketed the aircraft during the 2019 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition . The export variant, designated Su-57E, was officially unveiled at the MAKS-2019 air show on 28 August 2019. The T-50's maiden flight was repeatedly postponed from early 2007 after encountering unspecified technical problems. In August 2009, Alexander Zelin acknowledged that problems with

12879-615: The Su-57. FGFA was the earlier designation for the Indian version of the PAK FA, while the combined project is now called the Perspective Multi-Role Fighter (PMF). The completed joint Indian/Russian versions of the single-seat or two-seat PMF will differ from the current T-50 flying prototypes through the addition of stealth, supercruise, sensors, networking, and combat avionics for a total of 43 improvements. Two separate prototypes will be developed, one by Russia and

13038-665: The T-60S and the original Tu-22 Blinder , it featured twin engines above the fuselage, connected to the vertical stabilizer. A relatively large aircraft, 30–31m long, with a 19m wingspan (including a highly swept double delta wing plus canards). Maximum takeoff weight would have been around 70 tons. Projected top speed of 2.500 km/h, a supercruising speed of 2.100 km/h at 17.000m, range of 7.000 km supersonic – 11.000 km subsonic. Possible missiles would have been KS-172 . Sukhoi PAK FA The Sukhoi Su-57 ( Russian : Сухой Су-57 ; NATO reporting name : Felon )

13197-578: The Ukrainian Air Force began to have difficulty obtaining spare parts from Sukhoi. Only 19 Su-27s were serviceable at the time of the Russian annexation of Crimea and subsequent War in Donbas in 2014. Following the Russian invasion , Ukraine increased its military budget , allowing stored Su-27s to be returned to service. The Zaporizhzhya Aircraft Repair Plant "MiGremont"  [ uk ] in Zaporizhzhia began modernizing

13356-720: The X- and L-band signals by the N036YeVS and GRPZ Solo-21 computers enable the system's information to be significantly enhanced. The L402 Himalayas ECM suite made by the Kaluga Research Radio Engineering Institute uses both its own arrays and the N036 radar system, with one of its arrays mounted in the dorsal sting between the two engines. Redundant radio telephone communication and encrypted data exchange among various aircraft and also command centers (ground and sea-based and airborne) are provided by

13515-562: The Yak-133 and the MiG-AC, respectively. The Yak-133 was a modification of the Yak-130 , and the MiG-AC was a modification of the MiG-AT . The project was canceled in the early 1990s due to newer models of Su-25 proving to be sufficient in achieving this goal. The B-90 (Bombardirovshik, "Bomber") project was intended to develop a next generation bomber aircraft to replace Tu-22Ms , although

13674-564: The ability to use austere runways), excellent agility, Mach 2+ speed, and heavy armament. The aerodynamic design for the new aircraft was largely carried out by TsAGI in collaboration with the Sukhoi design bureau. When the specification proved too challenging and costly for a single aircraft in the number needed, the PFI specification was split into two: the LPFI ( Lyogkyi PFI , Lightweight PFI) and

13833-418: The aerodynamic center forward, increasing static instability and maneuverability. These extensions have adjustable leading–edge vortex controllers (LEVCONs) designed to control the generated vortices and can provide trim and improve high angle of attack behaviour, including a quick stall recovery if the thrust vectoring system fails. To air-brake , the ailerons deflect up while the flaperons deflect down and

13992-472: The aircraft began in July 2019, with the first production aircraft scheduled to be delivered by the end of the year; following the crash of the first production aircraft, the Russian Aerospace Forces took delivery of the second Su-57 as its first aircraft in December 2020. By May 2022, four more aircraft were delivered, and production has progressed slower than planned with total of six aircraft delivered by end of

14151-479: The aircraft featured strengthened airframe and landing gear – the result of the PLAAF demands air-ground capability. As a result, the aircraft is capable of employing most of the conventional air-to-ground ordnance produced by Russia. Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) increased to 33,000 kg (73,000 lb). As is common for Russian export fighters, the active jamming device was downgraded; Su-27's L005 ECM pod

14310-570: The aircraft has demonstrated its maneuverability with a Cobra maneuver – or dynamic deceleration – briefly sustained level flight at a 120° angle of attack. The naval version of the 'Flanker', the Su-27K (or Su-33), incorporates canards for additional lift , reducing takeoff distances. These canards have also been incorporated in some Su-30s, the Su-35, and the Su-37. The Su-27 is equipped with

14469-504: The aircraft would likely make its first flight by January or February, adding that it would take five to ten years for commercial production. Flight testing was further delayed when Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov announced in December 2009 that the first trials would begin in 2010. The first taxi test was successfully completed on 24 December 2009, and the maiden flight of the first prototype aircraft, T-50-1, occurred on 29 January 2010. Piloted by Sukhoi test pilot Sergey Bogdan ,

14628-491: The aircraft's 47-minute maiden flight took place at KnAAPO 's Dzemgi Airport in the Russian Far East . Construction of the prototypes would progress slower than initially planned; by the end of October 2013, the test programme had amassed more than 450 flights across five aircraft. A total of ten flying and three non-flying T-50 prototypes would be built for preliminary flight tests and state trials. Initially,

14787-412: The airframe and antennas are recessed from the surface of the skin to preserve the aircraft's stealthy shape, while radar absorbent material (RAM) coatings absorb radar emissions and reduce the reflection back to the source. The infrared search-and-track sensor housing is turned backwards when not in use and its rear is also treated with RAM. To mask the significant RCS contribution of the engine face,

14946-595: The airspace violation incoming from Sudan. The Su-27 entered Angolan service in mid-2000 during the Angolan Civil War . It is reported that one Su-27 in the process of landing, was shot down by 9K34 Strela-3 MANPADs fired by UNITA forces on 19 November 2000. Four Indonesian Flanker-type fighters including Su-27s participated for the first time in the biennial Exercise Pitch Black exercise in Australia on 27 July 2012. Arriving at Darwin , Australia ,

15105-581: The airspace. The Su-27 has replaced the aging Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 , which was the main air superiority fighter of the ETAF between 1977 and 1999. Ethiopian government used its Su-27s for bombing targets during the Tigray War . Ethiopian Su-27s were depicted armed with OFAB-250 unguided bombs and over the skies of Mekelle . On 25 August 2022, Ethiopian authorities claimed an An-26 was intercepted and then shot down by an ETAF Su-27, scrambled to investigate

15264-433: The canting allows roll and yaw moments by vectoring each nozzle differentially, thus enabling the aircraft to produce thrust vectoring moments about all three aircraft axes, pitch, yaw and roll . The engine inlet incorporates variable intake ramps for supersonic efficiency and retractable mesh screens to prevent engine damage from foreign object debris ingestion especially when operating in short, austere runways. In 2014,

15423-410: The carriage of multiple large air-to-surface ordnance. Weapons are housed in two tandem main weapons bays in the large ventral volume between the widely spaced engine nacelles and smaller side bays with bulged triangular-section fairings near the wing root. Internal weapons carriage eliminates drag from external stores and enables higher performance compared to external carriage, as well as preserving

15582-561: The cheeks of the forward fuselage for increased angular coverage. The nose antenna is tilted backwards for stealth. Moreover, the side-looking radar could enable the Su-57 to employ beaming tactics while still able to guide its own missile. The suite also has two N036L-1-01 L band transceivers on the wing's leading edge flaps that are not only used to handle the N036Sh Pokosnik (Reaper) friend-or-foe identification (IFF) system but also for electronic warfare purposes. Processing of

15741-439: The collapse of the Soviet Union. Lack of funds in addition to the Su-27's high maintenance requirements led to a shortage of spare parts and inadequate servicing with approximately 34 in service as of 2019. Years of underfunding meant that the air force has not received a new Su-27 since 1991. Between 2007 and 2017, as many as 65 combat jets were sold abroad, including nine Su-27s. In 2009, amid declining relations with Russia ,

15900-637: The conceptual naval side-by-side seated trainer was used as the basis for development of the Su-27IB (Russian for Istrebityel Bombardirovshchik - "fighter bomber") as an Su-24 replacement in 1983. The first production airframe was flown in early 1994 and renamed the Su-34 (NATO reporting name 'Fullback'). Development of a version for the Soviet Navy designated Su-27K (from Korabyelny - "shipborne", NATO designation 'Flanker-D') commenced not long after

16059-427: The demand, on the condition that the production line of the Su-27 be imported. The contract was signed the same year. Delivery of the final aircraft from the second batch, which consisted of 16 Su-27SKs and 8 Su-27UBKs, occurred in July 1996. In preparation for the expanding Su-27 fleet, the PLAAF sought to augment its trainer fleet. On 3 December 1999, a third contract was signed, this time for 28 Su-27UBKs. All 76 of

16218-459: The design effort, Sukhoi's proposal had itself as the lead designer from the beginning and included a joint work agreement that covered the entire development and production cycle, from propulsion and avionics suppliers to research facilities. Additionally, the two companies had differing design philosophies for the aircraft. Mikoyan's E-721 was smaller and more affordable, with normal takeoff weight of 16–17 tonnes (35,000–37,000 lb) and powered by

16377-757: The development of the Su-32 and the Tu-22M5 models as well as the Russian PAK DA . Myasishchev responded with a derivative of the Myasishchev M-67 high altitude reconnaissance aircraft, the M-6LK-M. The program was later canceled due to lack of funds. «MDP» (Multifunctional Distant Interceptor), was to be a very long-range replacement for the MiG-31. Izdeliye 701 (or Project 7.01) concept was similar to

16536-505: The development of the main land-based type. Some of the T-10 demonstrators were modified to test features of navalized variants for carrier operations. These modified demonstrators led to specific prototypes for the Soviet Navy, designated " T-10K ". The T-10Ks had canards , an arresting hook and carrier landing avionics as well as a retractable inflight refueling probe. They did not have the landing gear required for carrier landings or folding wings. The first T-10K flew in August 1987 flown by

16695-574: The engine and in technical research remained unsolved. On 28 February 2009, Sukhoi general director Mikhail Pogosyan announced that the airframe was almost finished and that the first prototype should be ready by August 2009. On 20 August 2009, Pogosyan said that the first flight would be by year's end. Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy head of the Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies said that "even with delays",

16854-886: The export version for India, the Su-30MKI ('Flanker-H') was delivered in 2002 and has at least five other configurations. The Su-33 is the Russian Navy version of the Soviet Su-27K which was redesignated by the Sukhoi Design Bureau after 1991. Both have the NATO designation 'Flanker-D'. The Su-34 is the Russian derivative of the Soviet-era Su-27IB , which evolved from the Soviet Navy Su-27KUB operational conversion trainer. It

17013-650: The famous Soviet test pilot Viktor Pugachev (who first demonstrated the Cobra maneuver using an Su-27 in 1989), performing test takeoffs from a land-based ski-jump carrier deck on the Black Sea coast at Saky in the Ukrainian SSR . The aircraft was lost in an accident in 1988. At the time the naval Flanker was being developed the Soviets were building their first generation of aircraft carriers and had no experience with steam catapults and did not want to delay

17172-566: The first contract for delivery of two serial Su-57 fighters scheduled for 2019 and 2020 respectively. In January 2019, the Ministry of Defence announced they hoped to conclude a second contract for 13 more aircraft in 2020. However, on 15 May 2019, the acquisition plan drastically changed when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that 76 aircraft would be purchased and delivered to the Aerospace Forces by 2028. This came after

17331-493: The flight control system and engines. To reduce developmental risk and spread out associated costs, as well as to bridge the gap with extant fourth generation fighters, Sukhoi implemented some of the T-50's technology and features, such as propulsion and certain avionics, in an advanced derivative of the Su-27 called the T-10BM (Russian: БМ , short for: большая модернизация , lit.   'Major Modernization'), which

17490-462: The frontlines, which resulted in the Mikoyan MiG-29 "Fulcrum" series of aircraft. After successfully developing fighters for these two projects, the Soviets initiated a project to develop a next-generation aircraft in response to potentially new American aircraft. These projects included fighters, attack aircraft, and bombers. The I-90 (Istrebitel, Fighter) project consisted of the MFI (heavyweight fighter) and LFI (lightweight fighter). Eventually,

17649-594: The fuselage near the wing root. The main bays have two types of ejection launchers made by Vympel , the UVKU-50L for missiles weighing up to 300 kg (660 lb), and the UVKU-50U for ordnance weighing up to 700 kg (1,500 lb); the side bays use the VPU-50 launch rails. For air-to-air combat, the Su-57 carries four beyond-visual-range missiles in its two main weapons bays and two short-range missiles in

17808-657: The introduction of the carriers. Thus it was decided to use a takeoff method that did not require catapults by building up full thrust against a blast deflector until the aircraft sheared restraints holding it down to the deck. The fighter would then accelerate up the deck onto a ski jump and become airborne. The production Su-27K featured the required strengthened landing gear with a two-wheel nose gear assembly, folding stabilators and wings, outer ailerons that extended further with inner double slotted flaps and enlarged leading-edge slats for low-speed carrier approaches, modified leading edge root extension (LERX) with canards,

17967-483: The last batch of 28 Su-27UBKs. At the 2009 Farnborough Airshow , Alexander Fomin- Deputy Director of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Co-operation confirmed the existence of an all-encompassing contract and ongoing licensed production of Su-27 variants by China. The aircraft was being produced as the Shenyang J-11. Ethiopian Su-27s shot down two Eritrean MiG-29s and damaged another one during

18126-584: The naval trainer, called the Su-27KUB (from Korabyelny Uchebno-Boyevoy - "shipborne trainer-combat"), began in 1989. The aim was to produce an airframe with dual roles for the Navy and Air Force suitable for a range of other missions such as reconnaissance, aerial refuelling, maritime strike, and jamming. This concept then evolved into the Su-27IB ( Su-34 "Fullback" ) for the Soviet Air Force. The naval trainer had

18285-531: The negotiations were able to lower the price of the Su-57 and equipment by 20%. The contract for the 76 aircraft was formally signed on 27 June 2019 at the International Military-Technical Forum «ARMY-2019». The same month, General Director of Tactical Missiles Corporation (KRTV) Boris Obnosov reported, a contract for serial production of ammunition for Su-57 fighters was signed, and is being inducted. Serial production of

18444-573: The new American fighter would represent a serious technological advantage over existing Soviet fighters. "What was needed was a better-balanced fighter with both good agility and sophisticated systems." In response, the Soviet General Staff issued a requirement for a Perspektivnyy Frontovoy Istrebitel ( PFI , literally "Prospective Frontline Fighter", roughly "Advanced Frontline Fighter"). Specifications were extremely ambitious, calling for long-range, good short-field performance (including

18603-414: The new NPO Saturn izdeliye 30, or AL-51F-1 engines. The formal contract was signed in 2018, although preliminary work had begun earlier. In 2020, flight test of the improved variant was planned to begin in 2022, with serial production in the mid-2020s. The second flying T-50 prototype was used to test the new izdeliye 30 engine starting in 2017; the third prototype was configured for teaming tests with

18762-827: The new multi-role fighter, with KnAAZ performing final assembly at Komsomol'sk-on-Amur . Following a competition held in 2003, the Tekhnokompleks Scientific and Production Center, Ramenskoye Instrument Building Design Bureau, the Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design (NIIP), the Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant (UOMZ) in Yekaterinburg , the Polet firm in Nizhny Novgorod and

18921-482: The operation revealed they were armed with R-27 and R-73 air-to-air missiles . There were two fatal crashes involving Ukrainian Su-27s in 2018. On 16 October, a Ukrainian Su-27UB1M flown by Colonel Ivan Petrenko crashed during the Ukraine- USAF exercise "Clear Sky 2018" based at Starokostiantyniv Air Base . The second seat was occupied by Lieutenant Colonel Seth Nehring, a pilot of the 144th Fighter Wing of

19080-481: The pilot's situational awareness and reduce workload. Integration of the Su-57's onboard systems is controlled by an IUS (Russian: ИУС , short for: Информационно-управляющая система , lit.   'Information Management System'), with its computer system developed by GRPZ from Ryazan . The main avionics systems are the Sh-121 (Russian: Ш-121 ) multifunctional integrated radio electronic system (MIRES) and

19239-557: The production facilities at Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant and Irkutsk developed export variants of the Su-27: the Su-27SK single seat fighter and Su-27UBK twin-seat trainer, (the K in both variants is Russian for " K ommercheskiy" - literally "Commercial") which have been exported to China , Vietnam , Ethiopia and Indonesia . After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Russia ,

19398-523: The program experienced a protracted development due to various structural and technical issues that emerged during trials, including the destruction of the first production aircraft in a crash before its delivery. After repeated delays, the first Su-57 entered service with the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) in December 2020. In 1979, the Soviet Union outlined a need for next-generation fighter aircraft intended to enter service in

19557-771: The program was officially initiated in 1999. Yakovlev's entry resembled the JSF entry from BAE, as the JSF program purchased information from the Yakovlev design bureau. Initially, Sukhoi's entry was the S-52, a lightweight version of the S-32, retaining the Forward-swept wing and canards, but with only one thrust vectoring engine and boxed air intakes to the side. Sukhoi later proposed the S-55,

19716-472: The program was planned to have up to six prototypes before the start of serial production; however testing would reveal that the initial prototypes did not have adequate fatigue life, with early structural cracks forming in the airframe. The aircraft subsequently underwent a structural redesign, with changes including increased composite material usage, reinforced airframe to meet full life cycle requirements, elongated tail "sting", and slightly greater wingspan;

19875-468: The program. The Su-37 improvements did however make it into new Flanker variants such as the Su-35S and the Su-30MKI . The Su-27's basic design is aerodynamically similar to the MiG-29 , but it is substantially larger. The wings are attached to the center of the fuselage at the leading edge extensions , featuring a semi-delta design, with the tips cropped for missile rails or ECM pods. The fighter

20034-598: The project seems to have been cancelled before much work was accomplished. It is believed that the main competitors were Myasishchev and Sukhoi. Sukhoi submitted the T-60 design, which had a variable-geometry wing on the lower fuselage, two 2D thrust vectoring engines, a flat lifting fuselage, stealth capability, the ability to store ALCMs within its bay and Mach 2+ speed. There were at least three different designs named T-60 and T-60S. They resulted in final T-54 design, submitted around 1993. The B-90 project seems to have halted with

20193-514: The project to increase funding for its development and also secure large export orders. On 18 October 2007, Russia and India signed a contract for Sukhoi and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly develop a derivative of the PAK FA called the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) . In September 2010, India and Russia agreed on a preliminary design contract where each country was to invest $ 6 billion;

20352-412: The radar return of the cockpit by 30% and protect the pilot from the impact of ultraviolet and thermal radiation. The production tolerances are significantly tighter than previous Russian fighters in order to improve stealth characteristics. The combined effect of airframe shape and RAM of the production aircraft is estimated to have reduced the aircraft's RCS to a value thirty times smaller than that of

20511-499: The same time, Borisov praised the Su-35S, stating that it was comparable to the Su-57 except for the stealth features while being more affordable. Due to the substantially higher cost of the Su-57 compared to the Su-35S and Su-30SM, the design was placed on hold for mass production until the need arises. On 22 August 2018, during the International Military-Technical Forum «ARMY-2018», the Defence Ministry and Sukhoi signed

20670-564: The second prototype, the T-10-2 on 7 July 1978, due to shortcomings in the fly-by-wire control system. Extensive redesigns followed (T-10-3 through T-10-15) and a revised version of the T-10-7, now designated the T-10S , made its first flight on 20 April 1981. It also crashed due to control problems and was replaced by T-10-12 which became T-10S-2 . This one also crashed on 23 December 1981 during

20829-436: The side bays. The primary medium-range missile is the active radar-homing K/R-77M ( izdeliye 180), an upgraded R-77 variant with AESA seeker, dual-pulse motor, and conventional rear fins. The short-range missile is the infrared-homing ("heat seeking") R-74M2 ( izdeliye 760), an upgraded R-74 variant with reduced cross-section for internal carriage. A clean-sheet design short-range missile designated K-MD ( izdeliye 300)

20988-567: The side of the fuselage, although the wing was placed lower and the fuselage design was slightly altered. However, Mikoyan's proposed design was the MiG 1.42, an aircraft with two 2D thrust vectoring engines, canards , wedged air intakes on the bottom (much like the Eurofighter Typhoon ) and 16 flight control surfaces. A design was later upgraded to the MiG 1.44 , which has a modified radome, 3D thrust-vectoring engines, modified wings and

21147-415: The side-by-side two-seat Su-34 strike/fighter-bomber variant, and the Su-35 improved air superiority and multi-role fighter. A thrust-vectoring version was created, called the Su-37 . The Shenyang J-11 is a Chinese license-built version of the Su-27. In 1969, the Soviet Union learned of the U.S. Air Force 's "F-X" program, which resulted in the F-15 Eagle . The Soviet leadership soon realized that

21306-423: The sixth flyable prototype was the first of the redesigned "second stage" aircraft, with the five initial prototypes consequently considered "first stage" vehicles and requiring additional structural reinforcements in order to continue flight tests. The last two flying prototypes were test articles of production Su-57 aircraft with full mission systems on board. While the "second stage" structural redesign reduced

21465-541: The starboard side in front of the cockpit and can track multiple targets simultaneously. When not in use, the receiver is turned backwards and its rear is treated with RAM to preserve stealth. Additionally, the Su-57 is the first fighter to mount a DIRCM system, with one turret mounted behind the canopy and another mounted under the cockpit. The aircraft is capable of deploying countermeasures such as flares and radar decoys, as well as single-use programmable ECM transmitters. The dispensers for these countermeasures are mounted in

21624-600: The stealth shaping. The high degree of static instability (or relaxed stability ) in both pitch and yaw, advanced KSU-50 flight control system , and canted thrust vectoring nozzles make the Su-57 departure-resistant and highly maneuverable in all axes and enables the aircraft to perform very high angles of attack maneuvers such as the Pugachev's Cobra and the bell maneuver , along with doing flat rotations with little altitude loss. The aerodynamics and engines enable it to achieve speeds of Mach 2 and fly supersonic without afterburners, or supercruise , at Mach 1.3, giving

21783-451: The successor state, started development of advanced variants of the Su-27 including the Su-30 , Su-33 , Su-34, Su-35 , and Su-37 . Since 1998 the export Su-27SK has been produced as the Shenyang J-11 in China under licence. The first licensed-production plane, assembled in Shenyang from Russian supplied kits, was flight tested on 16 December 1998. These licence-built versions, which numbered 100, were designated J-11A. The next model,

21942-543: The tail boom between the engines. Sukhoi Su-27 The Sukhoi Su-27 ( Russian : Сухой Су-27 ; NATO reporting name : Flanker ) is a Soviet -origin twin-engine supersonic supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi . It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation jet fighters such as the Grumman F-14 Tomcat and McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle , with 3,530-kilometre (1,910 nmi) range, heavy aircraft ordnance , sophisticated avionics and high maneuverability. The Su-27

22101-425: The time that a replacement for the Su-24 would need to be capable of surviving engagements with the new American F-15 and F-16. The Sukhoi bureau concentrated on adaptations of the standard Su-27UB tandem-seat trainer. However, the Soviet Air Force favoured the crew station (side-by-side seating) approach used in the Su-24 as it worked better for the high workload and potentially long endurance strike roles. Therefore,

22260-419: The two Su-27s and two Sukhoi Su-30s were escorted by two Australian F/A-18 Hornets of No. 77 Squadron , Royal Australian Air Force . Exercise Pitch Black 12 was conducted from 27 July through 17 August 2012, and involved 2,200 personnel and up to 94 aircraft from Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand and the United States. The Ukrainian Air Force inherited about 66-70 Su-27 aircraft after

22419-452: The vertical stabilisers toe inward to increase drag. Although the majority of the structural materials are alloys with 40.5–44.5% aluminum alloys and 18.6% titanium alloys , the aircraft makes extensive use of composites , with the material comprising 22–26% of the structural weight and approximately 70% of the outer surface. Designed from the outset as a multirole aircraft, the Su-57 has substantial internal payload capacity that allows

22578-495: The walls of the inlet ducts are coated with RAM and the partial serpentine ducts obscure most of the engines' compressor face and inlet guide-vanes (IGV); the remaining exposed engine face is masked by a slanted blocker grid placed in front of the IGV at a distance of 0.7–1.2 times the diameter of the duct, similar in principle to the method on the Boeing F/A-18E/F . The aircraft canopy is coated with 70–90 nm thick metal oxide layers with enhanced radar wave absorbing to reduce

22737-451: The weight growth from the required strengthening of the "first stage" design, the normal takeoff weight still increased to approximately 25 tonnes (55,000 lb). Issues and accidents during the testing resulted in repeated delays to the programme, with the delivery of the first production aircraft pushed back from 2015 to 2020. The procurement plans for the PAK FA have been considerably scaled back and delayed from original plans. In 2011,

22896-461: The wing and a much stronger airframe. The aircraft is equipped with new onboard radio-electronic systems and a wider range of applicable air weapons. The aircraft’s cockpit has multifunctional displays. The Su-30 is a two-seat multi-role version developed from the Su-27UBK and was designed for export and evolved into two main variants. The export variant for China, the SU-30MKK ('Flanker-G') which first flew in 1999. The other variant developed as

23055-649: The wingtip launch rails were also removed. The composite radome was replaced by a lighter metal version. The aircraft was stripped of paint, polished and all drag-producing gaps and joints were sealed. The engines were modified to deliver an increase in thrust of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb), resulting in a thrust-to-weight ratio of almost 2:1 (for comparison with standard example see Specifications ). The production Su-27 (sometimes Su-27S , NATO designation 'Flanker-B') began to enter VVS operational service in 1985, although manufacturing difficulties kept it from appearing in strength until 1990. The Su-27 served with both

23214-399: The year. However, with the opening of new production line in 2022, production of Su-57 increased and in total 12 new aircraft were delivered to Russian Air Force by end of 2023. According to Yuri Slyusar, another 20 aircraft are expected to be built in 2024 what would make the Su-57 the most produced jet fighter in Russia. In 2004, Sukhoi anticipated that the Su-57 could become the basis for

23373-502: Was a proposed Russian stealth , single-engine fighter aircraft, loosely based on the canceled Mikoyan Project 1.44 . Images revealed a fighter design with substantially larger internal weapons bays. It was designed to replace the Mikoyan MiG-29 . The Sh-90 (Shturmovik, Attack Aircraft) project intended to develop an attack aircraft to replace the Su-25 . The main entries consisted of modified trainer designs from MiG and Yakovlev, and an unusual two-cockpit design from Sukhoi. The project

23532-452: Was an unusual aircraft with two cockpits, a v-tail and a large fuselage. The left fuselage was to contain the piloting equipment and radar sensors, whereas the right fuselage was to accommodate the weapons systems and a fire-control system . The aircraft was to be powered by one or two non-afterburning engines, and payload was to be stored within two large internal bays. Yakovlev and Mikoyan's design were based on their modified trainer models,

23691-405: Was designed for air superiority missions, and subsequent variants are able to perform almost all aerial warfare operations. It was designed with the Mikoyan MiG-29 as its complement. The Su-27 entered service with the Soviet Air Forces in 1985. The primary role was long range air defence against American SAC Rockwell B-1B Lancer and Boeing B-52G and H Stratofortress bombers, protecting

23850-419: Was eventually procured by the Russian Ministry of Defence in 2009 and entered service as the Su-35S in 2014. In December 2004, the T-50's conceptual design and shape was complete and approved by the Ministry of Defence; government funding of the programme began in 2005 and drastically increased in 2006 when detailed design was underway. On 8 August 2007, Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Alexander Zelin

24009-401: Was later cancelled due to the emergence of modernized Su-25 variants, such as the Su-25T, Su-25TM (Su-39) and Su-25KM. Instead, the creation of the Su-34 may replace the Su-25 for future strike missions and fulfill similar combat roles. The LUS (Lyogkiy Udarnyi Samolyot, "Light Strike Aircraft") project's goal was to develop an attack aircraft to succeed the Sukhoi Su-25 . Sukhoi's design

24168-412: Was once again modified to have 2D thrust-vectoring nozzles. Instability in the design resulted in a further upgraded fighter named the S-37, later redesignated the Sukhoi Su-47 . A 1.44 prototype was eventually built and flown in early 2000, although the project was cancelled in 1997 in favor of the PAK FA. The LFI (Lyogkiy Frontovoy Istrebitel, Light Frontline Fighter) project was intended to develop

24327-526: Was previously referred to as the Su-32MF . The newest and most advanced version of the Su-27 is the Su-35S (" S erial"). The Su-35 was previously referred to as the Su-27M , Su-27SM2 , and Su-35BM . The Su-37 is an advanced technology demonstrator derived from Su-35 prototypes, featuring thrust vectoring nozzles made of titanium rather than steel and an updated airframe containing a high proportion of carbon-fibre and Al-Li alloy . Only two examples were built and in 2002 one crashed, effectively ending

24486-416: Was quoted by Russian news agencies that the programme's development stage was complete and construction of the first aircraft for flight testing would begin, with three flyable T-50 prototypes planned to be built by 2009. In 2009, the aircraft's design was officially approved. The T-50 was named Su-57 in July 2017. Since the early stages of the PAK FA programme, Russia sought after foreign partnerships on

24645-421: Was replaced with the L203/L204 pod. Furthermore, there were slight avionics differences between the batches. The first batch had N001E radar, while the later aircraft had N001P radar, capable of engaging two targets at the same time. Additionally, ground radar and navigational systems were upgraded. The aircraft are not capable of deploying the R-77 "Adder" missile due to a downgraded fire control system, except for

24804-425: Was reported shot down in friendly fire by an S-75M Dvina on 19 March 1993 while intercepting Georgian Su-25s performing close air support. The pilot was killed. In the 2008 South Ossetia War , Russia used Su-27s to gain airspace control over Tskhinvali , the capital city of South Ossetia. On 7 February 2013, two Su-27s briefly entered Japanese airspace off Rishiri Island near Hokkaido , flying south over

24963-425: Was some 50 kilometers from the city of Feodosia . China was the first foreign operator of Su-27 and the only country to acquire the fighter before the fall of the Soviet Union . The deal, known as the '906 Project' in China, marked a leap in Chinese aviation capability in the 1990s. Discussion of the aircraft purchase began in 1988 when the Soviet Union offered China fourth-generation fighters like MiG-29. However,

25122-559: Was stationed at the Wuhu Air Base in the early 1990s. In the next two decades, 78 Flankers were delivered under three separate contracts by the Russian KnAAPO and IAPO plants. Delivery of the aircraft began in February 1991 and finished by September 2009. The first contract was for 20 Su-27SK and 4 Su-27UBK aircraft. In February 1991, a Su-27 performed a flight demonstration at Beijing 's Nanyuan Airport . Chinese Su-27 pilots described its performance as "outstanding" in all aspects and flight envelopes . The official induction to service with

25281-443: Was strengthened to accommodate 45 tonnes (99,000 pounds) maximum gross weight and internal volume was increased by 30%. This first prototype, the T-10V-1, flew in April 1990 conducting aerial refuelling trials and simulated carrier landing approaches on the Tbilisi. The second prototype, the T-10V-2 was built in 1993 and had enlarged internal fuel tanks, enlarged spine, lengthened tail and tandem dual wheel main undercarriage. In 1991,

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