Russia allegedly encounters significant challenges with its advanced Su-57 combat aircraft.
Due to Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine, Russian stealth combat aircraft like the Su-57 have gained more attention. However, the Su-57 isn't as frequently discussed as other issues. Recently, there have been reports about problems with their flagship model.
As per Frontelligence Insight's analysis, which was covered by several Ukrainian and US media sources, the manufacturing of advanced Su-57 fighter jets has slowed down. Russian sanctions are thought to be behind this issue. The analysis, based on an examination of Russian documents, indicated shortages of various components, including a German-made device, the MPPU-50, used for fine-tuning communication systems.
The Su-57, developed by Sukhoi, is a fifth-generation stealth combat aircraft, characterized as a countermeasure to the US Air Force's F-35. In turn, the F-35 is seen as an upgrade to the F-16, which Ukraine has been using for a short period. The development of the sixth-generation combat aircraft, which is expected to incorporate AI, is ongoing.
Frontelligence Insight's analysis on the Russian Su-57 suggests that Russia is finding ways to smuggle essential components or purchase Chinese substitute parts to keep production from grinding to a halt. However, this would need more time, effort, and resources, potentially slowing down the production rate.
According to "The Telegraph," the delivery of new Su-57s between 2023 and 2024 has significantly dropped, an unusual occurrence as delivery rates for new combat aircraft types under long-term contracts usually increase with each passing year.
Su-57 in the Ukraine conflict
Russian forces are said to have only a few dozen Su-57s in their arsenal. Ukraine claimed its first kill of such an aircraft at an airbase over the summer.
A Su-57 aircraft made headlines once again a few days ago when a pilot was ordered to shoot down one of their large combat drones, the S-70. According to the Ukrainian portal Defence-Blog, the drone was on a test flight accompanied by the Su-57. It lost contact with ground personnel and entered Ukrainian territory, prompting the shootdown order. Ultimately, Ukraine was able to recover debris from the S-70.
Despite the attack on Ukraine, the manufacturing of Russia's advanced Su-57 fighter jets has faced challenges, with Russian sanctions reportedly causing delays and component shortages, including a German-made device. Consequently, the delivery of new Su-57s between 2023 and 2024 has significantly dropped, raising concerns about Russia's air capabilities in the ongoing conflict.
