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| Russian Su-57 fighters operating |
International Military - Since the second week of March, reports of Russian Su-57 fighters operating in support of the war effort in Ukraine have been widely discussed. The sighting of the Su-57 over the city of Zhytomyr, sparked widespread speculation about the mission of the Russian stealth fighter.
It is known that only one under-strength squadron in the Russian Air Force operates the Su-57, namely the test unit at the 929th State Flight Test Center which is within Ukraine's range. Russia relies heavily on aircraft older than the Su-57 such as the Su-34 and Su-35 attack platforms. Where the last air superiority fighter, the Su-35, is considered to have received many air-to-air kills on the battlefield.
However, the Su-57's far superior capabilities and in particular have the benefit of testing the new fighter in war zones as was previously done in Syria. Now the Su-57 fighter has made the war in Ukraine a valuable opportunity to advance the program. Based on what is known about the Su-57's capabilities and the stage the program has reached, here are five major missions according to Military Watch Magazine that the Su-57 fighter will fulfill in Ukrainian airspace.
1. Electronic Attack
The Su-57 is by far considered to have the most capable electronic warfare capabilities of any fighter aircraft in Russian service. It is known that the Su-57 has six electronically scanned array radars throughout the fuselage operating in different bands which are highly optimized to interfere with enemy communications and blind air defenses.
The Electronic Strike is equipped with a laser defense system intended to blind infrared-guided weapons. The Su-57 also integrates the 'Himalayan' electronic warfare system, which is not stored in one area of the fuselage. Rather it is distributed throughout the fuselage including on the wings to further interfere with enemy targeting systems.
The Su-57 fighter can thus be deployed in an electronic attack role to suppress enemy air defenses, limit situational awareness, and provide force multipliers for other units.
2. Sensor Testing and Network Centralized Combat
The Su-57 fighter is rumored to be able to deploy twice or more radar as many other fighters in the world. Six radars in between allow each to track up to sixty targets simultaneously. The deployment of the Su-57 to Ukraine could allow the fighter to test its situational awareness and more quickly upgrade its sensor suite. That's because serial production of this type continues to grow.
With Ukraine deploying a large ground force including Europe's largest tank force, as well as a much smaller fighting force and dozens of drones. Therefore the battlefield can provide one of the best simulations of a complex battlefield environment for perfecting the sensors of the Russian Su-57 fighter.
This could be invaluable for advancing its data link capabilities and next generation level network centric warfare capabilities. Because it is known that Russia has long lagged behind industry leaders China and the United States. The Su-57 is also intended to serve as a command plane for the older Su-35 fighter.
The Su-57 fighter can also be tested by sharing fighter data from a more powerful sensor suite to serve as a force multiplier for the Su-35 unit.
3. Export Demonstration
Like most post-Cold War tactical weapons systems, the Su-57 program was developed largely with exports in mind. With a number of clients having shown strong interest, the deployment of Russian Su-57 fighters to Syria and more recently to Ukraine has long been speculated that they were intended for demonstration exports.
The increase in foreign interest shows Russia's confidence in the design of the fighter. Although it is not possible to get as many air-to-air kills for the Su-57 fighter as the Su-35 unit has. Yet the fact that the Su-57 is a clean airframe design where the Russian Military has only limited operating experience makes its presence in a war zone against an enemy nation an important marker of confidence.
While it has been widely reported that Algeria is now placing an order for a unit with Russia. According to sources, other leading potential clients for current Russian fighter aircraft besides Algeria are India, Vietnam, Myanmar and Kazakhstan. The current deployment of Russian warplanes can compensate for restoring confidence in the eyes of potential clients.
4. Pilot Experience in Combat Conditions
Just like in the United States (US) Air Force when it transitioned to operate the F-35 fifth generation fighter. In this case the transition of Russian pilots and maintenance crews to operate the Su-57 is expected to be a lax process due to the very significant difference in technology level with the previous fighter.
Russian air force pilots and other personnel through the battlefield this time will provide as much experience as possible in combat conditions, as will the deployment of the Su-57 to Ukraine. It can be seen that now Russian Air Force pilots are gaining experience using the Su-57 fighter.
5. Testing of the kh-59MK2 . Missile
As was the case when the prototype was deployed in Syria, the Su-57 may have used the new weapon to neutralize targets in Ukraine. The new weapon is used to target from a safe distance, mainly for testing purposes and to contribute to the current war effort.
The Kh-59MK2 cruise missile was first tested in Syria, designed as the primary air-to-ground weaponry optimized for neutralizing small hardened targets at extreme ranges.
The kh-59MK2 cruise missile provides a standoff strike capability that only very few aircraft in the world can match. The missile's advanced capabilities could make the Su-57 a very valuable asset in Ukraine despite its very small number.
the added benefit of testing the missile in combat conditions means the Su-57 may launch frequent kh-59MK2 missile strikes. Nevertheless, even the killing of a drone would make the Su-57 the first fighter to achieve an out-of-visual-range air-to-air victory using the kh-59MK2 missile.