A pair of cutting-edge Russian Su-57 fighter jets have taken part in the Aviadarts-2018 army competition, launching a mock attack on ground targets and destroying them.The modern jets are currently undergoing extensive testing.

The pair of Su-57 jets provided air cover to frontline bombers, which attacked a dummy military industrial installation of the mock adversary. The two planes then performed an extremely low flyover, making a sharp turn and engaging the ground targets.

The Su-57 is expected to replace the iconic, yet aging Sukhoi Su-27 multipurpose fighters in frontline tactical aviation. The prototype of the new plane made its maiden flight back in 2010. An estimated price tag of one plane is about $50 million. The first batch of the new fighter jets has already been produced and is undergoing flight testing. The jet was known as the PAK FA and T-50 during development.

Read more

The plane boasts low-visibility technologies, widespread usage of composite materials, improved radar and avionics. The main armament of the Su-57 is concealed in internal weapon bays in order to reduce the machine’s radar profile, but it can also carry additional munitions on external underwing pylons.

While the majority of the pre-production batch jets were equipped with older engines, one of the latest planes in the batch received the new ones, designed specifically for the fifth generation jets. The new engines, known only under the quite cryptic designation ‘Product 30’ are expected to boost the characteristics of the plane even further.

The planes have been featured in several exhibitions, including the MAKS 2017 airshow last July. A pair of Su-57 planes took part in the Victory Day celebrations this year, flying over Moscow’s iconic Red Square for the very first time.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!