Russian Sukhoi Design Bureau announced that the second Su-57 took off on 31 October over Komsomolsk after two years. The first serially produced Su-57 crashed two years ago, after which the Su-57 flights were suspended for more than 11 months. Russian KnAAZ is currently executing a state contract for the supply of 76 aircraft to equip three aviation regiments of the Aerospace Forces.
The first aircraft should be delivered to the VKS by the end of 2021 with existing engine same as the Su-35. The very first flight of the PAK FA, as the Su-57 was still called then, took place almost 11 years ago – on January 29, 2010.
In December of this year, during a single day of acceptance of military products, the military department will receive the second serial Su-57 with a standard engine of the second stage, in 2021 – two more such aircraft, a source told TASS.
Lack of technological advances in Russia, the development of the jet’s second-generation engine has reportedly been a challenge for the Russian defense companies. The current prototypes are powered by older engines, though originally designed to incorporate the second-generation Izdeliye 30 engine.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, in the future, the rate of delivery of the Su-57 to the military department will increase up to 15 aircraft per year by 2028. Currently, Sukhoi can only build one aircraft every two years.
Experts believe that the remaining tests of the Su-57 serial combat aircraft may pass by 2021, while it is possible that in the near future the serial Su-57 can also be sent for testing to Syria, where it will be tested in real combat conditions.
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