Site icon Global Defense Corp

Su-57 Has The Highest RCS Amongst Sukhoi Aircraft, Russian Propaganda Still Claimed Its Stealth Aircraft

The Su-57 is nowhere near F-35 for similar reasons as to why F-16 are nowhere near F-35. The gap in Stealth and ultimately Situational Awareness is just overwhelming.

The Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name: Felon) is twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft developed by Sukhoi. It is the product of the PAK FA (”prospective aeronautical complex of front-line air forces”) programme, which was initiated in 1999 as a more modern and affordable alternative to the 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 is intended to be the basis for a family of new combat aircraft.

A Su-57s engine malfunction during factory trials.

However, even though the Su-57 is marketed as a fifth-generation fighter, the Felon is not a true stealth fighter and it can’t be compared to the US-made F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

‘Imagine if Lockheed or Boeing were to market F-16 or F-15 Silent Eagles with Enclosed Weapons pod and weapon bays as a ‘Stealth aircraft’ along the lines of 5th generation aircraft, how do you think they would compare to F-35?.

‘That’s analogous to calling Su-57 a direct competitor to the F-35 and F-22. Sukhoi’s own patent claims Su-57 has a design RCS between 10 m^2 which is higher RCS than Rafale and Gripen.

A Russian pilot put on Soviet-era helmet. Russia cannot produce helmet mounted display like the AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and F-35 Stealth Jets helmet mounted display.

For a known aircraft [Su-27], the EPR value is about 35 m 2.

The technical result, the achievement of which the invention is directed, is to reduce the magnitude of the aircraft radar visibility to an average value of the order of 5~10 sqm.

‘That’s comparable to a clean Super Hornet and it shouldn’t be a surprise when Su-57 follows many of the same RCS-reduction measures such as using radar blockers to hide the engine face instead of an actual serpentine duct.

Sukhoi Design Bureau completed a patch-up job between wings and slates of the Su-57 aircraft. Commercial off-the-shelf green paint and welded together using brazing method. Brazing involves heating up a filler metal above 800 degrees Fahrenheit which connects the two metals together.

‘It’s not just Su-57 being significantly less stealthy than F-35 (-40 dBsm) – it has a 1,000 times bigger RCS. Since the detection range is proportional to the 4th root of RCS, a 1,000 times bigger RCS equates to a ten times greater detection range. And this is after giving Su-57 every benefit of the doubt, the F-35’s RCS is very likely closer to -50 dB.’

‘The F-35 will be enjoying almost 6 times greater detection range against Su-57. The difference is so huge that Su-57 will be hopelessly outclassed. We see this time and again in Red Flags and Northern Edge with F-35 having 28–0 kill ratio against modern 4th gen. aircraft backed by AWACS and SAMs. The enormous difference in detection range from Stealth is the primary factor for such a lopsided kill ratio.

A screen grab from a video of RT news. Screws are visible on the airframe of Su-57 without any surface treatment. Source RT news.

‘It doesn’t matter how capable radar or EW suite you have, they simply can’t compensate the enormous difference in detection range from a VLO airframe. You can have amazing performance at airshows but without Stealth you’re not gonna be in a fight against 5th gen. aircraft.

Su-57 cockpit is identical to Su-35 cockpit with 1970s ping pong switches and buttons. Russian engineers didn’t bother to think about ergonomics of cockpit. A modern European car’s dashboard has been designed with drivers ergonomics in mind, but $100 million Su-57 doesn’t have an ergonomics cockpit.

‘And this is ignoring the infancy of Su-57 program and consistent delay in the production/IOC since last 4 years or the fact Su-57’s avionics suite is not remotely comparable to that of F-35. The F-35 has a bigger and much more capable radar and orders of magnitude more powerful EW suite giving vastly superior Situational Awareness.

‘Where F-35’s DAS make it the only Fighter to fully operate in the IR spectrum, Su-57 can’t even use its forward-hemisphere IRST without further ruining its RCS. The IRST is turned backwards in Su-57 because it’s a sphere, the worst shape in terms of RCS that uniformly reflects in all direction.

‘Despite all the problems with Su-57 program including lack of existence or international interest, the fundamental design is so far behind F-35 in terms of both Stealth and Situational Awareness – two key aspects of a 5th gen. aircraft. The Su-57’s design is closer to that of 4th gen fighter jets than it is to either F-22 or F-35.

‘Yet the Russian propaganda portrayed Su-57 as an equal counterpart to F-22 and F-35 with people talking about its kinematic performance or side-arrays without even understanding their actual purpose, let alone the impact on EMCON. How great are the Directed IRCMs (Laser turrets) while turning a blind eye to the fact Su-57 use a UV based Missile Warning System – making Su-57 significantly vulnerable to BVR missiles. 10 years since first flight and there’s no indication of K-77M or K-74M anywhere close to being operational, forcing Su-57 to fly with R-77 & R-74 externally (as they won’t fit inside).’

‘Imagine the kind of articles you’d see if F-35 didn’t have an operational missile that could fit internally. The Su-57 gets away with all the shortcomings using propaganda and fantasies, the likes of non-existent L band radar.

‘The Su-57 is nowhere near F-35 for similar reasons as to why F-16 are nowhere near F-35. The gap in Stealth and ultimately Situational Awareness is just overwhelming.’

© 2023, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Exit mobile version