The Su-57D's power is heating up again.

GD&TĐ - The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has announced that the Su-57D will be capable of performing a range of different special missions for the Air Force, according to RIA.

Multifunctional aircraft

The differences between the Su-57D and the original version were pointed out by UAC. Firstly, the Su-57D will be used to retrain pilots transitioning from other aircraft to the single-seat Su-57.

Thanks to its dual control system, the instructor pilot in the co-seat can adjust the trainee's flight and provide necessary guidance. Currently, the two-seat Yak-130 is the primary combat training aircraft of the Aerospace Forces.

Secondly, the two-seat variant could be used as a multirole fighter aircraft with a single weapons operator, capable of engaging air, ground, and sea targets with both guided and unguided weapons.

The second pilot focuses on target allocation, tracking, and precise control of missiles and bombs. Over time, it could replace the previous generation two-seat Su-30SM fighter jet.

Third, the two-seat Su-57 has the potential to be used as a command unit for mixed manned and unmanned aircraft groups.

In this case, the second crew member acts as a tactical coordinator: processing intelligence, jamming, planning flight paths for the drone, and coordinating with other air and ground units.

Therefore, the Su-57D will become a central element in air operations.

Fourth, the Su-57D will be capable of operating as a "formation command driver." Its primary mission is to serve as an airborne command center for a group of S-70 Okhotnik heavy UAVs, leading the formation in a network-based combat strategy.

The second crew member is responsible for sensors, electronic warfare, and UAV control, relieving the pilot of the burden of simultaneously conducting combat and managing the formation.

Co-pilots will perform the actual attack functions. However, the aircraft itself can also engage in combat if necessary.

New weapons

In addition to testing a two-seat variant of the fighter jet, a single-seat Su-57 program is also under development.

These fifth-generation fighter aircraft are gradually being equipped with advanced ground attack weapons, such as the S-71K "Kover" and S-71M "Monochrome" air-launched drones.

The first type, similar to the Geranium UAV, approaches its target using pre-established coordinates.

"Monochrome" is a more advanced version of the drone, capable of hovering, automatically searching for, and attacking targets based on information downloaded from a database.

Simply put, the S-71M is capable of independently deciding which targets to destroy and which to wait on.

The advantages are clear. The aircraft takes off, establishes its combat flight path, and releases the drone, which then activates its engines and heads toward the target. The pilot doesn't need to fly into enemy air defense range.

Therefore, tactical aircraft became almost invulnerable. The Western approach to air combat was to avoid direct engagement with enemy fighter jets if it was possible to shoot them down from a distance.

Additionally, the Su-57 is equipped with the new Kh-58UShKE anti-radar missile with a range of up to 250 km. Its multi-band passive seeker covers frequencies from 0.1 to 11 gigahertz, encompassing all frequencies used by Western-made air defense radars, from the AN/MPQ-53 (the US Patriot system) to the TRML-4D (the German IRIS-T).

This represents a whole new level. The already stealthy Su-57 now has the ability to destroy enemy air defense systems without entering the kill zone. The pilot doesn't even need to know the exact location of the missile launch site.

Promising engine

But the key design element of a promising aircraft is not its weapons and avionics, but its engine.

No matter how sophisticated a fighter jet is internally, if it's poorly controlled, if it's not maneuverable, fast, or powerful enough, it will lose the air battle. The best aircraft needs the best engine. And such an engine already exists.

The Izdeliye 30 engine, also known as AL-51, is being developed to replace the AL-41F1 engine currently fitted to the Su-35S aircraft. The new engine has fewer stages and higher efficiency, resulting in up to 18% fuel and thrust savings compared to its predecessor.

According to the United Engine Corporation, the Izdeliye 30 generates between 17.5 and 19.5 tons of thrust, significantly higher than the AL-41F1 in afterburner mode, ensuring stable flight.

The Izdeliye 30 is touted as a more fuel-efficient solution while maintaining comparable thrust. This increases the aircraft's range and patrol time. Furthermore, the AL-51 has a flat nozzle while maintaining thrust control.

This means the fighter jet retains high maneuverability while remaining stealthy against enemy detection systems. The first mass-produced Su-57s equipped with the second-stage engine are expected to enter service in 2027.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/lai-nong-suc-manh-su-57d-post779190.html