Russia adds the letter M, the 5th generation fighter suddenly becomes extremely scary

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), through the Sukhoi Design Bureau, has revealed key features of the fifth-generation Su-57M. The milestone marks a significant step forward in the Russian Air Force’s pursuit of an advanced multirole platform, designed to perform air superiority, ground attack, and maritime strike missions.

Accordingly, the Su-57M will be equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), advanced stealth structure and long-range radar. The launch of the Su-57M underscores Russia's commitment to promoting the aerospace industry despite ongoing challenges.

The Su-57M is an improved version of the Su-57. The core of the Su-57M's advances is a redesigned airframe for superior aerodynamic performance. The Su-57M will have a wider fuselage, approximately 14.8 meters long, a wingspan of 9.8 meters and a height of 4.6 meters.

This configuration increases lift and stability at supersonic speeds, allowing the aircraft to maintain Mach 1.6 without afterburners. The Su-57M has an empty weight of about 18.5 tons and a maximum take-off weight of 35 tons.

In addition, the systems on the Su-57M aircraft are supported by AI, allowing quick system initialization with just one button press, reducing pre-flight check time from minutes to seconds and enhancing mission readiness.

Additionally, AI assists with navigation, target acquisition, and system diagnostics, reducing pilot workload and allowing focus on tactical decision making.

In terms of avionics, the aircraft will be equipped with the Sh121 multi-function integrated radio-electronic system, with a nose-mounted N036 Byelka active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. This configuration provides 360-degree situational awareness, with a detection range of up to 400 km for airborne targets.

In terms of weapons, the Su-57M is designed with two parallel internal weapon bays, each 4.4 meters long, 0.9 meters wide, and two smaller side bays near the wing roots.

It is known that the main compartment will hold up to 4 K-77M air-to-air missiles per compartment, which can attack targets at a distance of up to 200km. Meanwhile, the auxiliary compartments are equipped with short-range R-74M missiles for close-range combat. For ground attacks, the aircraft can deploy KAB-250, KAB-500 precision-guided bombs or Kh-38 air-to-ground missiles.'

The Su-57M’s debut marks a major milestone for Russia’s aerospace industry. Its AI-driven systems, stealth improvements, and supercruise capabilities make it a formidable opponent in modern air combat, capable of addressing Russia’s strategic needs while attracting the interest of a wide range of international customers.