Su-57E.

Technical Data

• Design

  The Su‑57E’s design centers around a stealth-optimized airframe with a blended wing-body layout that seamlessly integrates fuselage and aerodynamic surfaces. The aircraft measures approximately 19.7 meters in length, with a wingspan of 14.0 meters and a height of 4.8 meters. Its airframe is shaped to reduce radar cross-section through edge alignment, faceting, and the use of radar-absorbing materials applied across its skin. The serpentine air intakes are designed to obscure the engine compressor face from frontal radar exposure, contributing to its low observability.

  Internally, the Su-57E houses four weapons bays—two primary longitudinal bays beneath the fuselage and two smaller side bays near the wing roots. These internal bays allow for a stealth configuration by keeping all primary weapons enclosed during combat operations. The wing area of approximately 78 square meters offers superior lift and agility, supported by leading-edge root extensions and an advanced fly-by-wire control system. The aircraft features twin all-moving vertical stabilizers and horizontal stabilators, which, in combination with 3D thrust vectoring, provide extreme post-stall maneuverability and high-angle-of-attack performance.

  The cockpit is designed for a single pilot and features a modern glass cockpit architecture, including two multifunctional displays, a wide-angle head-up display, and a helmet-mounted sighting system. Export configurations offer English-language instrumentation and interface customization.

  The landing gear is designed to accommodate rough-field operations, enhancing the aircraft’s operational flexibility. It features a tricycle configuration, with the main gears retracting into the wing root structure and the nose gear retracting rearward into the fuselage. A deployable drag chute is integrated into the rear fuselage to assist with deceleration during short or high-speed landings. These mobility-enhancing features enable the Su‑57E to operate from tactical or improvised airfields, enhancing its utility across diverse geographic and operational environments.

  The airframe also includes provisions for aerial refueling, integrated environmental protection systems, and modular avionics bays for simplified maintenance and mission reconfiguration.

• Armament

  The Su‑57E is configured for versatile combat operations with both air-to-air and air-to-ground armament integrated into its internal and external weapons systems. Internally, the aircraft carries the R-77M active radar-guided long-range missile in its central bays, providing beyond-visual-range air superiority capability with engagement ranges exceeding 160 kilometers. In the side bays, short-range infrared-guided R-74M2 missiles are mounted, optimized for high off-boresight targeting when used with the helmet-mounted sight.

  For strike missions, the Su-57E supports precision-guided munitions such as the KAB-500 and KAB-250 family of glide and laser-guided bombs. It also carries standoff-range air-to-ground and anti-ship missiles, including the stealth-optimized Kh-59MK2 and the Kh-35UE respectively. When stealth is not a priority, external pylons located under the wings and fuselage allow the aircraft to carry additional weapons or fuel tanks.

  A 30mm GSh-30-1 autocannon is embedded within the starboard wing root for use in close-range engagements or strafing ground targets. The total hardpoint count is 10—four internal and six external—allowing the aircraft to be configured according to the threat environment and mission profile.

• Engine

  The Su-57E is equipped with two AL-41F1 afterburning turbofan engines, each capable of generating 14,500 kilograms of thrust with afterburner. These engines incorporate three-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles, granting the aircraft unrivaled agility, including controlled flight at extreme angles of attack and the ability to perform post-stall maneuvers. This configuration enables the Su‑57E to excel in both within-visual-range combat and evasive action in high-threat scenarios.

  One of its defining performance traits is supercruise capability—sustained supersonic flight without afterburner—estimated at Mach 1.3. In full afterburner, the aircraft exceeds Mach 2.0. The service ceiling is above 20,000 meters, and its internal fuel tanks enable a ferry range of approximately 3,500 kilometers. Aerial refueling via a semi-retractable probe extends endurance further. The aircraft’s operational combat radius is typically between 1,200 and 1,500 kilometers, depending on mission and loadout.

• Avionics and Onboard Equipment

  The avionics suite of the Su‑57E is among the most sophisticated in its class. Central to the aircraft’s situational awareness is the N036 Byelka radar system—a multi-band AESA radar with a primary X-band nose-mounted array and auxiliary side arrays embedded in the fuselage. This configuration enables long-range detection, multi-target tracking, and engagement in cluttered environments.

  Complementing radar coverage is the 101KS Atoll electro-optical system, which includes an infrared search and track (IRST) sensor, laser rangefinders, and missile approach warning sensors. These provide passive target detection and improve survivability against radar-guided threats. A fully integrated missile approach and electronic warning suite is installed across the aircraft’s skin, enabling 360-degree threat awareness and jamming.

  The aircraft’s sensor data is fused by the Sh-121 integrated avionics system, which presents a comprehensive tactical picture to the pilot through two multifunctional cockpit displays and a wide-angle head-up display. The helmet-mounted sighting system allows off-boresight missile cueing. Export customers can select alternative configurations for IFF, communications, data links, and cockpit interface languages. An onboard oxygen generation system, advanced environmental protection, and modular mission computers further support pilot survivability and system adaptability.