Sukhoi Su-57 Felon

The Sukhoi Su-57 Felon is Russia’s first and only operational fifth-generation stealth fighter. Development began in 2002 under the PAK FA programme, with the first prototype flying on January 29, 2010. After a decade of development dogged by engine delays, budget constraints, and the withdrawal of India as a co-development partner, the aircraft entered Russian Aerospace Forces service in 2020. As of 2026, the fleet remains small — estimates range from 15 to 30 aircraft — making the Su-57 something of a boutique capability rather than a mass-produced asset.

Western analysts and the NATO designation ‘Felon’ acknowledge the Su-57’s fifth-generation credentials while noting important differences from the F-22 and F-35. The Su-57 employs a distributed aperture system, L-band radar in its wing leading edges (effective against stealth targets), and an infrared search and track system — but its radar cross-section is believed to be significantly higher than that of the F-22 due to less rigorous shaping of its engine inlets and airframe edges. The aircraft compensates with exceptional kinematics: supercruise capability, supermanoeuvrability via thrust vectoring, and a service ceiling of 20,000 m.

The Su-57 carries its primary weapons internally in two tandem fuselage bays, accommodating up to six long-range air-to-air missiles or air-to-ground weapons. It is designed to deploy the Kh-59MK2 cruise missile, Kh-35 anti-ship missile, and R-37M ultra-long-range air-to-air missile. In 2022 the aircraft was reported to have been used to launch cruise missile strikes during the conflict in Ukraine, operating well outside the range of Ukrainian air defences.