Su-57 Felon - Two-Seat
A two-seat version of the fifth generation Su-57 fighter can be created in the interests of foreign customers, the Russian Defense Ministry is also analyzing the need to create such an aircraft, Andrei Yelchaninov, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Military-Industrial Commission of the Russian Federation, told Interfax 16 December 2020. "It is possible that a two-seater version of this aircraft will be in demand for export. We are capable of creating it: now this need is being rethought by both our Defense Ministry and potential customers," Yelchaninov said. The Russian Defense Ministry and the Sukhoi Design Bureau are planning to develop a two-seat Su-57 fifth-generation fighter in its export configuration, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said on 16 June 2021. "There is interest in this aircraft and, in my view, it will grow with every passing year as our Russian Army is supplied with this model. Foreign customers at first look at how a particular weapon of the Russian Armed Forces operates. The Defense Ministry and the Sukhoi Design Bureau have plans to develop a two-pilot aircraft that will boost the export demand for this model … and it may create additional demand," the vice premier said during his working trip to the Primorye Region in the Russian Far East.
The Russian state tech corporation Rostec confirmed that it was set to develop a two-seat export version of the Su-57 fighter. "This plane can be in demand in flight personnel’s training to lower the psychological stress of inexperienced pilots, and also to perform lengthy flights over featureless terrain," the Rostec press office said in a statement. "Let us note that no country in the world has two-seat fifth-generation fighters. The Sukhoi may become the first one," Rostec said.
“There is interest in this machine, and, in my opinion, it will grow from year to year, as our Russian army becomes saturated with this model. Foreign customers first look at how this or that type of weapon of the Russian Armed Forces behaves," Borisov told reporters during his working visit to Primorsky Krai.
Honored Pilot of Russia Major General Vladimir Popov called the creation of a two-seat modification of the Su-57 logical. “As I understand it, we are talking primarily about the“ spark ”- a two-seater vehicle that will be used for training pilots and can be used in combat. If any state buys the Su-57, then without a combat training version it will be difficult to methodically competently prepare the flight crew to operate the aircraft, ”Popov said.
Also, as the expert suggests, the two-seat version of the Su-57 will simplify the crew's missions in combat. According to Popov, the versatility of the aircraft implies the need for the intensive use of a wide range of weapons - it is sometimes difficult for one pilot to cope with the control of all systems.
“Russia and a number of other states have such a multifunctional aircraft as the Su-30SM. It is double. It has highly automated systems installed, but the load on the crew during the battle can be very high. And therefore, despite progress in improving electronic on-board systems, the need for a second pilot has not disappeared,” said Popov.
In turn, military observer Dmitry Drozdenko recalled that the Su-57 can be used as a command post for a group of drones. In this regard, the position of the co-pilot in the cockpit can be occupied by the operator, whose main responsibilities will include the control of the UAV. “The Su-57 is a multifunctional vehicle, and in the future it can be used as a command post for controlling external weapons, for example, drones and, naturally, as a training and combat unit. However, I would not rush to final conclusions - the lion's share of information on this aircraft is not disclosed, ”Drozdenko stressed.
Control of promising attack unmanned aerial vehicles "Okhotnik" (S-70) will be carried out from a two-seat command fighter of the fifth generation Su-57, which is already under development. A source in the military-industrial complex told TASS about it 27 July 2021. "To control the newest Okhotnik drones, a double command version of the Su-57 will be created. It is assumed that the fighter, which is already being developed, will carry about four Okhotniks with it," the agency's source said. As previously reported to TASS in the press service of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of the state corporation "Rostec"), the newest unmanned aerial vehicle "Okhotnik" will hit air and ground targets as part of network-centric interaction with the Su-57 fighter. When used together, drones will solve a full range of tasks, working on air and ground targets under the command of a leading manned vehicle.
The Su-57 is designed to destroy all types of air, ground and surface targets. The aircraft has a supersonic cruising speed, internal armament, radio-absorbing coating ("stealth" technology), as well as the latest complex of onboard equipment. To date, a contract has been signed with the RF Ministry of Defense for the supply of 76 such vehicles. The first aircraft entered the army in 2020. The S-70 drone developed at the Sukhoi Design Bureau is made according to the "flying wing" scheme with the use of "stealth" technology, which reduces its radar signature. According to open sources, the takeoff weight of the vehicle is up to 20 tons, the maximum flight speed is about 1,000 km / h. Serial deliveries are planned to begin in 2024. The Hunter took to the air for the first time on August 3, 2019, the flight lasted more than 20 minutes under the control of the operator. A month later, a flight was performed together with a Su-57 fighter.
The United Aircraft Corporation has patented a two-seat stealth tactical aircraft fifth-generation supersonic fighter Su-57, Izvestia sources in the corporation reported November 21, 2023. The possible appearance of a two-seat Su-57 was reported in the press several years ago, but it has only now come to the design documentation. In 2021, Rostec reported that no country in the world has a fifth-generation two-seat fighter today. They have not appeared among competitors even today. The American F-22, F35 and Chinese J-20 are piloted by one pilot.
The universal nature of the new aircraft is declared - it will be able to hit targets in the air, on land and at sea. The two-seat Sukhoi will be produced in three versions: combat training, strike - with an operator responsible for the use of weapons, and - for the first time in the world - as the leader of a group of heavy drones, experts believe .
The United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC UAC) received a patent for a “multifunctional two-seat stealth tactical aircraft.” The “Description of the Invention,” which Izvestia reviewed, states that the new aircraft is designed to detect and engage air, surface and ground targets with guided and unguided weapons. It can also serve as a command post for “network-oriented operations of mixed groups of aircraft.”
The two-seat flight deck is equipped with controls to transfer control priority from one pilot to another. It will receive at least two multifunctional panoramic indicators for controlling the aircraft and weapons.
The document notes that the new aircraft will have a low level of radar signature. Such characteristics will be achieved, among other things, due to the shape of the fuselage and canopy, that is, the transparent part of the cabin. The aircraft will receive additional fuel tanks, which will increase the range and duration of its flight by 10% compared to the single-seat version.
“All our main types of tactical aircraft have two-seat versions,” Dmitry Kornev, editor of the Militaryrussia portal, told Izvestia. The fact that the cockpit is equipped with everything necessary to transfer control from one pilot to another suggests that the new aircraft is also being designed as a combat trainer , explained Dmitry Kornev. At the same time, he noted that attack aircraft will become more functional if they have two crew members, one of whom is a weapons systems operator. “It is very difficult to pilot an aircraft, especially a fifth generation one, and use diverse systems against ground targets. It’s better for the operator to do this,” he explained.
The expert clarified that when using this aircraft as part of a reconnaissance and strike complex, the pilot will have to analyze large volumes of information. “It’s almost impossible for one person to do this,” he noted. “And if there is an operator of reconnaissance and strike systems next to him, he will be able to filter the information.” Make the final choice of target, select a weapon and control its use on the target. This approach is effective, since the pilot will not be overloaded, but will concentrate on controlling the aircraft and air combat if it suddenly starts.
An officer of a fighter aviation regiment with the call sign Dukat confirmed to Izvestia the appearance of a two-seat version of the new combat aircraft. "Flights in twin pairs are a mandatory part of the induction program for a young pilot. No one will let an officer fly on his own until he has completed all the tasks with an instructor pilot on board and passed all the tests. Not a single simulator, even the most modern one, can replace actual combat training work in the air. All single-seat fighters, such as the Su-27 or MiG-29, are available in a twin version."
The officer emphasized that a second pilot in the cockpit is also necessary when using certain types of guided missiles and bombs. “In this case, the pilot will need to control the aircraft itself, and the second crew member will coordinate the actions of the drones,” he concluded. "Our UAV “Okhotnik” was created for use together with an aircraft.""
The vehicle has already received its baptism of fire in Syria. Su-57s also take part in a special operation in Ukraine . Based on the results of the flights, it was noted that they had a high degree of protection against air defense. In joint combat work, the new attack drone S-70 “Okhotnik” was tested together with the Su-57. The Ministry of Defense posted a photo of the first joint flight of a fighter with this UAV. "Okhotnik" is a heavy reconnaissance and strike UAV bomber, made according to the "flying wing" design. It weighs about 20 tons, has a wingspan of 19 m and a length of 14 m.
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