Russia’s fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon” has emerged as a significant factor in the Ukraine conflict, following confirmation from Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov that the aircraft has repeatedly operated in one of the world’s most electronically contested battle environments while successfully evading enemy radar and electronic warfare systems.
Speaking ahead of a State Council meeting on workforce development, Chemezov asserted, “The Su-57, used in the special military operation zone, successfully evades enemy radars and electronic warfare systems.” He added that the aircraft “evades all kinds of obstacles very well, I mean radars and electronic warfare systems,” noting that Russian pilots remain consistently satisfied with its survivability and combat performance.
This revelation comes amid sustained Western sanctions, expanding NATO military support for Ukraine, and the densest concentration of air-defence and electronic warfare systems in Europe since the Cold War. In this context, the Su-57’s operational record has prompted a reassessment of Russia’s fifth-generation fighter program and its capability to confront modern Western-supplied systems.
Chemezov’s comments underscore that the Su-57 is no longer limited to cautious standoff operations. Instead, the aircraft is being actively tested, refined, and validated in live combat against sophisticated air-defence networks designed specifically to counter stealth aircraft. Modern air warfare increasingly depends on dominance of the electromagnetic spectrum rather than sheer speed or maneuverability. The Su-57’s continued operations in Ukraine’s layered air-defence environment suggest a strategic shift in Russian airpower doctrine, emphasizing airspace denial, disruption of enemy kill chains, and counter-stealth detection.
Russia’s willingness to deploy its most advanced fighter in such a hostile environment reflects growing confidence in the Su-57’s combined stealth shaping, electronic warfare suite, and sensor fusion, enabling pilots to manage risks against contemporary threats. Operational use in Ukraine has thus become a live-fire laboratory for engineers and tacticians to study fifth-generation performance under the stresses of real warfare. This iterative approach allows Russia to refine the Su-57’s avionics, sensors, engines, and weapons systems based on direct combat feedback rather than theoretical metrics.
Conceived under the PAK FA program in the early 2000s, the Su-57 was designed as a multi-role platform capable of air superiority, deep strike, and suppression of enemy air defences missions. Unlike Western fifth-generation fighters, which emphasize extreme low observability, the Su-57 reflects a distinctly Russian philosophy: a balance of reduced radar cross-section, super-maneuverability, long-range sensors, multi-band radar coverage, and high-energy kinematic performance. Its survivability relies on a layered approach combining stealth, electronic countermeasures, and flight performance rather than absolute invisibility.
The Su-57’s blended airframe, radar-absorbent materials, internal weapons bays, and angled fuselage surfaces aim to reduce detection ranges rather than eliminate detection entirely. Russian sources estimate the aircraft’s radar cross-section between 0.1 and 1 square meter, significantly smaller than legacy fighters but higher than American benchmarks. With a length of 20.1 meters, a wingspan of 14.1 meters, and a maximum takeoff weight approaching 35,000 kilograms, the Su-57 is optimized for long-range operations, boasting an internal fuel range of approximately 3,500 kilometers, enabling deep strike and extended patrol missions.
Twin AL-41F1 turbofan engines with three-dimensional thrust vectoring provide super-maneuverability and sustained supercruise at roughly Mach 1.6, with a maximum speed of Mach 2.0. These features allow pilots to dictate engagement geometry and rapidly disengage from hostile airspace. Central to its combat architecture is the N036 “Byelka” active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which integrates multiple arrays across the nose, wings, and fuselage to track up to 60 targets simultaneously and engage multiple threats at ranges exceeding 400 kilometers under optimal conditions. Embedded L-band AESA arrays enhance counter-stealth capabilities, exploiting frequencies less affected by radar-absorbent materials.
Complementary systems include an advanced infrared search and track suite, passive electronic support measures, and a helmet-mounted display, enabling detection and targeting without radar emissions—a crucial advantage in electronically contested spaces.
Since its initial deployment in Ukraine in 2022, the Su-57’s operational role has evolved from cautious standoff operations to more aggressive missions. Early deployments relied on long-range munitions such as the Kh-59M2 cruise missile and R-37M air-to-air missile, enabling strikes from outside the engagement envelopes of S-300 and Western-supplied Patriot systems. By 2024–2025, mission profiles shifted to closer-range operations using precision-guided glide bombs with UMPK kits, extending unguided munitions’ range to approximately 60–80 kilometers.
The Su-57’s inclusion in suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) missions marks another milestone, exposing the aircraft to hostile sensors and electronic warfare systems. Chemezov’s statements suggest that its integrated survivability—stealth, electronic countermeasures, and situational awareness—has proven resilient against Ukraine’s increasingly sophisticated electromagnetic battlespace, which includes both Soviet-era and modern Western sensors, EW systems, and intelligence support from NATO partners.
As of December 2025, no confirmed Su-57 combat losses have been publicly reported. While the limited number of operational airframes—estimated between 20 and 30—restricts deployment density, their repeated survival allows Russian engineers to refine both tactics and the platform itself under live combat conditions.
A key development occurred on December 22, 2025, with flight testing of the Su-57 equipped with the new “Product 177” fifth-generation turbofan engine. Chemezov described the engine as delivering “a much longer service life, higher speed, longer range, and quite a number of superior characteristics.” The Product 177 offers roughly 18 percent more thrust than the interim AL-41F1, reduces fuel consumption, and lowers infrared signature, enhancing survivability against both radar-guided and infrared threats. Full operational integration is expected by 2026, allowing the Su-57 to operate in its originally intended propulsion configuration.
Combat feedback from Ukraine has also driven upgrades to electronic warfare suites, mission computers, sensor fusion algorithms, and weapons integration. This continuous evolution mirrors the path of Western platforms such as the F-16 and F-15, highlighting that fifth-generation effectiveness increasingly depends on software, adaptability, and real-time data rather than fixed design parameters.
The cumulative cost of Su-57 development exceeds RUB 500 billion (approximately USD 5.5 billion), reflecting a significant investment for an economy under sanctions and wartime pressures. Despite these challenges, Russia has secured domestic orders exceeding 50 airframes, signaling a long-term commitment to the platform as a cornerstone of its tactical aviation force.
Efforts to market the Su-57 internationally have also intensified. The Su-57E export variant features serrated engine nozzles to reduce radar and infrared signatures. Algeria is the first confirmed export customer, with initial deliveries in late 2025. At an estimated unit cost of USD 35–40 million—far below the F-35—the aircraft offers a competitive option for countries unable to access Western fifth-generation fighters.
Sanctions, supply chain issues, and limited production capacity remain challenges for Russia’s aerospace sector. Nevertheless, Rostec emphasizes Ukraine-validated performance as a selling point, reflecting a shift in global arms markets where combat-proven credentials increasingly outweigh theoretical claims.
Chemezov’s confirmation of the Su-57’s ability to evade radar and electronic warfare systems marks a symbolic turning point, signaling a transition from aspirational capability to operational relevance. While NATO continues to expand F-35 fleets in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, the Su-57’s hybrid survivability approach—blending reduced observability, electronic warfare, long-range sensors, and high-energy maneuverability—presents an asymmetric counterweight to Western stealth doctrine.
For regions including South Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, where contested airspace is a growing concern, the Su-57 offers a strategic alternative, potentially influencing regional airpower dynamics. Ultimately, the aircraft’s impact will hinge on production scale, continued upgrades, and integration of next-generation engines and software, all dependent on Russia’s industrial resilience under prolonged geopolitical pressures.
What is clear, however, is that the Su-57 has moved beyond theoretical promise, entering live combat validation where survivability, evasion, and adaptability—not marketing claims—define its role in modern warfare. As the Ukraine conflict continues to shape global military aviation, the Su-57 Felon’s performance remains a critical indicator of the future trajectory of Russian aerospace power.
