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War in Ukraine: Russia would have deployed the Su-57, its most modern fighter plane

2023-01-10T12:44:11.801Z


The Sukhoi Felon, a fifth-generation fighter commissioned in 2020, would be used by the Russians for air-to-air or air-to-ground missions, according to British intelligence.


In Ukraine, Russia is not only using old Soviet-era tanks and guns, but also throwing its best weapons into battle, as the British reveal.

Since at least June 2022, the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) have with near certainty used the Su-57 Felon to conduct missions against Ukraine

,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement released across the Channel. January 9.

Felon is Russia's most modern fifth-generation supersonic combat aircraft, using stealth technologies and highly advanced avionics

.

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The fighter plane, which made its first flight in 2010 and officially entered service in 2020 with the Russian forces, would not have flown directly over Ukrainian territory.

These missions were probably limited to launching long-range air-to-surface or air-to-air missiles into Ukraine from Russian territory

,” write the British.

In particular, the risk for the Russians of seeing the flagship of their air force shot down by the Ukrainians, which would seriously affect their reputation.

"

The priority for Russia is most likely to avoid reputational damage, reduced export prospects and compromised sensitive technology that would result from the loss of Felon in Ukraine

," the UK ministry said.

"Aversion to risk"

If this is significant for the Su-57, this caution has been observed more generally among Russian airmen since the beginning of the war.

In February 2022, the first strikes did not allow Moscow to destroy the Ukrainian fleet, however old and poorly supplied, and especially the whole of kyiv's air defense, which can still count on original systems Soviet S-300 or Buk, to which are added many Western short-range missiles such as the American Stingers.

Despite an overwhelming air superiority, the Russians have therefore not acquired mastery of the aerial sky and their fighters venture shallowly into Ukraine.

The use of the Su-57 is part of this logic, note the British: "

It is symptomatic of the persistent risk aversion of Russia for the employment of its air force

".

The Russians certainly use massively on the front line their old and robust Su-25 ground attack planes, not without risk since the Oryx site lists 25 Sukhoi of this type destroyed - compared to some 200 in service.

The destruction of a Su-57 would have a completely different political impact, especially since the VKS only have a dozen of these fifth-generation fighters.

An image taken by a commercial satellite of the Akhtubinsk base on December 25.

British Ministry of Defense

Recent footage shows five Felons stationed at Akhtubinsk Air Base, which hosts the 929th Flight Test Center.

As it is the only known Felon base, these planes were probably involved in operations against Ukraine

”, analyzes British intelligence, which publishes an image of a commercial satellite dating from December 25.

"

Akhtubinsk is not the 'only known Felon base' and, even if it were, it would not be proof that the Su-57 was used operationally in the Ukrainian war

", nuance the specialized site

The War Zone

, which nevertheless believes that, "

if the Felon was used in combat, the UK MOD certainly has much more compelling evidence than it has shared so far

.”

Another Russian air base, in Lipetsk, also received copies of the Su-57, specifies the media of defense.

Read alsoWar in Ukraine: how the Russian air force was silenced despite its superiority

The idea that the Su-57 could be engaged in Ukraine is not new.

Quoting an unnamed "

defence industry source

", a dispatch from the

Tass

agency stated as early as May that "

the use of Su-57s in Ukraine began two to three weeks after the start of the special operation

.

And in October, General Sergey Surovikin, commander of the Russian operation in Ukraine, also mentioned the Felon, explaining that the plane, which “

has a wide range of weapons, solves multifaceted tasks on each exit. destruction of air and ground targets

.

The Russian fighter was already briefly deployed in Syria in 2018.

Fifth generation aircraft, the Felon is more stealthy than its predecessors even if stealth is less sought after by the Russians, who favor the maneuverability of their aircraft, than by the Americans, like their F-22 or F-fighters. 35.

Change of situation?

The Su-57 also implements a "

tactical data link

" system that allows it - on paper - to interact and coordinate with other aircraft or military equipment.

"

This could help provide intelligence and support other real-time operations,

" comments

The War Zone

.

However, as we have seen since the beginning of the war, what is called the three “

Cs

” – for “

Command, Control, Communications

” – is an acute weakness of the Russian army.

The fighter aircraft also deploys new missiles, in particular long-range air-to-ground or air-to-air weapons that may prove useful for engagement from Russian territory.

A Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot, quoted by the American media, for example mentioned the R-37M air-to-air missile with a range of 200 kilometers, which he described as “

fucking dangerous

” weapon.

The Kh-69 stealth cruise missile could also be useful to the Russians for precision strikes, as Moscow struggles to renew its missile stocks to continue its bombing campaigns deep into Ukrainian territory.

Read alsoUkraine's strategy to expand its strikes in Russia

Even so, the use of the Su-57 "

is not going to be much of a game-changer

" in the war in Ukraine, notes

The War Zone

, although its "

combat deployment, even on an experimental basis, could give the Russians some very valuable results. "

in terms of evaluating the performance of the aircraft

".

In question: the low number of devices, which can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and the conservatism of their use.

And the situation should hardly change in the short term since Russia has ordered 76 Su-57 to be delivered by 2028.

The main question is elsewhere: beyond the tip of the sword represented by the few Felons, will Russia be able to commit more of its air force?

The VKS have around 200 Su-30 and Su-35 fighters, modern aircraft derived from the old Soviet Su-27s.

And the dozens of Russian bombers, threatened by the Ukrainian DCA, fire their missiles from a distance, without being able to directly cover Ukrainian soil with bombs.

More than the Su-57 itself, the increased commitment of these Russian air assets will be one of the major challenges for the Ukrainians in 2023.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2023-01-10

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