Russian Su‑57's unplanned Iranian stop fuels speculation
The Iranian 9th Tactical Aviation Base had an unusual guest: the prototype of the Russian Su-57 aircraft. We explain what it was doing there and what its characteristics are.
The Russian Su-57 participated in the Aeroindia 2025 air shows in India. Due to range limitations, it had to stopover to refuel. With the decrease in Russian activity in Syria, refuelling at the Humaymim airbase was not possible.
Therefore, the only option left for the Russians was the regime in Iran, which is friendly to Russia. The video below shows the departure of the Russian Su-57 from the 9th Tactical Aviation Base in Bandar Abbas.
Su-57 - Russia's counterpart to the F-22 Raptor
The Su-57 is the most advanced aircraft developed in Russia. It is a new-generation aircraft, unlike its predecessors, such as the Su-27. The first prototype took to the skies in 2010, and since then, ten test machines and a similar number of serial aircraft have been developed.
From the beginning, the Su-57 was promoted by Russia as a fifth-generation aircraft that would compete with the American F-22 Raptor and F-35. The key features of this generation are stealth, the ability to fly at supersonic speeds without afterburners, and being equipped with advanced avionics and sensors.
However, many experts, including the RAND think tank and partners from India, questioned whether the Russian machine meets these criteria. The Indians, who participated in this project for 11 years, withdrew in 2018, choosing to purchase French Rafales instead. This decision was due to limited progress in Russia and restricted access to technology.
The Su-57 is impressively large. Its empty weight is about 18,000 kilograms, and its wingspan is just over 14 metres. The maximum takeoff weight reaches 30,000 kilograms. Weapons are carried in internal bays, which accommodate six pylons. Six more pylons can be used on the wings, which significantly increases the aircraft's radar signature.
According to Russian sources, the Su-57 is equipped with an efficient radar with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) and a passive infrared search and track (IRST) system. Although their performance may be inferior to Western solutions, new units may even be equipped with older systems due to Russia's limited access to advanced electronics.
The Su-57 is one of the few Russian machines capable of carrying powerful long-range R-37 air-to-air missiles. They are known from the modified MiG-31BM and can take down targets up to 300 kilometres away, although this applies to larger objects such as transport aircraft or AWACS. Additionally, the Su-57 also carries modern Russian Kh-69 cruise missiles.
