Su‑57 makes debut appearance at airshow China 2024
The Su-57 was spotted at Taiyuan-Wusu International Airport in Shanxi Province, central China, on November 3, 2024. The aircraft appeared there in connection with the upcoming Airshow China 2024, where it will participate for the first time. Described as "the best aircraft in the world," according to Vladimir Putin, the Su-57 will be presented to a wider audience.
According to Chinese state media, this was the first flight of the Russian Su-57 to China. The aircraft will participate in the 15th edition of Airshow China 2024, which will begin on November 12 and last for six days. According to the Chinese weekly Global Times, the Chinese fighter jet J-35 may also debut at the show, as suggested by a photo published on social media on Monday, November 4, by the press centre of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).
Russia's most advanced fighter jet
The Su-57 (Sukhoi Su-57) is a fifth-generation fighter jet intended to replace older models such as the MiG-29 and Su-27. It is equipped with two Saturn AL-41F turbofan engines, which allow it to reach a maximum speed of 2.0 Mach (over 2,448 km/h). The length of the Su-57 is over 20 meters, the height is 5 meters, and the wingspan is about 14 meters. The standard armament of the fighter includes a 30 mm 9A-4071K cannon. The Su-57 can also carry missiles on six internal and six external hardpoints.
Vladimir Putin has promoted the Su-57 as "the best military aircraft in the world," but its stealth technology is frequently questioned. Despite having a supposedly hard-to-detect design, the Su-57 can appear on radars, primarily due to the external mounting of its armaments. Missiles mounted under the wings, like the Kh-59, act like large radar reflectors, as our Tech journalist Łukasz Michalik noted.
Additionally, the aircraft's use in real operations is limited, and its presence in conflicts, such as in Ukraine, raises doubts about its true combat capabilities. Russian efforts to increase production may indicate an attempt to maintain the aircraft's reputation, but detectability issues may affect the effectiveness of combat operations.
