The Russian Ministry of Defense and manufacturer Sukhoi recently announced that a two-seater version of the Su-57 fighter jet is to be developed for export. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov confirmed the announcement during a working trip to the Primorsky region and a visit to the “Yuri Gagarin” aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (KNAAZ, formerly KnAAPO), which belongs to the Sukhoi Group.
This is interesting insofar as previous so-called “stealth fighters” such as the F-22, F-35 or the Chinese J-20 were all designed and built as single-seaters, with reference to the high degree of simulation in training or sensor technology and automation in use. Only the recently rolled out Korean KF-21 is supposed to have a two-seater model – but not because of the type retraining. In the case of the Russian PAK-FA and now Su-57, India, which was interested in the initial phase and helped pay for the project, has been pushing for a two-seater for its PMF and FGFA projects for years, as the workload during complex missions is considered too high for one pilot. This was one of the reasons why India ultimately opted out and is now relying on Rafále jets from manufacturer Dassault and its own stealth project AMCA.
Now Russia says: “There is interest in the Su-57E export version of this model and, in my opinion, it will increase from year to year, as our Russian army will then be equipped with this model. Foreign customers always start by looking at how this or that type of weapon performs in the armed forces of the Russian Federation. The Ministry of Defense and Sukhoi Bank are now planning to produce a two-man cockpit, which will create additional demand in the export of this model.” Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheev added that five Southeast Asian countries are currently showing interest in the Su-57, a fifth-generation Russian multi-role fighter. It first flew as the PAK-FA in 2010 and is designed to destroy all types of air, land and surface targets. It has supersonic supercruise speed (without afterburner), internal armament, a radar-absorbing coating, as well as the latest complex of Russian avionics and on-board equipment and weapons. By the end of 2024, the Russian Armed Forces will receive 22 Su-57s, and by 2028 their number will be brought to 76 units.
This year, KNAAZ will deliver 15 fighter aircraft, including under export contracts. These include the first four Su-57 series aircraft, while production of the Su-35 continues. The plant also provides various assemblies for other aircraft factories and is involved in the production of a series of the civilian airliner “Superjet”. To this end, around 500 additional employees will be hired by the end of 2022, who are currently being trained in the secondary facilities and universities of Komsomolska-on-Amur and Khabarovsk, explained Borisov together with the regional governor of the Khabarovsk region, Mikhail Degtyarev. The latter added: “Like the Amur shipyard, these are key companies for us that not only generate money, but also give us a reason to be proud of the entire Khabarovsk region. These companies are doing well, they generate more than 3 billion rubles (about 35 million euros) in taxes, including more than 1.6 billion rubles (about 18.5 million euros) last year, which remained in the Khabarovsk Region budget.” When asked by reporters about the Amur shipyard, it was explained that, like KNAAZ, it has orders until 2027, consisting of six multi-role corvettes and four smaller missile ships. Efforts must now be made to increase the civilian component of the products. Such prospects are related to the state subsidization of leasing payments, which concern the equipment of the fleets of shrimp fishing companies, Borisov said.
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