Close to Christmas, Sukhoi managed to fulfill its promise to deliver the first serial-produced Su-57 fighter to the Russian Aerospace Forces.
The plane has its final painting, consisting of two shades of gray, with grids that divide the two shades. This is different from the paint used during Sukhoi's testing process.
The plane delivered, however, does not have the updated engines, which are capable of taking the Su-57 to supercruise flight, that is, to reach supersonic speed without the aid of the afterburner. The first Su-57 with upgraded engines will be delivered in 2022.
The delivery should have taken place earlier, however, in December 2019 an incident with a Su-57 fighter, which was already produced in series, interrupted the final certification process and even the delivery.
Meanwhile, Sukhoi plans to increase the new fighter's delivery rate to 15 aircraft per year. All orders being for Russian aerospace forces.
According to Sergei Dronov, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Force, plans to complete the delivery of 76 SU-57 stealth fighter jets are scheduled for 2028.
It is a multipurpose fighter designed for air superiority and air-to-air attack roles. The plane is planned to have super cruise capabilities, non-detection by radars, super maneuverability down to Mach 2 and advanced avionics to sur 4th generation fighters.
