Equipping the Su-57 with hypersonic missiles would be a significant upgrade for the aircraft. However, multiple questions remain, including how many hypersonic missiles the Su-57 could carry.
Russia’s fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name “Felon”) could soon carry hypersonic weapons, according to a high-ranking official with the Russian Aerospace Forces. The Zircon (Tsirkon) has been named as one of the potential weapons employed on the multirole stealth fighter.
“In accordance with the state defense order, the Aerospace Forces annually receive advanced and modernized weapon systems. The pace of deliveries of fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft is increasing, along with modern aviation strike systems and hypersonic weapons,” Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander in Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Lieutenant General Alexander Maksimtsev said in a recent interview, according to Tass.
Should Russia’s Hypersonic Claims Be Believed?
Claims that the single-seat, twin-engine multirole Su-57 would be armed with hypersonic weapons are not entirely new. In early 2022, Russian officials claimed that the Su-57 could carry advanced ordnance, and reports suggest that weapon tests were conducted. The Kremlin had been developing an air-launched variant of the Zircon, a hypersonic cruise missile that has been fired in demonstrations from Russian Navy surface ships and submarines.
“Integrating the Zircon onto the Su-57, which combines a very long range with advanced stealth capabilities, could significantly increase the threat to hostile shipping, particularly as the Su-57 fleet is projected to grow to several hundred fighters by the late 2030s,” the report from Tass explained.
Such a weapon would be seen as a significant upgrade for the Su-57, but questions remain, including how many hypersonic missiles the aircraft could carry.
The fifth-generation aircraft is equipped with two large internal weapons bays arranged in tandem, which run nearly the entire usable length of the aircraft. Each of those bays can carry up to four K-77M beyond visual range radar-guided missiles.
Compared to earlier versions of the K-77 (NATO nickname: AA-12 “Archer”), the K-77M missile has a larger body and an active electronically scanned array radar seeker, allowing it to engage highly agile targets at ranges of up to 100 miles.
There have also been plans for the Su-57 to carry the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (NATO reporting AS-24 “Killjoy”), an air-launched hypersonic missile that is currently carried by the Tupolev Tu-22M3 (NATO reporting name “Backfire”) bombers, and Mikoyan MiG-31K (NATO reporting name “Foxhound”) interceptor aircraft. However, there have been repeated questions about whether the Kinzhal (“Dagger” in Russian) can be accurately described as a “hypersonic” weapon, with some questioning its capabilities.
Russia Is Trying to Find Buyers for the Su-57
Despite repeated boasts by Russian officials about the capability of the Su-57, the aircraft has only been delivered in small numbers to the Aerospace Forces, with fewer than three dozen believed to be in service. Moreover, the Felon has not been a game-changer in Ukraine—having been deployed in only a few confirmed sorties, where it has fired at targets while operating well within Russian airspace.
However, the rationale for the sudden push for the Su-57 to carry hypersonic missiles may not just be related to the defense of the Motherland, but to help entice buyers.
“Making new missile classes developed for the Su-57 compatible with a wider range of fighters could also strengthen their prospects when competing for export orders,” the Tass report added.
In other words, Russia’s sudden hype over hypersonic weapons may just be another way to keep the Su-57 in the spotlight as it seeks foreign interest in the aircraft.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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