Key Points and Summary – Russia’s Su-57 stealth fighter has been cautious over Ukraine, but Moscow now touts it as a “drone mothership.”
-The concept pairs the Felon with the S-70 Okhotnik and possibly new S-71 variants to scout, jam, and strike, including swarms of loitering munitions launched from internal bays and heavier drones carried outside.
Su-57 Felon Fighter Russian Ministry of Defense Photo
-Much of the hype comes via state media and should be treated carefully. Sanctions and electronics shortages pose real hurdles, and external stores erode stealth.
-Still, manned-unmanned teaming is the direction of travel worldwide, as the U.S. fields Collaborative Combat Aircraft to fly with its F-47 and upgraded F-35.
Can the Russian Su-57 Felon Become a Drone Mothership?
Vladimir Putin and his air force generals are known to over-hype their airplanes. One has to admit that the Russian fighter jets and bombers have not dominated the airspace over Ukraine like Putin promised.
These vaunted airplanes were supposed to take out numerous key targets and eliminate Ukrainian fighters to disable Volodymyr Zelensky’s air force and bring Ukraine to its knees.
One Russian fighter jet that was going to create a successful end state to the war is the Su-57 Felon.
But this stealthy warbird has not been much of a factor.
The Ukrainian air defenses have been better than expected, and the Su-57, when it does fly, often stays out of range of surface-to-air missiles and enemy fighters to make certain it does not get shot down.
However, some media outlets have reported that the Su-57 is taking a more active and expanded role in the war lately.
Russia Wants Su-57 to be a Better Next-Generation Fighter Jet
Putin believes that the Su-57 is one of his super weapons whose antics are a prime source of propaganda.
The latest claims about the Felon are something straight out of what the United States wants for its sixth-generation F-47 NGAD and the potential F-35 “Ferrari” concept that would make the Lightning II into a fifth-generation “+” fighter.
The Su-57 as Loyal Wingman Driver
The Russians hope that the Su-57 will be the best drone carrier in the world. The manned-unmanned teaming concept starts with the “Loyal Wingman” flight of drones that can increase firepower, collect reconnaissance data, create electronic warfare jamming, and increase the level of battle damage assessment collection.
The “collaborative” drones would be autonomous and capable of taking off and landing independently after completing missions alongside the Su-57.
Eurasian Times also claims that the Su-57 could become a drone quarterback to launch swarms of loitering munitions to attack targets like tanks and armored vehicles. The Su-57 may be able to send heavier cruise missile-like drones into combat as well.
S-70 Drone VIA X Screenshot. Image Credit: X Screenshot.
S-70. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
These would be carried externally, while the kamikaze drones would be launched from internal bays.
The external drones could affect the level of stealthiness of the Su-57, but Russia does not seem to mind. They want manned-unmanned teaming that could rival the fighter jets from the United States and NATO allies.
Newer Drones Make Russian Propaganda Outlets Salivate
The news outlet quoted the TASS news agency, which interviewed a managing director of Sukhoi who explained the integration of manned-unmanned teaming to respond to changes in warfare that emphasize drone tactics, techniques, and procedures.
“Countering multi-layered air-defense systems with manned aircraft alone has become prohibitively expensive. Therefore, the focus is shifting toward a network of functional complexes, each designed to address specific targets and tasks. Currently, we are working on approximately eight different UAV variants,” the executive Mikhail Strelets stated.
This Could Be an Exaggeration
Obviously, anything written in TASS should be taken with a grain of salt.
And Sukhoi could be just trying to change the narrative from the lack of success of the Su-57 to new capabilities in drone warfare.
The Su-57 may be able to team up with the S-70 Okhotnik low-observable collaborative combat aircraft, the S-71M “Monochrome” advanced autonomous drone, and the S-71K attack drone, which resembles a cruise missile, according to Eurasian Times.
Su-57 Teaming with the Okhotnik Is More Likely to Be True
AirDataNews.com and Forbes have also discussed the Su-57 teaming with the S-70 Okhotnik, and Russia wants the Felon to have a Loyal Wingman capability. The incorporation of the other S-71 family of drones is new.
The Okhotnik has a flying wing shape like the American B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. The Russian combat drone is reportedly stealthy but likely not as radar-evasive as the B-2 or the new B-21 Raider stealth bomber.
“The Okhotnik’s arsenal includes air-to-surface missiles and an array of bombs (glide and operator-controlled) that will not be suspended from the wings, but hidden inside the body to reduce visibility on enemy radar,” Professor Vadim Kozyulin of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences told Russia Beyond.
The Okhotnik can be teamed with the Su-57, but the other combat drones are likely not ready for active duty if they exist. However, the Russians are confident that the Felon fighter jet will become a significant factor in drone warfare that has transformed combat in the 21st century, particularly as it has developed during the war in Ukraine.
The United States is forging ahead with its own Loyal Wingman program for the Air Force, consisting of two Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) prototypes called the YFQ-42A (General Atomics) and the YFQ-44A (Anduril).
These are planned for use with the new sixth-generation F-47 NGAD and perhaps even the proposed F-35 “Ferrari” model.
“Now we have two prototypes of Collaborative Combat Aircraft,” said Air Force Chief of Staff General David W. Allvin in March in an Air Force news release. “They were only on paper less than a couple of years ago, and they are going to be ready to fly this summer.”
Russia will be closely monitoring developments in the American CCA program and is likely to emulate the U.S. Air Force as closely as possible. Due to international sanctions on electronics, chips, and microprocessors, I doubt that Russia can team the other two combat drones besides the Okhotnik with the Su-57.
But this is a development to watch. The Felon could be improved and continue to be the type of super weapon that could give the Russian air force a shot in the arm – a morale boost that is badly needed after the failings in combat over Ukraine.
No one in Russia wants to see the Su-57 become a paper tiger.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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