All eyes will be on the Dubai air show next week, after Russia announced that its most advanced fighter – the Sukhoi Su-57 – will be making its debut appearance in the region and taking part in the flying display.
With Moscow’s arms industry barred from attending major events like Farnborough and Paris in Europe as a result of its war in Ukraine, this will be first opportunity for many to see its fifth-generation combat aircraft strut its stuff.
Most recently, visitors to February’s Aero India show in Bengaluru witnessed the stealth fighter display, with the type notably also photographed on the ground while close to a visiting US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35.
Ahead of Dubai, Moscow’s state-owned Rostec conglomerate went in early with the trash talk, while describing the Russian air force’s most modern asset as having excelled in “real-world combat conditions”.
That is likely a reference to the Su-57’s previous employment over Syria, along with flights made during the ongoing conflict with Ukraine – the extent of which remain unclear.
Eyebrows will especially have been raised, however, by Rostec’s further assertion that “It is the world’s only fifth-generation fighter that has proven its efficiency in large-scale combat operations.”
The USA and Israel may well beg to differ on that point, with F-35s having played a part in strikes launched against Iran earlier this year – which seemingly also managed to get the better of Tehran’s Russian-supplied advanced air defence systems…
Russia will be promoting the export-standard Su-57E, which to date has secured a firm contract from Algeria. The current Su-30 operator will acquire 14 examples, under a deal announced earlier this year.
And while it will not be pitching the twin-engined type at the United Arab Emirates or its Gulf Cooperation Council peers – none of which operate Russian-sourced fighters – delegations visiting the show from other nations will be on Rostec’s radar.
In addition to providing the opportunity to see Russia’s latest fighter in the air, perhaps Dubai might also be a suitable platform for Moscow to update the status of its Su-75 Checkmate lightweight fighter programme?
The subject of a high-profile international launch at the event in November 2021, that was due to see prototype flight-testing from 2023 and series production start in 2025 or 2026. But little more has been heard about Russia’s planned F-35 counterpart since its forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Don’t miss our coverage from the 17-21 November Dubai air show, which you will be able to access via our dedicated event landing page.
Also in the headlines, Azerbaijan’s introduction of the Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17 fighter has been confirmed, and China has commissioned CNS Fujian – its newest and most capable aircraft carrier.
And in Europe, Leonardo chief executive Roberto Cingolani has issued a warning about the future of the company’s Yeovil manufacturing site should the UK fail to move ahead with its slow-moving New Medium Helicopter programme.
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