Documents
Russia Sukhoi
Su-57
Russia's first operational fifth-generation stealth fighter, combining internal weapons bays, supercruise and thrust-vectoring super-maneuverability. Fielded in limited numbers to the Russian Aerospace Forces, with a single export customer to date.
In service since 2020 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
2,440
km/h
3,500
km range
20,000
m ceiling
10,000
kg payload
1.08
T/W
💲 ≈ $50,000,000 — Estimated unit cost, disputed/uncertain public figures
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Russian state channel
Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.
Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2020. Status: active · ~30 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$125M – $175M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Overview
The Su-57 Felon is Russia's first indigenous fifth-generation fighter, developed by Sukhoi to combine stealth shaping, supermanoeuvrability and a modern sensor array. In principle it is intended to rival Western stealth fighters, with internal weapons bays and an advanced radar, but its degree of low observability and the maturity of its intended engine and avionics are widely disputed by outside analysts.
Production has been slow, with only a small number — likely in the low tens — believed delivered against far more ambitious plans, and a hoped-for co-development deal with India collapsed years ago. Russia continues to court export customers, though firm foreign orders remain limited and unverified.
During the war in Ukraine, Russia has reportedly used the Su-57 cautiously, mostly for standoff missile strikes from within its own airspace rather than as a front-line stealth penetrator, and Ukraine has claimed at least one was damaged in a long-range drone strike on an airbase. These patterns suggest the aircraft's real-world role has so far fallen well short of its advertised capabilities.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 2,440 km/h Stronger than 83% of fighters
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 2 Mach Stronger than 57% of fighters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 3,500 km Stronger than 65% of fighters
- Combat radius
Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.
- 1,500 km Stronger than 85% of fighters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 20,000 m Top 7% of fighters
- Thrust-to-weight
Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.
- 1.08 Stronger than 75% of fighters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 10 Stronger than 64% of fighters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 10,000 kg Top 8% of fighters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- Himalayas EW suite, chaff, flares
- Signature reduction
Radar cross-section shaping, RAM coatings, IR suppression. Actual RCS values are classified.
- Low observable airframe shaping with radar-absorbent coatings and internal weapons bays
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 20.1 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 13.95 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 4.74 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 18,500 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 35,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x Saturn AL-41F1 (Izdeliye 30 on later production) thrust-vectoring afterburning turbofans
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 147 kN Top 10% of fighters
- Fuel capacity
Internal fuel volume.
- 10,300 L
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- N036 Byelka AESA (multi-array)
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- 101KS Atoll electro-optical suite, Himalayas EW suite, distributed aperture IRST
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $50,000,000 Stronger than 55% of fighters
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 30 Stronger than 12% of fighters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 23% of fighters
Specifications compiled from public Sukhoi and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor 
Dassault Aviation Rafale F4 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Sukhoi Su-57? +
The Sukhoi Su-57 has a maximum speed of 2,440 km/h.
What is the range of the Sukhoi Su-57? +
The Sukhoi Su-57 has a maximum range of 3,500 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Sukhoi Su-57? +
The Sukhoi Su-57 can carry up to 10,000 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Sukhoi Su-57 weigh? +
The Sukhoi Su-57 has a combat weight of 35,000 kg.
How many crew does the Sukhoi Su-57 require? +
The Sukhoi Su-57 requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Sukhoi Su-57? +
The Sukhoi Su-57's primary weapon is the 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon.
What engine does the Sukhoi Su-57 use? +
The Sukhoi Su-57 is powered by the 2x Saturn AL-41F1 (Izdeliye 30 on later production) thrust-vectoring afterburning turbofans.
What is the Sukhoi Su-57 used for? +
The Sukhoi Su-57 is a fighter aircraft typically used for air superiority, multirole combat, deep strike.
How many countries operate the Sukhoi Su-57? +
The Sukhoi Su-57 is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Sukhoi Su-57 cost? +
The Sukhoi Su-57 has an approximate unit cost of 50,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
Similar systems
Lockheed Martin
F-22A Raptor
Dassault Aviation
Rafale F4
Lockheed Martin
F-35A Lightning II
Lockheed Martin