Beijing: Russia’s Su-57 fifth generation fighter jet stole the limelight at China’s high-profile international air show at Zhuhai city, where the Chinese military displayed an array of its new fighters and drones.
Su-57 is from the Sukhoi group of fighter jets. Sukhoi fighters are a potent force for both Indian and Chinese air forces as both use Su-30 MKI variants.
The twin engine Su-57 with stealth features secured the first contracts to deliver the export version to foreign customers, CEO of Russia’s Rosoboronexport firm Alexander Mikheyev said at the air show on Wednesday.
“We have already signed the first contracts for the Su-57,” Mikheyev was quoted by Russia’s official news agency TASS.
China, for the first time, has demonstrated its new stealth fighter J-35A fifth-generation fighter as well as a J-15T fighter designed for catapult operations aboard aircraft carriers at the Zhuhai air show, which opened on Tuesday and will continue till November 17.
Russia’s test pilot, Sergey Bogdan, who flew the Su-57 at the Zhuhai show, claimed that the Russian fighter jet surpasses all existing counterparts in the world, including China’s J-35 and said his country’s aircraft “always boast a competitive edge.” “In my opinion, the Su-57 fifth-generation airplane is superior to any of the existing ones in the world. As for the newest Chinese J-35 airplane presented at aerospace shows, you can only see general aerodynamic parameters,” Bogdan told Tass.
First flown in 2010, the aircraft is known to be capable of aerial combat and both land and maritime strikes.
It combines stealth, super manoeuvrability and supersonic cruise technology with integrated avionics and large payload capacity, the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post reported.
Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert said, “Su-57 is a fighter jet that has real combat experience, so its appearance at the airshow also provides China a great opportunity to learn and make exchanges with the Russians.”
“Su-57 and China’s J-20 and J-35 all have their own characteristics and unique advantages, and through communication, the two countries can mutually promote the development of this area,” Song told the state-run Global Times.
