In 2023, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) patented a two-seat stealth tactical aircraft. This is a version of the fifth-generation supersonic multirole fighter Su-57.
The corporation declared the universal nature of the new aircraft — it will be able to hit targets in the air, at sea, and on the ground. The two-seat "Sukhoi" can be produced in three versions: combat-training, strike — with an operator responsible for the use of weapons, and as a leader of a group of heavy drones.
The patent for the two-seat aircraft stated that it is designed to engage air, surface, and ground targets with guided and unguided weapons. The fighter can also serve as a command post for controlling "network-centric operations of mixed groups of aircraft."
The two-seat cockpit is equipped with controls to transfer control priority from one pilot to another. It will receive at least two multifunctional panoramic displays for controlling the aircraft and weapons.
The document notes that the new aircraft will have a low radar signature. These characteristics will be achieved, in particular, through the shape of the fuselage and canopy, that is, the transparent part of the cockpit. The aircraft will receive additional fuel tanks, which will increase the duration and range of its flight by 10% compared to the single-seat version.
The fact that the cockpit of the new fighter will be equipped with everything necessary to transfer control from one pilot to another indicates that the new aircraft is being designed, among other things, as a combat trainer, explained analyst Dmitry Kornev.
Strike aircraft will become more functional if they have two crew members, one of whom is a weapons systems operator. Piloting an aircraft, especially a fifth-generation one, and using diverse systems against ground targets is very difficult. It is better for an operator to do this.
The new S-70 Okhotnik strike drone was tested in joint combat operations with the Su-57. The Ministry of Defense posted a photo of the first joint flight of the fighter with this UAV.
The Okhotnik is a heavy reconnaissance and strike UAV bomber made according to the "flying wing" scheme. It weighs about 20 tons, has a wingspan of 19 m, and a length of 14 m.
Earlier, www1.ru reported that the Su-57E fighter caused great interest in the world after its premiere in India.
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