The Su-57 maintains an advantage over the F-35 in the use of air-to-surface missiles, despite the Russian fighter's noticeable lag in stealth and some onboard electronics. This conclusion was reached by Military Watch Magazine (MWM) after comparing the capabilities of the Russian aircraft with the American F-35 and Chinese J-20 and J-35.
MWM considers the already implemented arsenal of strike weapons to be the key advantage of the Su-57. The Russian fighter is capable of employing several types of air-to-surface missiles, including the Kh-59MK2 cruise missile, and its use with the Su-57 has already undergone combat testing. The American F-35, according to the publication, is still significantly limited in this area: the full expansion of air-to-surface missile capabilities is associated with the transition to the Block 4 standard, the implementation of which has been delayed.
The Su-57 also has another advantage – range. MWM indicates that in this parameter, the Russian heavy fighter surpasses the F-35 by more than twofold: previously, the publication cited a figure of about 3500 km for the Su-57 versus approximately 1600–2200 km for the American aircraft, depending on the comparison methodology and aircraft variant.
Its greater mass, two engines, and significant fuel reserve give the Russian aircraft a wider operational radius, and it also has an advantage in flight characteristics.
However, MWM does not place the Su-57 above all fifth-generation fighters. The F-35 and Chinese J-20/J-35 win in stealth, sensor capabilities, and network interaction.
The American aircraft has a distributed aperture system and a significantly more developed infrastructure for collecting and exchanging intelligence, while the Chinese J-20A combines long range with more advanced stealth and WS-15 engines.
Ultimately, MWM views the Su-57 not as an unequivocally best-in-generation fighter, but as an aircraft with an unusual combination of range, flight characteristics, and already proven strike weaponry.