Honored test pilot, Hero of the Russian Federation Sergei Bogdan said in an interview that the refinement and modernization of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter is a continuous process that can last for decades. According to him, each phase of testing, as well as real combat experience, makes it possible to identify new opportunities to improve the characteristics of the machine: from avionics and weapons to tactical flexibility and stealth.
The aircraft can be operated for 20-30 years, but it will still be on trials. A new missile or guided air bomb appears, and, accordingly, an additional test program is written and we fly for maneuverability, stability, strength. With symmetrical suspension, asymmetrical, we evaluate how the weapon captures the target, behaves in conditions of interference... This is a whole list of tests. Until the aircraft is written off from operation, it will be on trials.
The enterprises of the Rostec State Corporation confirm that the development, testing and implementation of improvements are ongoing. Taking into account both the current requirements of the Ministry of Defense and global trends in the development of weapons, engineers and designers are working to improve the combat effectiveness, reliability and multi-functionality of the Su-57. This makes the aircraft not just a product of a certain generation, but an evolving platform capable of adapting to the changing conditions of the modern and future theater of military operations.
