The Russian Federation, in a significant step towards enhancing its aerial combat capabilities, is set to upgrade its fleet of Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets with a second-stage engine, the Izdelie-30, or AL-51F1, starting in 2024. Russia deployed the first-stage Izdelie-30-fitted Su-57s in Ukraine after receiving over 10 of the aircraft in 2023, TASS wrote.

The Su-57, Russia’s flagship fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter, has undergone considerable development since its inception. Its maiden flight in January 2010 marked a new era in Russian military aviation, promising to rival Western counterparts like the Lockheed Martin F-35. Yet the journey from prototype to fully operational status has been fraught with setbacks.

This engine reportedly provides an afterburner thrust of 18,000 kilograms, enabling the aircraft to supercruise over Mach 2 without the need for fuel-intensive afterburners that can increase its heat signature.

According to TASS, “There are no plans to replace the first-stage engines on the Su-57s already transferred to the Aerospace Forces with new engines.” The first-stage engine is credited with superior super-maneuverability, an impressive thrust-to-weight ratio, and reduced visibility, also incorporating an oxygen-free plasma ignition system for the main and afterburner combustion chambers.

The head of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), Yuri Slyusar, revealed that the state defense order (SDO) for the advanced Su-57 fighter witnessed a twofold increase in 2023, with projections indicating further growth for 2024. Moreover, he added, “The Su-57 fighter is a difficult machine to manufacture, but the UAC honorably coped with its delivery to the customer. “For 2024, the order is even bigger, there is even more work.”

According to the Eurasia Times, citing Russian media, Russia used a Su-57 in May 2022 to fire missiles at targets in Ukraine from Russian airspace out of range of Ukrainian surface-to-air missiles. While being interviewed, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu described the Su-57 as having performed brilliantly but provided no documentation to back it up.

related images you might be interested.