The top manager of one of the defense industry enterprises and a source in the military management bodies confirmed to Kommersant information about the arrival of the newest fifth-generation fighters in Syria, Su-57.
One of the interlocutors explained that the planes were redeployed as part of the weapons systems testing program. The sources did not name the exact number of the Su-57 sent to Syria.
On arrival in the Middle East republic of two Russian fighters of the fifth generation became known at night on February 22. According to Syrian activists, on February 21 these planes landed at the airbase of Khmeimim. Later , a video of the landing of cars at the airport appeared. Together with them, four Su-35S and a radar surveillance aircraft A-50U arrived in Syria . The Ministry of Defense of Russia did not make official statements about this.
On February 8, Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov announced that the military had begun the pilot-combat operation of the Su-57. "State tests of the first stage ended," RIA Novosti quoted him . Experimental combat operation means that the tactics of their combat use will be worked out on the new fighters, but at this stage the aircraft must enter the Lipetsk Air Center, where the flight crew is retrained.
Last December, one of the Su-57, formerly known as the T-50, made the first flight with a new engine, and in January 2018 - with new weapons . The Ministry of Industry and Trade believes that the flight tests of a fighter with a new power unit will last about three years. The contract for military delivery of these aircraft has not yet been signed, but it is expected that this will happen in 2018, and the installation lot will include a squadron of 12 vehicles.
Su-57 - the first Russian fighter of the fifth generation. The machine is armed with a 30-millimeter automatic cannon, can carry air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, as well as various bombs.
