Russia Unveils Su-57E Export Version of 5th Generation Fighter Aircraft at the MAKS 2019 Airshow

Russia’s defence export agency Rosoboronexport has unveiled the Su-57E, the export variant of its fifth generation fighter aircraft, at the MAKS international air show

Russia said the latest aircraft is a priority in marketing plans and preliminary negotiations for foreign buyers will start.

“Su-57E is the product for export. Now it will start preliminary negotiations with potential client on this subject,” Dmitry Shugaev, Director General of Russia’s federal service of military-technical cooperation, told reporters on Wednesday at the air show here.

He said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was showcased the aircraft on Tuesday, the opening day of the ongoing six-day air show.

President Vladimir Putin showed off Russia’s latest stealth warplane to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who’s been barred from buying a new  U.S.  f-35 fighter jet in a dispute with Donald Trump over the purchase of a Russian S-400 missile system.

Flanked by the Russian and Turkish defense ministers, Putin and Erdogan inspected the cockpit of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter on Tuesday at opening of the MAKS-2019 international air show outside Moscow. They also toured the Su-35 fighter, helicopter displays and an amphibious aircraft.

However, he said, there is no formal application from any country to acquire the aircraft as of now and the process will undertaken accordingly whenever there is a formal proposal from any foreign buyer.

The Su-57E aircraft is developed by Sukhoi, a subsidiary of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), and is manufactured by Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant (KоAAP).

It is a fifth-generation multi-role aircraft designed to accomplish a wide range of missions against air, ground and surface targets. It can be used in any weather, day or night, and in a severe jamming environment.

Its main advantages compared with 4th generation aircraft systems are stealth due to a reduced radar and infrared signature, high immunity of both avionics and aircraft armament system, as well as a strong supersonic cruise capability.

The latest Russian fighter surpasses 4 generation aircraft in terms of multi-mission capability, automation and artificial intelligence technologies.

Apart from destroying enemy’s air defense system or surface targets, it can monitor airspace from large distances from its bases and can engage the enemy’s airspace control system.