A recent report from the Russian side suggests that the Russian United Aircraft Corporation has obtained a patent for the Su-57 two-seater fighter jet. This implies that in the near future, we may witness the debut of the two-seater version of the Su-57. After the J-20, this becomes the second fifth-generation fighter to develop a two-seater variant, which is quite intriguing.
Russian aerospace industry insiders revealed that the Su-57 two-seater fighter jet will be the world’s second fifth-generation two-seater aircraft. Similar to the J-20S, the Su-57 two-seater will not be used for pilot training but rather for purposes such as long-range strikes and drone control. It will provide the Russian Aerospace Forces with much-needed stealthy strike capabilities at the theater level.
In fact, the concept of a two-seater Su-57 was proposed early on when it was known as the PAK-FA, with the internal Sukhoi codename T-50. Due to the high development cost of fifth-generation stealth fighters, Russia sought collaboration with India. However, India insisted that its version of the fifth-generation aircraft must be a two-seater. Russia agreed to India’s request, developing the two-seater FGFA alongside the single-seater version for the Indian Air Force.
The Indian Air Force’s demand for a two-seater fifth-generation aircraft wasn’t based on foresight but rather on their experience with the Su-30MKI. They believed that heavy aircraft should be operated by two pilots for better situational awareness in air combat, the ability to alternate during long-range patrols, and the capacity for the rear seat to handle weapon systems during ground strikes. The Russian Aerospace Forces, however, preferred the development of single-seater aircraft.
Later, India realized it was merely a cash cow in the FGFA project, as Russia refused to allow access to the core technology of the fifth-generation aircraft. After investing over a billion dollars, India voluntarily withdrew from the project, and both parties parted ways. The Russian Aerospace Forces continued the development of the single-seater Su-57.
Why is the Russian Aerospace Forces now redeveloping the Su-57 two-seater? There are two main reasons. One is the combat experience gained from the Ukraine conflict. During the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the performance of the Russian Aerospace Forces was unexpectedly poor. They struggled to suppress Ukraine’s air defense system, severely limiting ground attacks and close air support operations.
The main reason for this was the inadequate frequency of Russian Aerospace Forces deployments. The Ukrainian air defense forces, with Western support, successfully evaded Russian Aerospace Forces strikes by employing decentralized and mobile tactics. Although the Su-57 stealth fighter was deployed, it was in insufficient numbers and didn’t achieve full operational capability, resulting in limited effectiveness.
Existing tactical strike aircraft found it challenging to overcome the Ukrainian air defense system. Facing NATO’s more advanced air defense systems would likely yield similar results. In this situation, the Russian Aerospace Forces decided to develop the Su-57 two-seater to enhance stealth combat capabilities, especially against heavily fortified targets. To achieve this goal, Russia has disclosed that the Su-57 two-seater will implement measures to ensure stealth performance, enhancing its breakthrough capability. Additionally, it will be equipped with larger fuel tanks to increase its range.
Another reason is the inspiration from the J-20S two-seater fighter. In November 2021, the J-20S two-seater successfully made its maiden flight, becoming the world’s first fifth-generation two-seater aircraft. A crucial function of the J-20S is to serve as the airborne control core for stealth unmanned combat aircraft, commanding several stealth drones. The former provides command and control for the latter, allowing them to conduct reconnaissance and strikes in high-threat environments, reducing the risk to main combat aircraft and improving mission efficiency.
Previously, Russia had already completed joint flight tests of the Su-57 stealth fighter and the S-70 stealth unmanned combat aircraft. In the future, the Su-57 stealth two-seater will be used as a command and control center for stealth unmanned combat aircraft, similar to the role of the J-20S.
Since the J-20S and Su-57 two-seater models include a mission control officer responsible for commanding and controlling unmanned aircraft, they can handle more unmanned drones without the need for the pilot to manage the aircraft directly. Thus, one J-20S or Su-57 two-seater can control four or even more unmanned drones, providing a larger coverage area and the ability to strike more targets.
In comparison, the U.S. F-35 fighter appears to be in a more awkward position. Due to its single-seat design, its upgrade potential is relatively limited, and its payload/range performance is already inadequate. If an additional cockpit is added, along with a pilot, display systems, environmental control systems, etc., it will inevitably encroach on the space for fuel tanks and weapon bays, further weakening the aircraft’s payload/range performance.
If no improvements are made, and the F-35 continues with its single-seat design, the pilot will have to both operate the aircraft and command and control unmanned drones, placing a heavy burden on them and making it difficult to command and control more unmanned drones. According to information revealed by the U.S. military, after evaluations, they believe the F-35 fighter may only be able to command two stealth unmanned combat aircraft at a time, a capability much lower than that of the J-20S and Su-57 two-seater.
This situation is evidently challenging for the U.S. military, but it seems unavoidable. There are reports that the U.S. military has already requested that the next-generation fighter must be capable of commanding at least four unmanned drones to enhance combat capabilities.
From this, we can see that our commitment to developing fifth-generation two-seater fighters has, to some extent, led the trend in the international fighter aircraft development. We believe that domestically-produced fighter aircraft will continue to lead in various fields, setting the pace for fighter aircraft development worldwide.