citanon wrote:They are trying to save their fighter industry. As things stand the Su-57 would have trouble against a Super Hornet much less an F-35.
Every simulation we've ever seen of the Su-57's stealth signature is BS because they are all hypothesizing an ideal seemless and smooth skin. LO signature management can be ruined by small manufacturing defects and design details. Until the Russians get that sorted out and develop fieldable RAM coatings those jets may not even be LO not to mention VLO.
The Russians have probably decided to screw stealth and just get something into the field. If they do not keep up the fiction of a viable 5th gen option the Chinese will eat their lunch in the export market with the FC-31.
I tend to think this explanation the most plausible.
Staying competitive with the Chinese is going to be important. Perhaps even moreso than adding to her own capabilities/air superiority fleet. If foreign orders dry up and China isn't buying their equipment anymore, only India can save them. And there's some indication they could be ordering from the west some day. It's already started with Rafale. And I'm not sure up-rated Flankers are going to cut it. Besides, China already has them/the SU-35 and even more capable indigenous versions (J-16).
The big question is, will foreign nations be willing to sacrifice stealth? Can India afford to? Not with Chinese stealth birds flooding the market. Even a somewhat reduced signature F/C-31 is going to be a handful in Pakistani colors. The Russians desperately need a truly low signature fighter in the game, and the SU-57 is going to have to be it.
Even without stealth though, it will represent a new and formidable challenge.Way more capable than F-15's, 16's and 18's, Rafale's and Typhoons IMO. The only problem is, many more nations will by then be flying the F-35..