There is a shortage of fifth-generation SU-57 fighters for the Russian Air Force and Moscow is taking action.
Currently, the production of fifth-generation Su-57 fighters intended to equip the Russian Aerospace Forces does not even come close to the numbers achieved by the United States and the People’s Republic of China with their counterparts.
Various sources show that these stealth aircraft have a limited deployment, operating mainly from Russian territory and with limited participation in the Ukrainian conflict . In this context, one of the latest announcements of the Russian United Aircraft Corporation – Uac, part of the Rostec State Corporation, was the expansion of the facilities of the Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, focused on the production of new Sukhoi Su-57 fighters, NATO designation “Felon”. The opening of these new facilities coincided with the 97th anniversary of the plant on August 22.
According to UAC releases, the last known recorded delivery of Su-57 fighters to the Aerospace Forces took place in December 2023. During 2024, UAC officially delivered other fighter-bomber models such as the Su-30SM2 and Su-35S. The Russian Aerospace Forces are believed to have about ten operational units in service.
Recently, UAC confirmed the opening of new facilities at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aviation plant, including the opening of “buildings for testing the fuel system, as well as the completion of the first stage of construction of a hangar for testing fuel systems; onboard radio-electronic equipment, in order to increase the serial production of aircraft.”
Moreover, according to the words of the General Director of United Aircraft Construction Corporation and Vice President of Soyuzmash Russia, Yuri Slyusar: “Modernization and expansion of production capacities of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur plant is part of a multi-year investment program involving significant state funding and the company’s own resources (…) Technological modernization and expansion of production capacities of the Komsomolsk plant is a long-term investment program involving a large volume of state funding and investment of the enterprise’s own funds. In this way, we have created the most advanced and large-scale production for the production of the most modern aircraft complexes (…) This initiative has led to the creation of a cutting-edge, large-scale and high-tech production facility for the production of the most advanced aircraft systems.”
It was also noted that new hangars will be built to test various combat systems of the new stealth fighter aircraft.
The goal of these investments is to increase the number of aircraft produced at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur plant. Although the official statement only mentions the Su-57, these new facilities will likely have a positive impact on the production of other combat aircraft currently delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces.
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Graziella Giangiulio
