The Su-57 is a secret vehicle in many ways. No one will bring the exact characteristics and composition of weapons on a silver platter. On the official website of JSC Sukhoi Company there is scant information about the potentially high capabilities of the aircraft, such as good maneuverability, prolonged supersonic cruise flight, measures to ensure low radar signature, etc. "The aircraft has a wide range of weapons, both air-to-air and air-to-surface, which ensure the solution of fighter and strike missions," the resource notes. There is even less information on the website of the vehicle manufacturer (KnAAZ). It's almost gone.
Su-57
You can, of course, recall the numerous statements of officials with lengthy wording and frankly unrealistic deadlines for implementation. Everyone knows the price of such statements. Recall, however, that at one time the general director of the Tactical Missile Armament Corporation Boris Obnosov said that fourteen types of weapons were being developed specifically for the Su-57, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles of various ranges and guidance methods on the target, as well as corrected bombs.
To say is one thing, to do another. Moreover, the discharge of ammunition from the internal compartment (especially at supersonic speed) requires long tests. It is much more difficult than integrating a bomb or missile on external holders.
Surprisingly, some quite respected experts and publications, talking about the Su-57, cite purely hypothetical characteristics of the machine, taken from Wikipedia. From all that is listed there, we can confidently judge several things. First, a production aircraft based on the T-50 is likely to have both internal and external mounts. With an emphasis, of course, on the first option, because in the second case, it will be possible to put an end to stealth. Secondly, and more importantly, the aircraft will receive four internal compartments:
All of these compartments can be seen on prototype aircraft. Will something change on the production version? Probably not. In any case, the number and general arrangement of weapons bays will remain the same. It is not for nothing that some experts proudly call the aircraft “an early pre-production model”. Indeed, it has already outgrown the stage of the early prototype, and conceptually will not change. We are not talking about installing second stage engines instead of the usual AL-41F1: this is a topic for a separate discussion.
Point one. Concept
By the way, about the concept. There is a misconception that it is impossible to compare the Su-57, F-22 and F-35. Like, different cars. And the domestic fighter is much more multi-role by default. There is some truth in this, but you should not take this idea literally. Perhaps the plane will be in the future, but now we do not know all of its capabilities. It is worth saying that the Raptor and Lightning, contrary to popular belief, have ample opportunities to defeat ground targets. Although they are somewhat inferior in terms of the total potential of the same F-15E (this is assuming that the enemy does not have modern anti-aircraft missile systems and detection equipment).
Let's analyze in more detail. The F-22 fighter, in addition to two 450-kg GBU-32 JDAM bombs, can operate on the ground using miniature GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb ammunition with a range of more than 100 kilometers. In total, eight units can be accommodated in the internal compartments. In turn, modifications of the "Lighting" for the marines and the fleet - the F-35B and F-35C - should receive an even more advanced GBU-53 / B in the foreseeable future. This is the next generation of Small Diameter Bomb, which, in theory, will be able to very effectively engage ground targets using an infrared seeker.
Reset GBU-39
Due to its low price and small size, the Small Diameter Bomb is considered by many experts to be the most promising aviation strike weapon. In other words, we can say that the American fifth generation fighters and the Su-57 will not differ conceptually. Ideally, each of them should be a multipurpose vehicle capable of effectively dealing with both air and ground targets.
Second point. Air-to-air missiles
There are two misconceptions here that cannot be put into one paragraph. Some believe that the plane will not be able to carry weapons inside at all, and the compartments exist only "for show." There is no point in criticizing this unprofessionalism. There are personnel from the Ministry of Defense, in which the Su-57 launches a rocket from an OGRO. There is also information from reliable sources about earlier missile launches during tests (however, it is impossible to verify them).
Another thesis is perhaps more interesting. A number of experts are trying to "cram" six and sometimes eight medium-range missiles into the main compartments. Meanwhile, the estimated dimensions of the OGRO, together with the known dimensions of the missile armament, suggest that in the main compartments the aircraft can carry up to four medium-range air-to-air missiles.
During tests on the external holders of the T-50, we noticed products of the RVV-AE family (or dummies of this rocket). Probably, it is they, and to be more precise their modifications, product 180 and product 180-BD, will become the basis of the fighter's armament. In each of the two side compartments, most likely, there will be one RVV-MD short-range missile. Thus, the total air-to-air missiles are likely to be will be six … And these will be short- and medium-range missiles.
RVV-AE
The integration into the complex of ultra-long-range missiles, such as the R-37M or the semi-mythical KS-172, looks more vague. It seems generally doubtful that the functions of the MiG-31 will be completely transferred to the shoulders of the 57th. These are cars of different classes, after all. It is also unknown how many such ultra-long-range missiles can be placed in the internal compartments of the Su-57.
Third point. Work on ground targets
As we have already noted, the Su-57 was never created as an uncompromising air fighter. And recently the media announced that the aircraft will be able to use the latest Drel aerial bomb, which is capable of gliding for 30 kilometers and destroying targets with self-aiming warheads. The mass of the gliding cluster bomb equipped with self-aiming submunitions is 500 kilograms. Recall that homing elements in the composition of aviation ammunition have previously been used by both the United States and the Russian Federation.
During tests on the T-50, one could see the X-31 family missiles on the external holders. There are anti-ship (X-31A) and anti-radar (X-31P) missile options. Earlier, the Ministry of Defense said that they intend to install the missiles both on external holders and in internal compartments. The rocket, for all its merits, looks too big for such an aircraft. This is not surprising considering that it was developed back in the USSR. It is quite obvious that the fifth generation fighter does not need so much ammunition. Otherwise, either a) stealth is lost (when using external holders); or b) the impact potential of the aircraft will be limited (due to the limited space in the internal compartments).
Su-57 with Kh-31
The most intriguing news in this regard was the information about the launch of the promising multipurpose stealth cruise missiles for operational and tactical purposes Kh-59MK2 from the internal compartments of the aircraft. The Russian Defense Ministry even presented a spectacular video on this matter. Contrary to its name, the Kh-59MK2 has little in common with the Soviet Kh-59 Gadfly. The new rocket is an analogue of the new American AGM-158 JASSM. It has an inertial guidance system, integrated with an optoelectronic homing head and GPS / GLONASS systems. The estimated flight range is 500 kilometers. In other words, the Su-57 will not have to enter the zone of destruction of the enemy's anti-aircraft missile systems.
Su-57 launches Kh-59MK2
On the whole, an unobtrusive aircraft equipped with a long-range, inconspicuous missile is a weighty argument in any "dispute". Some even suggested equipping the missile with a nuclear warhead in addition to the cluster and penetrating warhead. On the other hand, while Russia does not have an analogue of relatively cheap JDAM and SBD bombs, it is difficult to talk about mass corrected air-to-surface weapons. The cost of missiles such as the Kh-31 and even more so the Kh-59MK2 is quite high by default.
