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Russia presented the Su-57 at an air show in China in another attempt to convince that it is a fifth-generation fighter

Posted on by L. Dreeye
Russia presented the Su-57 at an air show in China in another attempt to convince that it is a fifth-generation fighter

A video of the Russian Su-57 fighter jet arriving in China to participate in the Airshow China 2024 aerospace exhibition in Zhuhai has appeared online – this is the first flight of this aircraft to China and the first official foreign appearance of the Su-57 at such an event. event.

According to Russian sources, the presented aircraft is most likely a pre-production prototype of the T-50-4 fighter with tail number 054.

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The Kremlin-backed media is already portraying this event as if “China has become the first country to which Russia has sent its fifth-generation fighter.” However, although Russia continues to refer to the Su-57 as a 5th generation aircraft, it is more accurately classified as a 4++ generation aircraft, especially since it uses Kh-59 missiles, which are not compatible with internal combat bays.

China knows this all too well. In 2020, Russian state media were outraged when China’s Global Times dropped the Su-57 from its list of fifth-generation aircraft, which included the Chinese J-20 along with the US F-22 and F-35. This was not just the opinion of the site’s editors, but the point of view of Yang Wei, the chief designer of the J-20.

Since then, China has made progress in developing its own aerospace capabilities. According to Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, production of the J-20 with Russian engines ceased in mid-2019, and by 2021, China introduced an upgraded J-20A powered by domestically produced WS-10C Taihang engines.

By demonstrating the Su-57 for the first time at a Chinese exhibition, Russia is sending a signal to both its ally and the international community that this is a battle-tested aircraft. It is also a likely sign that Russia intends to deepen defense industry cooperation with China.

Su-57 in China /Defense Express/
Su-57 in China / Photo from open sources

Although Beijing publicly denies allegations of cooperation with Moscow, reports from 2023 indicate that China was helping Russia produce weapons for the war in Ukraine. Prominent examples are navigation equipment for Mi-17 helicopters, parts for the Su-35 fighter worth $1.2 million, and components for the 96L6E radar of the S-400 air defense system.

Evidence suggests that this cooperation continues to expand. For example, recent Western media reports claim that Russia has produced and tested the Harpy 3 long-range attack drone in China.

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