The Sukhoi Su-57 Felon is the world’s newest fifth-generation stealth fighter, and Russian hypersonic and nuclear-armed missiles have a new launch platform.
In the conflict with Ukraine, Russian Aerospace Forces have equipped the Felon planes with the 3N-22 Zircon (NATO reporting designation SS-N-33), one of the fastest missiles currently in use. The Su-57 is the only fighter in the world that can strike at such a great distance since these Russian stealth jets also carry a modified version of the KH 101/102 missiles, which have a range of 3,500 kilometers.
If the Russian claims are correct, Moscow’s ability to create, develop, and produce modern weapons has not been hampered by the conflict with Ukraine or the Western sanctions that have been in place since late February 2022. The KH 101/102 has also been significantly redesigned to arm the Su-57, and the extremely agile, long-range, and maneuverable Zircon missile, which was created for the Russian Navy, has been converted for an air-to-surface role.
Only a few days ago, Lieutenant General Alexander Maksimtsev, the Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, formally acknowledged that the 3N-22 Zircon was arming the Su-57 and aiming toward Ukraine. Russian plans to fully operationalize the Su-57 and conduct war tests over Ukrainian skies are indicated by the news.
What makes Su-57 deadly with Zircon missile?
With a Su-57 equipped with 3N-22 Zircon, Russian Aerospace Forces have a striking capability that is unrivaled by its enemies, including NATO and the United States of America.
The US Navy uses the RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM or SM-6) in contrast. Although the SM-6 is mostly utilized against airborne targets, it can also be used to neutralize sea-skimming cruise missiles and in anti-ship missions.
The Zircon is a scramjet-powered hypersonic missile with a reported 1,000-kilometer range that may carry nuclear bombs. It can reach speeds of Mach 9, or about 6,000 miles per hour or 9,600 kmph.
In February 2023, Russian media stated that a new hypersonic missile was being created for the Su-57, which was then being criticized by western media for not having stealth or real fifth-generation capabilities.
Although the Zircon is the most recent addition to the Su-57’s arsenal, the stealth fighter has been flying with long-range KH101/102 cruise missiles that are tipped with both conventional and nuclear weapons. Russian strategic bombers such as the Su-27IB fighter, Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack, Tu-22M3/5 Backfire C, and Tu-95MS16 Bear-H are equipped with these missiles as their main weapons.
Although the KH 101 and 102 missiles have been modified to accommodate the Su-57, they still have a 3500 kg target range. Among similar fighters, this provides the Russian stealth jet the longest striking range. Along with a smaller ammunition box, a smaller airframe, and folding wings, the Su-57s’ KH 101/102 missiles also include a redesigned turbofan TRDD-50A turbojet engine.
In order to meet the requirement for 76 SU-57 fighters operating by 2028, Russia has also increased production of the aircraft. In 2024, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), which manufactures the Su-57 at its Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant in the Russian Far East, supplied the nation’s defense forces with twice as many stealth planes than it did in 2023. Twelve Su-57s were introduced by the business in 2023, and six the year before.