Why Russia Isn't Using Stealth Su-57s, How Many They Actually Have, and How Effective They'd Be 

T-72 turrets have more flying time than the Su-57

The stealth tech of the SU-57 and T-14 Armata is off the charts. No one has even seen them on the battlefield, it's just too good.

In 2010, India had plans to purchase 216 SU-57s. They even paid 295 million USD as initial engineering costs. The program required India to invest a further 5 billion USD down the line as development costs, with Russia spending an equal amount.However when the first prototype was out, the Russians denied access to the aircraft. The Indian Air Force was not convinced of the effectiveness of the stealth fighter. They finally abandoned the program & left the Russians in limbo.

Friendly reminder that the US has more operational Super Carriers than Russia has 5th gen stealth fighters.

Despite having an order for "75" Su-57s, and the Russian ministry/Sukhoi constantly claiming they'll be delivering 2 dozen "soon" for the last like 8 years, the fact is they're highly dependent on foreign components. Allegedly they've delivered all of 4 new Su57s this december (the total for the ENTIRE year), I really wouldn't be surprised if they just took 4 of the test aircraft, polished them up a bit, and slapped new numbers on them. Russia has literally been caught bolstering it's number of vehicles by changing numbers before. The rule of thumb when it comes to counting Russian assets is "If they say they have 30, or 200, or 1000 of them, but you only see 8, it's because they only have 8". They famously LOVE showing off their number of assets, be it tanks, ICBM launchers, aircraft etc. So the only reason to have so few in a picture, is because they don't have that many.

Of course they are using them, we just can't see them because they're invisible. Just like how they are using the T-14, and it's just so effective that there is no evidence of it being in combat. /sarcasm

That the hull markings are blurred makes it clear that they're previously existing jets. There has been no precedent for concealing those hull markings in the past.

The first production model crashing while being transferred from the factory is the most Russia thing ever

“This stealth plane…..is it in the room with us right now”?

Russia struggles and fails to build the number of 5th gen fighters in an entire year with the Su57 that the US pumps out in a single month with the F35. Russia might have managed to build 6 Su57’s in 2022, meanwhile the US now builds 120 F35’s a year with the total built approaching a thousand.

Also, being able to detect a stealth aircraft does not mean you can target said aircraft. Stealth aircraft can be detected with low frequency(longer slower wavelength) radars but that return isn't good enough for targeting. The high frequency (shorter faster wavelengths) radar used for targeting can't "see" stealth aircraft. That's why countries like China and Russia say "they can detect the f-35" or f-22. They can but they can not target them. But they like to play on people ignorance about how stealth aircraft and radars work. They play the same game for hypersonic missiles too.

People make fun of the f-22 not having a single kill (except a balloon) ignoring that USA hasn’t been in a war with anyone with and actual air force with planes to shoot down in decades. If USA was in a war like Russia was in with Ukraine and the f-22 sat out of it, then everyone would be first in line to call the raptor an expensive failure.And they’d be right. However with su-57 these same people have nothing but excuses.

Russia seems to have a lot of AWOL 'next gen' systems. T-14, Su-57, etc etc.

Because it's so big, with such a large surface area, the Su-57 just has that much more stealth per aircraft. Therefore due to that fact, it's SO stealthy that it's completely invisible.

With Russia, if you don't see it, it doesn't exist. We've seen 8 T-14's in their May Day parade. They have 8 T-14's. We've photographed or have intelligence on 10 Su-57's. They have 10 Su-57's.

The SU-57's are probably where all the T-14 Armata's are .... Super power my ass!

It's hard to show off new equipment when you have exaggerated their capabilities and have less then 5 operational aircraft. Just like the T14, it's overhyped to try and make Russia look like a super power when we all know that they aren't.

I subscribe to the Lazerpig principle of "if you don't see the Russian equipment, it doesn't exist". I think it's perfectly plausible that they don't have more than 3, possibly 4 Su57 production airframes based on the evidence in this video.

Curious.... I'd have expected that _at least_ one of the reasons for not using them would be that Ukraine now has NATO radars and AA missiles. And flying it over Ukraine would be a _valuable_ date collection opportunity for the US and others. Cuz if you can figure out what signature to look for, you can reprogram the radars to (hopefully) pick it up sooner/farther.

Always very informative and thought provocing videos. Thanks and all the best for the new year!

Please do a video about their fighter aircraft fleet, like the one with the attrition of the tanks.

0:42 "..and Russia has one, Su-57..." **Su-57 on the screen smokes up like Kuznetsov you just can't make this up

Thank you. Always well researched and professionally presented. Happy New Year!

They don’t need to use the SU-57 because the T-14 Armata is currently flying stealth missions in Ukraine.

incoming russian bots saying “they’re stealth!” “you won’t see them” as if footage of them being used wouldn’t be a staple of propaganda 😂😂😂

It's pretty obvious why the Russians aren't using them. The final engines, which produce more power and are more stealthy, haven't even reached production yet. Currently only low numbers of aircraft are being produced and they will almost exclusively be used for training and testing. It's still quite possible that they don't even go ahead with mass production. That's actually what happened to the Armata tank. They did some field tests, looked at what they had learned in Ukraine, sent it back to the drawing board for a redesign and in the meantime the Armata production line has been shifted to other vehicles. Trustworthy information regarding how stealthy the Su-57 really is doesn't exist in public. The only thing we can 100% safely assume is that the materials are not as good as the western ones, but that doesn't actually affect low frequency radar all that much so it's more an issue regarding targeting radars and active seekers. So we can't really say how far away we will be able to spot it, only that it's somewhere between a gen 4-4.5 aircraft and a western gen 5 and that once we do it will be easier to lock on to. Ukraine has one of the most densely defended airspaces on the planet and when it comes to SEAD, if that is their main goal, then it would probably be a lot more resource efficient for Russia to just produce more long range anti-radiation missiles. It's important to remember that Russian doctrine and western doctrine are different. If we evaluate their equipment based on our own usage methodology we are bound to misjudge them.

Your channel is pure quality. Wishing the CC team a very happy new year! Cheers dude!

Good, simple explanation of a very complicated topic. Thumbs up!

I hadn't realized just how little stealth the Su-57 offered. Getting detected at more than half the distance of a fourth-gen aircraft makes me wonder if the Su-57 might be better classified as a 4.5 gen aircraft.

In terms of them masking the tail number, I wonder if the digital camouflage is unique? Like the no stencil it’s just a person making squares. If so, might be able to identify from the camouflage. Like how they id whales from tail colour and bump variations.

They have a seemingly never-ending supply of flying T-72 turrets to compensate for the lack of SU-57's, though...

5:40 - akhem - JDAM was also bolted on. That's the beauty of the idea.

Aaah, the Su57, the T14 of the sky 😂

@CoverCabal I would really love quick analysis of the possible number of pilot casualties for Russia during the war, how that possible number compares to the available number of pilots Russia had pre-war and how sustainable those possible losses are, I would think that the limitations for Russian aviation, with its soviet legacy aircraft's, is skilled pilots not aircraft's..

Nice video. keep them coming!

Have yourself a Happy New Year Covert Cabal. Hope we both will celebrate this event for a many years to boot. Peace vf

You have to be careful with the numbering. It wouldn't be the first time that Russia has changed the numbers on their planes to give the illusion of more than they really have. That's what happened back then with the Yak 38

I can tell you, the reason they are blurring out the tail numbers is not because the numbers are so embarrassingly high!

Excellent analysis as usual! Thank you.

Thanks, always great content.

Annual production of the F-35 is 156 Units. Over 200 units have already been produced as of 2023. All delivered aircraft have a complete complement of pilots and support personnel.

Glide bomb is also external carried and increase RCS, which make the plane not stealthy

Love your dedication mate, well done 👏🏾

Thumbs up for using CMO, my favorite simulation!

The SU-57 is the stealthiest aircraft in existence because it never leaves the hangar.

If you use the SU-57, and it's not as stealthy as claimed, then your sales pitch evaporated overnight. Without overseas sales, Russia will struggle to build more for itself. P.S. I wrote this near the start of the video.

You have a very honest, and what seems like a non biased take on these matters. I like that.

Love your videos. Unique to anything else I’ve found on RU-vid.

If you watch the Su fighter take off with the blurred numbers on it you will see the turbine on the left side flickers constantly

The old saying “It’s impossible for America to take out a squadron of Russian SU-57s……because Russia doesn’t have a squadron of SU-57s”

i like the no bias of this channel, TY

That you for the report, keeping it honest and based on facts.

8:06 look at the Port (left) engine is it flickering or is it just me? I'm not an expert on Jets. Is that normal? Is it okay?

The SU-57 is just like the Armada T-14, both are JUNK

Private Kovalenko, i didn't saw you on the camo training this morning! - Thank you, sir!

Great video !

Nice breakdown man ! Much appreciated !

something to keep in mind is that by russia's own published numbers the SU57 has an RCS comparable to an F/A18E/F super hornet. it's an improvement over a flanker but even by the standards of 20 years ago it's not particularly stealthy and isn't really trying to be despite how the ru MOD markets it.

great work

Outstanding presentation 😊

the Su-57 at ~1m2 Radar Cross Section isn’t really stealth, arguably just “low observable”, it’s an artisanal production line, no 2 aircraft are identical and don’t have the exact same spec

The Su-57’s RCS isn’t even smaller than our 4th gen jets when they have RAM applied. Also, LO and stealth are interchangeable terms, except LO is the official nomenclature.

Right on good video

Thanks for you work!

They're SO stealthy, even the Russian pilots can't find them.

Does the irregular flame pattern visible at 8:08 indicate poor engine performance? It occurs in only the port side engine.

I think your videos are really good, i'd just wish you uploaded more often

Question, at 2:42. Is this just detection (low frequency RADAR) of an F-22 at 20KN, or is it tracking (High Frequency Radar) at 20KM? Because if tracking can't see it (and that would include the missile), it can't be reliably shot down.

Same reason they are not using the T-14: afraid that they will be made to look bad to potential customers.

That su 57 climbing away towards the end of the video had engine problems with that left engine

08:20 that engine sure looks healthy!

Excellent, non-biased video.

The Su-57 does not even have S-shaped inlets that even some 4.5gen fighters (like the eurofighter) use to minimize RCS. It’s RCS is likely quite bad, also because it is quite big and only optimized for one radar direction.

Because the SU-57 exists primarily in Tom Clancy novels…

The massive sarcasm quotes around the Su-57's "'stealth'" capabilities are probably why they are not being used. Can't sell them to other countries if they get blown up every time they go out, and Ukraine has been known to move a Patriot system or two around now and then. And Ukraine would absolutely prioritize taking one of those down if they thought one had been launched.

Many thanks to the author for the great video!

SU 57 is a stealth fighter only in Russian dreams 😂

They are in the same hanger where all the Armata’s are

Thanks Covert Cable...... Old Shoe🇺🇸

Thank you sir! 🫡

Because only ten 10 test aircraft and 22 production aircraft were ever built. So far only 10 of them have entered service with the Russian military. It's kind of hard to deploy a squadron of SU-57s when you don't have enough of them to make a squadron.

My guess is the SU57 is not stealthy at all. It's a Hype-fighter, a naked emporer.

The fact that nobody want to buy this plane in a market that stealth is in hot demand speak volumes.

Not a fan of this thing since the beginning, but my god what a great shot at 9:04 when this 57 takes off from the snowy runway.

I thought everyone knew by now that the SU-57 and SU-75 are both Potemkins

Because they don't have enough to make a difference. 20 - T-14 Armata tanks aren't going to change their fortunes. 22- Su-57s aren't going to make a difference. Plus, if they perform badly, they lose export market. There's no upside and a lot of downside. Also, as an old-guy, I have lived with 5 decades of 'great Soviet/Russian equipment' that, in truth, was all substandard.

I’ve loved your videos over the years. Always like will start to comment because you fell out of my feed

Thanks!

Well, for one SU-57 is only a stealth aircraft in propaganda, in reality they have a +1.5 meter radar cross section, so they are clear targets at 160 km range, meaning they are destroyed before registering they are targeted.

Because they struggle keeping all 6 of them in working condition

this video, like so many, think stealth is a material - thats only about 40% of what stealth is - the biggest diffeence between the F35 and F22 is what is emitted from the flying a/c (what its systems emit in the form of electro-magnetic emissions - radar, internal systems, comms, etc) - the F22 is designed to play on its own, its nickname is the 'little awacs', as it needs little help externally - the F22 uses a passive RWR to detect, it uses something akin to multiple super-computers onboard to fuse intel into usable facts - its RWR sees others radar, comms output and other noisey internal systems to detect another but part of this stealth feature on the F22 is its mission systems computers, utilising all its fused intel into a means to help it get closer - if you can see a ground radar and identify what it is, then using detected frequencies (modes of use) you can calculate your RCS return to that radar and get much closer - the F22 uses something akin to CLOAR (Common Low Observable Auto Router) to calulate a stealthy approach onto a target or 'thread the needle' through a nest of ground / airbourne threats - this feature alone is probably worth 40% to stealth with the remaining percentage being keeping emission from onboard system to min - all these factors also take into account manourvers from your a/c, where the mission computer gives the pilot options - early prototypes of this mission computer came from the Pilots Associate Programme from R&D done back in the 80/90'see - the UK had its MMA programme this is probably what the russian's are missing - this mission system capability for on-mission stealth - modern NATO computing whilst hidden in securey, probably utilises modern GPU computing (you can buy versions of todays NVidia GPU's for airborne military use), where a nest of these processing elements could run 10's of thousands of RCS predictions against a emittor to calculate a possible route to get closer the US flys at 5k alt, whilst the Uk plays at around 50m+ (or lower) using terrain to mask its approach - the US has numbers, whilst the UK has far less numbers - Storm-Shadow shows this effect, as it is designed to fly very low using terrain masking to hide its flight, the US launches high even UK and US cruise missiles come with mission systems to calculate mission profiles, were these need to be done before the weapon can even be used whilst the SU-57 may have stealth material in its makeup, we do not know if it has an effective on-board mission system to utilise these capabilities - i think NOT - why do both the UK and US train so hard and so constantly - we just do not see this from the Russian pilots - and why are there so few SU57's - i suspect an indication came from India when it pulled out of the SU57 programme quoting tech exchange issues and not coming close to what was advertised by russia Russian does not produce its own computing tech for adv computing - its rumoured to be around 80nm, whilst just commericial computing in the WEST is around 4nm from home grown industrys, so god knows what military levels are - both the UK and US use federated computing (distributed computing) around the a/c to do adv computing, then factoring in new AI computing tech into the mix on these computing systems Russia may have AI computing tech understanding, just not as much hardware to implement it on for flight system given sanctions - this was one of the best decisions that the US / UK / EU made in limiting such adv computing maufacture to be shared outside of their regions - Russia can buy, could have bought once such computing boards, just not in any great numbers anymore

They're so stealthy that you can't even see it with naked eye.

Remember the days when Ukraine didn't have western air defence? Russia supposedly has anti-radiation missiles too and they know what exactly a Ukrainian S300 can do, yet no Su-57 free rein. That tells me Russia doesn't have a 5th gen fighter. They call the Su-57 a 5th gen but of course there's no 5th gen police, I can call my paper airplane 5th gen because you can't see it on radar.

The SU-57 is hiding away in the same shed as the Armata T14 tank. These "wonder weapons" are so precious, so expensive, mostly still prototypes and Russia can't afford to lose any. That's why they've not even been allowed out and definitely nowhere near Ukraine.

I wanna say I appreciate you trying to give the most non biased approach and not jumping on the Su-57 rivet train.

THANK YOU for another great video! Keep in mind that the Raptor RCS is the size of a GNAT. LOL! So ten times that with external weapons would be the size of a fly! 😨

After that SU-35 that was shot down and Ukrainians somehow got lucky and managed to capture a completely intact radar that survived the crash, i dont think Russia will be eager to send SU-57s into Ukraine. There was a video a while back claiming a SU-57 shot down a Ukranian SU-24 to the East of Kharkiv with a long range missile while remaining within Russian bordars but its honestly hard to believe .

I don't think they have a full squadron. Kinda hard to employ something that doesn't exist. Russia has SU-34 for the bomber role, and that's what they're using. Four shot down last week illustrates exactly what is being employed.

Happy New Year, I'll see you'll on a frontline soon.

It seems possible to identify some of the planes by some differences on the camouflage partner. At the 7:46 frame one can noticed that.