🇷🇺 ⚠️ First prototype of the two-seat Su-57 fighter successfully completes test flight

🔺The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) of Russia has announced the successful completion of the first flight of the prototype two-seat version of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter. This new variant, designed for pilot training and to serve as a command aircraft coordinating joint operations between manned fighters and drones, marks a significant step in Russia's air power development program.

➡️ During the test, Sergei Bogdan, chief test pilot of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, piloted the aircraft. Unlike the single-seat version, this model features a second seat at the rear of the cockpit, to be occupied by a Weapon Systems Officer (WSO). This officer will be responsible for data management, electronic warfare, and directing unmanned aerial vehicles.

👉 The most important advantage of this version is its ability to command "mixed groups" consisting of manned fighters and drones such as the S-70 Okhotnik-B. With this capability, the front pilot can focus on aerial engagements while the rear-seat officer handles drone coordination.

✍️ With the unveiling of this prototype, Russia becomes the second country, after China (with its J-20S fighter), to have successfully built a fifth-generation fighter with a two-seat cockpit. This comes while America's fifth-generation fighters, the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, are designed solely as single-seat aircraft and lack a two-seat version.

— Although the official designation for this version has not yet been announced, Russian military media refer to it as either the Su-57D or Su-57UB. According to current plans, this aircraft could play a key role in modernizing Russia's air fleet and improving pilot efficiency during the transition from fourth-generation to fifth-generation aircraft.

#Russia