Su-57 fighters show up in Syria to advertise Russia’s weaponry
Two prototypes of the Russian-produced Su-57 fifth generation fighter have been sent to Syria, presumably to show off Russia’s weaponry, writes the newspaper of the Russian Defense Ministry Krasnaya Zvezda.
According to the periodical, this was the “first demonstration of the latest Russian combat aircraft under real war conditions”.
“The demonstration was clearly intended to attract foreign attention, including from potential buyers,” the news outlet remarks.
Krasnaya Zvezda assumes that the intensive operations to improve the infrastructure of the Russian air base in Khemeimim, Syria, could indicate that these fifth generation Russian fighters will soon be stationed there on a permanent basis.
In August, the export version of the Su-57e was unveiled at the MAKS-2019 air show on the outskirts of Moscow.
The Chinese tabloid the Global Times wrote in August that Beijing might consider buying Su-57 fighters from Russia after comparing the aircraft’s capabilities to its own domestically produced fighters.
In March this year, Viktor Kladov, director of international cooperation and regional policy at Rostec, said that the documentation for the Su-57e is nearly ready.
Su-57 fighters showed up in Syria in February 2018. At the time, a source told Kommersant that the transfer had been done as part of the weapons testing program. Earlier that month, former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuriy Borisov announced that combat testing of the Su-57 had begun.