Posted on 02/25/2018 11:04:54 AM PST by Red Badger
At least two of the jets are in-country and they are likely to begin "combat evaluation" sorties soon.
Our initial analysis has been outright confirmed and at least two Russian Su-57s have been forward-deployed to Khmeimim Air Base in western Syria. Satellite imagery dated February 23rd, 2018 shows two of the aircraft parked on the base's tightly packed fixed-wing tactical aircraft ramp.
It appears that one of the aircraft wears the "shark" scheme, first seen of fifth T-50 prototype "Blue 055," while the other seems to wear a similar paint job, albeit with less contrast and a "pixelated" or "digitized" design first on T-50 "Blue 509."
Sukhoi PAK-FA T-50-9 with external fuel tanks. pic.twitter.com/rC1OmBiViR — Military Advisor (@miladvisor) May 15, 2017
#Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA shows off its latest paint scheme at Zhukovsky Airfield #Russia #avgeek pic.twitter.com/LtoS5Lu67K — Ian Keddie (@IanJKeddie) February 19, 2016
Blue 055 suffered a bad engine fire during a ground run in 2014, resulting in severe damage to its airframe. The aircraft was returned to flying condition in 2016 by using parts from an unfinished T-50 prototype.
First satellite images show two Russian 5th generation Sukhoi Su-57 at Khmeimim air base in Latakia, Syria. Via @imagesatint pic.twitter.com/JqAAx5K44Q — monitoring (@warsmonitoring) February 24, 2018
Another satellite image appears to show an Su-57 cocooned in modular barriers on the base's southern ramp area, possibly taken at a later time than the image above. We must note that the origin of this image has not been confirmed.
Image sent to me revele that there is one more Su-57(509?) in Latakia. Which brings number of 5thGen planes in Latakia to 3. Probably there is another one, 4th. Based on report by (https://t.co/3d9vBRcwX3) Plane is parked in recently "shielded"area(https://t.co/6KnegtnqDv) pic.twitter.com/yWZ5zoet3T — monitoring (@warsmonitoring) February 24, 2018
The barriers, which can be used to create temporary revetments, have began to appear at the base following a series of attacks, one of which was executed via a group of GPS guided drones, in early January.
HESCO like barriers previously used as defense placed around Pantsir and S-400(https://t.co/PulvKWK0KH). Now also erected around at least one Su-25 in Latakia. As expected after that drone attack on the base. Satelite image from(https://t.co/hb6PS20rK8) pic.twitter.com/4s45VTnTIB — monitoring (@warsmonitoring) February 24, 2018
Some sources have claimed two additional Su-57s arrived the day after the initial pair, with images showing a pair of the jets flanked by Su-35s approaching the base. From what we can tell, this is just another angle of the first pair arriving, but with limited information available, we cannot rule out the presence of four Su-57s instead of just the pair.
New photos showing the additional 2 Russian Su-57 escorted by #RuAF Su-30SM landing today in the Russian Air Force base in #Khmemeim #Syria
And a photo for the RuAF A-50U #41 Red landing at the AB after a combat mission. pic.twitter.com/FIV8xcpeuJ — Wael Al Hussaini (@WaelAlHussaini) February 23, 2018
Russia usually sends batches of four high-end tactical jets to the Syrian theater at a time, and just two would make generating sorties very challenging, especially considering the aircraft is still quite immature. But there are roughly a dozen Su-57s (also known by its pre-operational T-50 designation) in existence, and many of them are early prototype models. So the idea that Russia would commit four to Syria at such an early time would be a bold move, but not really an unexpected one.
We have discussed the reasons why Russia would execute such a surprise deployment of their most technologically advanced combat aircraft, but beyond the marketing and tactical aspects of the operation, Moscow's choice to send the Su-57 to Syria shouldn't be surprising, as we have said it would be just a matter of time.
The country has a more flexible rubric for deploying an asset into an operational combat theater than the U.S., which could be seen by some as one luxury of having little opposition oversight, especially by the media, of major defense projects. It also is indicative of how Russia develops its weaponry, which allows for greater operational risk early on in the system's lifecycle.
Regardless, the jets will likely undergo what the Kremlin calls "combat evaluation," which will work to test the aircraft's systems over an actual combat zone and to make the case for the jet to potential export customers. It is also likely aimed at saving the long-struggling deal between New Delhi and Moscow to produce an India-specific version of the jet.
Russia's initiative to showcase its weapon systems in Syria, and slapping on the "proven in combat" badge of approval on them, has indeed worked well over the past two and a half years when it comes to drumming up sales of some of the country's most technologically advanced and expensive weapons to foreign customers.
Russia itself has struggled to buy significant numbers of Su-57s even as the program winds down primary development and moves towards operational testing. Instead the Ministry of Defense has ended up purchasing less expensive and far more mature Su-35s instead. The War Zone wrote the following in 2017:
"Despite initial plans to have built 150 of Sukhoi’s T-50 stealth fighter by 2020, the Kremlin has now scaled that back to a buy of just a dozen aircraft. This year, after more than seven years of flight testing, the Russian military hopes to finally take delivery of the 10th and 11th pre-production prototypes."
Now we'll have to wait and see how Russia publicizes the Su-57's presence in Syria and if they attempt to challenge airspace patrolled by American fighters, namely F-22 Raptors. And yes, this plot setup sounds exactly like it was ripped right out of a somewhat far-fetched military techno-thriller novel.
Strange times indeed.
give stealth jets to the craziest, most screwed-up freaks in the galaxy- what could go wrong?
Well, they aren’t that stealthy - we found them on the ground. The Israelis are specialists at blowing up their rivals’ air forces while on the ground.
Pass the popcorn.
If the Israelis blow them to smithereens, Russia can’t complain because they said they weren’t there in the first place...............
This is exactly the opening scenario for Alas, Babylon!..................
Name him, ping him...
ping
Must.... think..... in..... RUSSIAN!..............................
Russia’s aid to the syrians, iranians and hezbollah must stop.
They obviously plan to encircle israel and overwhelm the defense systems.
one of my favorite novels.
F22 clones. Who gave the Russians the designs: the Clintons or Obama?
The Su-57, which was formerly known as the T-50 and developed under the project name PAKFA (Perspektivnnyi Aviatsionnyi Kompleks Frontovoi Aviatsyi: Prospective Aviation Complex for Frontal Aviation), has been under development for more than two decades and made its first flight in 2010. Last December Jane’s reported that 10 airframes had been delivered out of an initial batch of 12 jets, with the examples delivered so far being seen at flying test centres, including the Gromov Flight Research Institute at Zhukovskiy.
http://www.janes.com/article/78119/russian-su-57-fifth-gen-fighter-prototypes-touch-down-in-syria
The Russian Air Force doesn’t need the Sukhoi 57 to bomb more civilians in Syria. But it will look good on television screens back home
https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/.premium-russia-s-stealth-fighters-in-syria-are-putin-s-election-gimmick-1.5847755
Even the Iranians are not impressed:
However, Russia does not plan to mass produce and export Su-57 until 2025 as the upgrading and testing process for the aircraft still continues.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/02/24/553479/Syria-Russia-warplane
But if T-50s are in Syria, it’ll be interesting to see how the Kremlin spins the deployment. Back in November 2017, Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered most of the Russian military contingent in Syria to withdraw, two years after Moscow intervened in the ongoing regional war.
Despite Putin’s order, two T-50s appeared in Syria along with a Russian air force A-50 radar plane, four Su-25 attack planes and four Su-35s fighters. The warplanes arrived in Syria following weeks of intensive air strikes by Russian planes targeting areas controlled by anti-regime rebels in Idlib and East Ghouta.
In other words, the T-50s’ deployment could be further proof that Putin’s withdrawal order was a lie.
In reportedly deploying T-50s, the Kremlin is outright gambling with precious prototypes and their pilots’ lives. It has sent into an active combat zone two supposedly “stealth” fighters that are anything but stealthy, that possess inadequate and incomplete sensors, incomplete fire-control systems and self-protection suites, no operational integrated avionics and are powered by unreliable engines. They have undertaken hardly any weapons-separation testing except for two types of free-fall dumb bombs and lack any other operational weapons bar their 30-millimeter internal cannons.
On the top of that, the aircraft are then going to be flown by pilots who lack any kind of doctrine or tactics for the type and who cannot really depend upon the planes’ avionics and other systems.
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/russias-su-57-deployment-syria-dangerous-farce-24613
Putin and his military obviously want to asses their toy in battleground conditions.
They tried that with ground forces a couple of weeks ago, using Russian mercenaries as cannon fodder and lost 400+ of them.
I assume they wish to see if these aircraft can stand up to our defenses.
He may be in for a surprise he doesn’t like..................
They are just faking for the cameras.
F22 clones.
—
Hardly - for a bunch of technical and some obvious reasons. Stealth is either exactly right or it just looks right. One you see on radar the other you don’t - the RC of the 57 is estimated to be 0.1, while the 22 comes in at an estimated 0.0005. Which would I see and which would I not .... I wonder ... there are at least 147 operational 22s at any one time, while there are only a total of a dozen 57s existing - all prototypes in one configuration of an other. And not to put too fine a point on it, but it does not look at present like the Kremlin can afford to build many more.
No clones here, just similar concepts dictated by necessity,
There was a story, last week(?), that the Russians actually used the ‘Hotline’ to ask if we were done shooting so they could round up their dead................Don’t know if it’s true, just it was out there...........
Yes the Russian first said that they did not have any forces in the area when asked by the local US commander. Later during the counter attack the Russian tried to contact the Kurds to stop the fighting, but the Kurds said that they do not speak Russian.
More here https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3632066/posts?page=81#81
Realize the released image is just for civilian consumption. The one they use to determine it is crystal clear.
It is probably why they are trying so hard to get the world off the “petrodollar”. Since they cant ramp up the value of their fiat currency, they want to disable our fiat currency.
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