Russia has stated its purpose for deploying Su-57s to Syria.
After surprising everyone with images of the Su-57 stealth fighter jet appearing in Syria, Russia has stated its purpose for deploying it.
According to TASS, citing sources from the Russian Ministry of Defense, the deployment of Su-57 stealth fighters to Syria is solely for the purpose of testing them in real combat conditions, following the completion of the first phase of state-level testing.
The source also added that the Russian Ministry of Defense plans to receive its first squadron of 12 Su-57 stealth fighter jets in 2018.
The arrival of the Su-57 in Syria is an opportunity for Russia to showcase the superior capabilities of this modern fighter jet in real combat missions, as well as to identify weaknesses for improvement before mass deployment.
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| The Su-57 stealth fighter jet has unexpectedly appeared in Syria. |
In particular, the participation of the Su-57 stealth fighter in combat operations in Syria is extremely interesting because the skies over the region are home to a full complement of the most advanced fifth-generation fighter jets currently available, including the Su-57, F-35, and even the F-22 of the US Air Force.
However, according to some experts, apart from testing purposes, the sudden appearance of the Su-57 may simply be a means of exerting pressure; it will not participate in combat and will quickly withdraw to its home country, similar to the case of the BMPT or the S-350 Vityaz air defense system.
Reportedly, before TASS, citing Russian defense sources, confirmed the deployment of Su-57s to Syria, Russian media outlets simultaneously published images of these two stealth fighter jets landing at Russia's Hmeymim air base in Syria.
Military expert Wael Al Hussaini said in a tweet accompanying the video: "This is footage of a squadron of Su-57 fighter jets approaching Hmeymim airfield." These images were confirmed to have been taken at Hmeymim on the afternoon of February 21st.
Speaking about the capabilities of this fighter jet, Viktor Bondarev, head of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, affirmed that the Su-57 currently possesses features and technologies that are not yet available anywhere else in the world.
According to him, the Su-57's special features are due to its super-maneuverability, the capabilities of its radio-electronic equipment – "smart covering materials" – which integrate many of Russia's most advanced sensors, allowing the system to display, record, and help the pilot observe images around the aircraft.
Drozdenko asserted that, after being equipped with the Su-57, the strength of the Russian Aerospace Forces and several other forces has increased significantly, creating the conditions for Russia to surpass the United States in the future.
In particular, after acquiring the Su-57, Russia became the second country in the world to produce and equip itself with a true fifth-generation aircraft.
