New Coating to Cut Down Russian Su-57, Tu-160 Radar Signature

A new coating applied to the glass canopy of Russia’s Su-57 stealth fighter jet and the Tu-160 strategic bomber will cut down the radar cross-section of the aircraft by up to 30%.

The glass coating developed by specialists of the Obninsk-based Technologiya R&D Enterprise (part of RT Chemcomposite Group within Rostec) is made of metal oxide layers 70-90 nm thick. In addition to reducing visibility to enemy radars, it protects the pilot during the flight from the impact of ultraviolet, thermal and other negative factors, Russia’s state-run Rostec Corporation was quoted as saying by TASS on Friday.

"It doubles radar wave absorption and reduces the aircraft cockpit’s radar signature by 30% Currently, the coating is applied to the canopy of T-50 (Su-57 aircraft since August 2017), Su-30, Su-34, Su-35, MiG-29K and Tu-160 planes," Rostec said.

"The coating weakens the thermal component of solar radiation by more than three times while the integral transmittance index in the visible range makes up no less than 65% and the impact of the ultraviolet component drops by more than 4-6 times," the corporation said.

As Rostec Industrial Director for the Cluster of Conventional Armament, Ammunition and Special Chemistry Sergei Abramov said earlier, this innovation helps halve the weight of the cockpit’s glass canopy and increase impact resistance and radar wave absorption from 40% to 80%.