New Capabilities of Russian Su-57 Fighter Stuns Ukraine

Russian forces are deploying the Su-57 stealth fighter jet with new missiles and improved maneuverability which is leaving Ukrainian targets defenseless despite some of them being protected by American Patriot air defense systems.

Among the new capabilities in that the aircraft can take off a from a short runway and accelerate to 250-280 km/h in 12 seconds, according to Polish publication Interia which speculates that the aircraft may finally have got its powerful and super maneuverable AL-41F1 engine which offers a host of other features including supercruise making it immune to detection when approaching its target from a distance.

The publication and several other outlets reported that the Su-57 was firing a new missile, probably the Kh-69 which can be carried inside the Su-57's internal weapons bays. The missile  is reportedly able to fly at an altitude as low as 20 meters above ground level which greatly contributes to its low radar signature. The Kh-69 is said to have been used in a recent attack on targets near Kyiv.

Some sources claim that  Russia has used the Zircon hypersonic missile last week for the first time from the Su-57 fighter. The missile was installed on the external hardpoints of the aircraft. However, other sources say that the dimensions of the Zircon are not suitable for the Su-57 and the missiles on the external hard points of the Su-57 is probably a newly developed smaller version of the Zircon which has shorter range.