The Su-57 or The AMCA – Who Wins?

The Su-57 (NATO Reporting Name: Felon) is a 5th generation twin-engine stealth multirole fighter aircraft developed by the JSC Sukhoi Company, which although in very limited active service numbers is aimed at becoming the mainstay of stealth combat aircrafts for the Russian Aerospace Forces. On the other hand, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft or AMCA is the set-to-be 5th generation stealth, multirole combat aircraft for Indian Air Force which is currently in advanced development phase and is expected to be produced by a public-private joint venture between the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). One project is still in a baby’s walking steps while the other is yet to see the sun. So let's have a comparison how the two jets stand at this point of stage. Shape, Size and Basic Overview - The AMCA has a length of 17.6m and a wingspan of 11.13m while the Sukhoi Su-57 is a much larger aircraft having a length of 20.1m and a wingspan of 14.1m. Being a stealth fighter with this much difference in base statistics gives the Su-57 some sizeable advantage as it can withstand more maximum take-off-weight and has a larger fuel capacity at 10,300kg where the HAL AMCA stops at 6500kg. The AMCA is designed with diamond shaped trapezoidal wings which gives a substantial reduction of drag at transonic speeds and a stabilator V-tail with large fuselage mounted tail-wing. The Su-57 on the other hand has a wide blended wing body fuselage and its trapezoid wings have leading edge flaps, ailerons and flaperons (which are in-fact similar to the AMCA). Engine Capability - The Su-57 is powered by a pair of Saturn AL-41F1 afterburning turbofan engines. This engine is a highly improved and uprated variant of the Saturn AL-31 which currently powers the Su-27 family of jets. Although this engine is a variant of the Su-27 family engine by configuration, Russia states it to have induced in it upto 80% new parts and application of better technology, the data of which are confidential. Despite the specifics being classified, study claims that this engine can produce 9-tonnes force of dry thrust and 14.5 tonnes force in afterburner. The engine inlet incorporates variable intake ramps for supersonic efficiency and retractable mesh screens to prevent engine damage from foreign object debris ingestion especially when operating runaways are short. However, in 2014, the Indian Air Force openly expressed concerns regarding the efficiency, reliability and performance of the AL-41F1. Moreover, during the 2011 Moscow Air Show (MAKS-2011), a Felon suffered a compressor stall that forced the aircraft to abort takeoff. The Su-57’s Saturn AL-41F1 engines with thrust-vectoring nozzles On the other hand, there is still no headway for AMCA's engine. The Mark-1 variant of AMCA will be powered by the General Electric F414 engine, which is the same engine that runs the Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet and the Saab JAS 39E/F Gripen. The first 40 jets will fly on the GE-414 while the next version, the AMCA Mark-2 variant, is supposed to run on a stronger engine, co-developed in India. Rolls-Royce, Safran and GE have offered themselves for the engine. Engine decisions are still in a puzzle while time is passing to complete this project by schedule, but there lies various roadblocks for co-developing engines in India. General Electric is heavily restricted by the US Govt. and there is a certain possibility of limited scope of full Transfer of Technology. Safran is still in talks with the Gas Turbine Research Establishment which is a laboratory of the DRDO. Rolls Royce has offered a Eurojet EJ200 version with 110-120 KN thrust for the AMCA. The company is heavily invested in UK's Tempest and Japan's F-X sixth generation fighter programmes and DRDO officials even visited the Rolls Royce Plant in UK, but here again lies the issue of complete technology transfers. However, if the Rolls-Royce deal goes through, India would get the transfer of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) as proposed by RR. Also Read, AMCA Vs TEMPEST: Who Is Best? Thrust Vectoring - Thrust Vector is a capability to vector or point the thrust of an aircraft engine in any direction thereby increasing the aircraft control power, agility and the ability to effectively evade incoming enemy missiles - a feat which is in loadout for very few aircrafts including the 5th gen topdogs F-22 and F-35 and our very own Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fleets. So using an upgraded version of the Su-27 engines, the Su-57 is also capable of thrust vectoring and its Saturn AL-41F1 is capable to produce thrust vectoring moments about all three aircraft axes - pitch, yaw and roll. However, the GE-414 powered AMCA will be devoid of thrust vectoring capabilities while such sights are there in the more powerful Mark-2 variant. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inspecting AMCA model Speed, Range and Manoeuvrability - The Felon can reach a maximum speed of Mach 2(2135 km/h) while the HAL AMCA is supposed to be able to reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.15 (2654 km/h). This certainly gives an advantage to the AMCA but it falls behind in the supercruise capability. Supercruise of a jet aircraft can be defined as a sustained supersonic flight without using its afterburners - a dominating feat which is very helpful in high-risk situations and had been in loadout with only the F-22 Raptor for a very long time. The Felon has the capability to supercruise at Mach 1.3 while our aircraft has been slated for supercruise capability but there is no confirmed expected speed statistics yet. The AMCA has a maximum range of 3240km and a combat range of 1620km. The Su-57 however dwarfs it at a 3500km maximum combat range with the ability to pull off 4500km from 2 outboard fuel tanks. However, both jets have an equal service ceiling of 20,000m (65,000 ft). Regarding maneuverability, the AMCA is a very capable system due to its design and configuration - which is till now on paper. The Su-57 however has a slight edge because of its physical verification and more so because of its superior thrust vectoring capabilities. The Su-57's aerial maneuverability reviews got a new high among general citizens and defense experts when the 2022 blockbuster Top Gun 2: Maverick showed the Cobra maneuver done by a very accurately CGI-made Su-57. This scene made the jet come into light again if it can actually make complex aerial maneuvers under high-pressure combat situations. Stealth Signature - For both the jets, weapons are carried internally in weapons bays within the airframe and antennas are recessed from the surface of the skin to preserve the aircraft's stealthy shape. The Su-57's Radar Absorbent Material (RAM) coatings absorb radar emissions and reduce the reflection back to the source. Its canopy is coated with 70-90mm thick metal oxide layers with enhanced radar absorbing to minimize the radar return of the cockpit by 30% and protect the pilot from the impact of the UV and thermal radiation. It has supposedly a Radar Cross Section (RCS) of 0.1-1 square metre. On the other hand, the AMCA has inherent radar stealth achieved through its twin-tail layout with platform edge alignment and serration, low intercept radar and diverterles supersonic inlet (DSI) with serpentine ducts that conceal engine fan blades and internal weapons bays. The AMCA will have 38-40% composite material airframe and radar deflection capability is still in its refinement phase. Also Read, Understanding The AMCA Programme: Although no simulation data is confirmed, the AMCA will probably win over the Su-57 in the stealth category because the Felon's RCS - 0.1 - 1 square metre which is cited by Sukhoi themselves is just on par with the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Considering the primary motive to compete against the F-22s and F-35s which have astounding RCS of 0.0001 sq. m, Sukhoi has made an absolute blunder here. Moreover, unlike the AMCA, the Felon doesn't have serpentine ducts which completely reveals its engine blades in case of frontal radar signature. Unless these issues aren't fixed or upgraded, the Su-57 will completely suck as a stealth fighter and might get revealed as bad as daylight even in highly capable beyond-visual-range radar system detection. Avionics - The AMCA will have a good avionics suite for a 5th gen fighter with AI-assisted multi-sensor data fusion for situational awareness increment and can work in simultaneously with its electronic warfare suite aboard it. It also has an integrated health monitoring system. The AMCA will also be equipped with a powerful variant of the Uttam Active Electronic Scanned Array Radar - a solid-state gallium arsenide AESA radar developed by DRDO which has the ability of tracking upto 50 targets simultaneously with Pulse Doppler system to determine the target's range and velocity. But the Su-57 is equipped with the N036 Byelka AESA radar and L402 Himalayas electronic countermeasures system. It can reportedly track 60 targets and shoot 16 targets in the air simultaneously, or engage up to four targets on land at the same time. Targeting Pod - The Su-57 is equipped with a 101KS-U/V 'Atoll' Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensor atop the aircraft's nose which can detect, identify and track multiple airborne targets simultaneously in passive mode taking account of their heat emissions, and its technology is similar to the IRST pods of Su-30/Su-35s. On the other hand, the AMCA is equipped with an indigenously-built Electro Optical Targeting System (EOTS). The IRDE lab of DRDO is working with a couple of private sector startups for the indigenous prototypes which will reportedly have five sensors packed in a single, compact housing - a Thermal Imager, a CCD Camera, an Eye-safe Laser Range Finder, Laser illuminators and Beam Generator, which will help the jet to track multiple targets without even using the radar. The Mark-2 will have EOTS measures but the Mark-1 variant is highly unlikely not to have it but will go for prevalent IRST as deduced by experts from the latest wind-tunnel model of the AMCA. The IRST is undoubtedly an exceptional system but it is no more the best-in-the industry targeting pod when the topic comes to 5th gen fighters. The F-35's EOST is an insane feature which has set its name apart and DRDO has took the same path to make it happen in our homegrown jet. In fact, it has been seen that EOTS systems have greater range, higher resolution, better-tracking capabilities, better-laser targeting and are less susceptible to jamming. IRSTs do a great job in forward-hemisphere tracking but the nasal placement of it atop the Felon is an absolute highway of giving away its frontal heat signature as using IRSTs have a drawback of momentary self-heat detection and enlarged RCS. So in a way, at least on-paper. The AMCA will be superior to the Su-57 in terms of targeting and surveillance capabilities. EOTS system of United States Air Force F-35 LightningII (above), a similar EOTS will be equipped in the Mark-2 AMCA Weapon Prowess - Both the fighter jets have internal weapons bays for carrying missiles and standoff precision guided munitions in stealth configuration while also having the privilege of equipping extra weapons in their external hardpoints for non-stealth missions. However due to the larger size of the Su-57, it edges out our jet at 14 hardpoints while the AMCA has 12. AMCA also has a disadvantage of not having any sidebays. For air-to-air combat, the Su-57 can carry four Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) missiles in the underbelly internal weapons bay and two short-range air-to-air missiles in the sidebays. In case of AMCA, exact number of missiles which can be carried is still not specified but it is less likely to have 6 air-to-air missiles due to its smaller size. In terms of aerial combat, the Felon can carry the R-77M, R-74 and R-37 missiles while the AMCA will likely carry the Astra BVR variants and the Meteor BVR missiles. The R-77 series will have an operational range of 80-110km while the R-74 which is basically the upgraded variant of their 30-40km ranged R-74 short range air-to-air missiles. But the R-37 is a 150-400km hypersonic BVR monster and the main threat in its air-to-air loadout. For AMCA, the Astra Variants and the Meteor are very capable missiles and outmatch the R-77 and R-73 series in their range, guidance system and speed. The Meteors having 400km and the Astra variants ranging from 80-340km are competent enough for our 5th gen fighter to deter our neighbouring threats. Picture Credit to the respective owner Both the jets have an integrated autocannon for dogfighting scenarios. However, both of them have autocannons of same origin as the Felon is equipped with Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 while the AMCA is equipped with the Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23. The GSh-30 used in the Indian jet, though having Soviet origin, is indigenously license-built in the Ordnance Factory Board, and it has the edge over the Russian counterpart because it with its more barrels, range and rate of fire. Felon's autocannon is single-barreled and has a maximum range of 1800m with 1500-1800 rounds per minute rate of fire. While our gun is a double-barreled system with a maximum range of 2000m and a rate of fire of 3400-3600 rounds per minute. Integrated auto cannons are the most crucial weapon systems for very close range dogfighting and the AMCA which actually has a slower rate of fire is likely to totally dominate the other counterpart due to its distinctive advantage in rate of fire which is aided by the double number of barrels. For ground attacks, the AMCA will be be able to carry a combination of Sudarshan laser-guided bomb, the short range HSLD precision guided munition/ DRDO SAAW/ DRDO Glide Bombs coupled with Rudram/Bag/Brahmos NG air-to-ground missiles. But the bombs which will be used by our aircraft are themselves in very early phase of mass production, so the effect of accuracy and precise destruction and the extent of compatibility with a 5th gen aircraft, can only be determined after rigorous testing across all platforms. The Felon is able to carry 2 Zvezda Kh-35U and Kh-31 anti-ship missiles / 4 Kh-38M and Kh-59MK2 surface-to-air missiles coupled with KAB-250/500 guided precision and the active-homing integrated 500kg Anti-tank 'Drill' cluster bomb. The surface attack weapons carried by this jet have been in the military history for quite a while and all of them are in active service stage. Did India Do Good Pulling Out Of The Su-57 Programme? The Su-57 is the product of the PAK FA programme of Russia which was initiated originally in 1999 for the formation of a capable multi-role fighter aircraft with versatile fighting capability and stealth characteristics with the primary aim of succeeding the MiG-29s and Su-27 fleets while also keeping themselves in the race of able to compete against USA's 5th generation fighters. Since the start of this programme, Russia was actively seeking foreign participation to increase funding for its development and increase its export potential. On 18 October, 2017, India and Russia signed a contract for Sukhoi and our Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly develop this fighter jet under the name of FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft) and each country started with a preliminary investment of $6 billion dollars. At the time of the deal, the development of FGFA was expected to take 8-10 years and India had planned to purchase as many as 144 Su-57s in exchange to the aircraft's development. But in spite of India's time and monetary help towards this project, several problems kept on arising. Named as the T-50, the first prototype's maiden flight kept on getting delayed due to multiple unspecified technical problems. Later on engine problems started arising too while the previous technical issues remained unsolved. Finally the T-50-1 made its debut taxing on 24 December 2009 and its maiden flight on 29 December 2009. However, it didn't help much as the R&D fell back years behind and prototype production got even slower. Many minor yet vital technical issues newly arose while some of the previous ones still remained unsolved. On June 10, 2014, the fifth flying prototype, the aircraft T-50-5, was severely damaged by an engine fire after landing. On December 24, 2019 a Su-57 aircraft crashed some 120km from the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft plant in the Far East Khabarovsk Krai region of Russia during a flight test. This is the first known loss of the Su-57, two of which were expected to enter the service of the Russian Air Force by the end of 2019 and two more in 2020. India started to voice is concerns regarding this programme since 2014 over the performance, cost and workshare which were already in dire situation and eventually left the partnership in 2018. Russia's economic downfall due to the sanctions received for the annexation of Crimea gave this programme a reality check and plans getting started greatly cut down since 2015. What once was an agreed order of 60 Su-57s from Russia's Ministry of Defense came down to a mere 12 aircrafts. After India's exit with the whole burden getting carried by Russia alone, it took a worse turn as for a significant period of time between 2018 and 2019, the design was placed on hold for mas production due to its substantially higher costs and officials started favouring the Su-35s, stating that apart from the stealth features, Su-35s still have the bite. Finally on 15 May 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that 76 Su-57s would be purchased and to de delivered by 2028 as negotiations were done to bring down the overall equipment cost by 20%. The Su-57's active service deployment remains foggy as only 11 standard production aircrafts have seen the sun and major concerns lie regarding the actual future numbers of it because of all sorts of technical sorts, haze around professional expertise, lack of foreign collaborations, monetary support and piles of sanctions and expenditure due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Whatever might be the final verdict regarding these two aircrafts after both sees complete active service deployment, these two aircrafts have almost zero chance to face each other in combat considering the near future and the 'friendly history' Russia and India have displayed. Russia's dive into the 5th gen fighter programme is more of a contest to keep themselves relevant as US has been ruling this genre since 2005 with their Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning-II and even China have got a good lead over them with their J-20 'Mighty Dragon'. Also Russia definitely needed a 5th gen fighter to stay at the intended levels because the stockpile of old-gen Soviet jets are just not cut out for the new-age program. On the other hand, India too is need of a 5th gen fighter aircraft because our greatest threats are our two couple of neighbours and China, at the least is quantitatively miles ahead. A 3D render of AMCA in final expected form ( Picture Credit to the respective owner) Potential Future of the Sukhoi Su-57 ‘Felon’ Active service Felons in training Russia's Su-57 has been an intriguing programme yet the development they have shown has made it a bit of a defense community mockery irrespective of the modern technologies it has. The shear share of bad luck, the equipment failures, less-capable engine concerns, massive cost, unprecedented accidents, significant timeline delays etc. have become the most crucial issues for the project outcome. It’s been more than two decades since Sukhoi won over Mikoyan-Gurevich to take over the PAK-FA fighter programme but only 10 operational service aircrafts have made it very less possible for the world to consider it among the guaranteed deadliest fighter jets. The project was slow throughout but hurdles have just increased due to the piles of Western sanctions along with the money and resources which are being siphoned off to pay for the war in Ukraine. The Felon is undoubtedly an engineering marvel but realistically speaking, its enemy is not our AMCA but the Western air dominance. And the reality check hits hard! According to several experts the Felon is much inferior to Pratt and Whitney's F119 and F135 engines and they are outright beyond comparison in their stealth capabilities. Also the F-22 will dominate over it because it can carry 8 air-to-air missiles and its M61A1 Vulcan may just wreck it with its astonishing 6000 rounds per minute rate of fire. Russia's many defense entities resort to secrecy but their lip-service propaganda is not yet a convincing success because they are still incapable of dominating Ukraine and has dealt severe damage in its Air Force including losing a quarter of the Ka-52 'Alligator', which had been in the ranks of deadliest attack helicopters. The Su-57's production rate is till now as low as it can be and even if they actively deploy the existing 10 service aircrafts in the ongoing Ukraine War, it will be quite a stunt. However, if a single Felon is downed by Ukraine, it will not only be a terrible blow to Ukraine but also will result in a massive public relations bonanza for the defending country, which is also not totally impossible as Ukraine has been armed with the very best SAMs and interceptor systems including the NASAMs, HIMARS, Patriots etc. Potential Future of the DRDO-HAL Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft AMCA model displayed at Aero India 2021 On the other hand, India is a late joiner in the elite countries having/developing 5th gen fighter jets and DRDO has set quite an aggressive target for the programme. 15000 crore INR is to be allotted for the prototype development as the aircraft has reached the Critical Design Review (CDR) finalization and its development is suffering from a single major constraint - which is Time. With 2027-2030 set as the production initiation timeline, development is still riddled with lack of few proper decisions because maintaining a decent amount of indigenous components is one of the major targets too. Proper engine selection which will cater to our demands of having a truly 5+ gen air-superiority stealth fighter is by-far the largest issue it is facing. The first prototype might be expected by the end of 2025 and then comes the nitty-gritty upgrades, fixes, all-round weapons testing and perfect onboard technology functioning. Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of DRDO is set to make five prototypes for AMCA Mark-1 and the actual production unit cost is expected to be 50-60% cheaper than importing 5th gen fighters from the West. Now strictly speaking as an engineering marvel, India's AMCA upon completion may reach as special a status as the INS Vikrant is getting. It is not just any 5th gen fighter – in fact, Mark-2 will have 6th generation technological upgrades and would be considered for a potent future replacement for the Su-30 MKI fleets. Although Mark-1 is designed to less stealthy and more 'low-observable aircraft', the Mark-2 will be developed as a complete stealth jet. In addition, Directed Energy Weapons and the ability to optionally man integrated swarm drones/hypersonic weapons/miniature High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drones etc. are planned to be equipped to the AMCA. Indian Air Force plans to buy at least 125 AMCAs in Mark-1 and Mark-2 configs and this megaproject upon completion will convincingly strengthen its military prowess in a not-so-peaceful neighbourhood.

The Su-57 or The AMCA – Who Wins?

Subhodip Das

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