“Flight tests have begun on the prototype of the Su-57, a fifth-generation two-seater fighter. This aircraft, developed independently by our aircraft manufacturers, will, in addition to its unique combat characteristics, also possess the capabilities of a combat trainer and a command and control aircraft,” said Denis Manturov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.
The first flight: who, where, and what was shown
United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) reported that the two-seat Su-57D made its first flight at an airfield in Russia under the control of Sergei Bogdan, chief test pilot at the Sukhoi Design Bureau. UAC said the flight “proceeded as planned in accordance with the flight mission parameters.” Imagery released through official Russian industry channels and a post on the Fighterbomber Telegram channel provide the clearest public glimpse yet of the twin-seat prototype; the first photograph accompanying those claims reportedly showed the aircraft during taxi tests prior to flight trials.
Visible design changes: cockpit, canopy, and implications
The most obvious alteration is an elongated cockpit canopy with a steeply elevated second crew station behind the pilot. The new canopy raises the second crew member to a position that observers say would ease oversight of complex missions. UAC commented that the aircraft was developed as a two-seater, and analysts noted that accommodating a second seat likely required internal rearrangement of avionics bays, fuel storage, and mission systems. The source notes that such outer-mold-line changes will “also have a negative impact on the aircraft’s low-observability (stealthy) characteristics and performance.”
Intended roles: trainer, command-and-control, and UCAV coordination
UAC and government officials described multiple roles for the Su-57D. Denis Manturov framed the aircraft as both a combat trainer and a command-and-control platform. Vadim Badeha, CEO of UAC, said the two-seater “will significantly contribute to its success in foreign markets.” Many observers, the reporting notes, believe Sukhoi is positioning the two-seat Su-57 as a command aircraft for coordinating manned-unmanned operations — a mission set that could include directing formations of S-70 Okhotnik-B UCAVs. Russia has previously experimented with linking the Okhotnik drone to single-seat Su-57 prototypes during earlier testing campaigns, a fact cited in the reporting as context for the Su-57D’s probable employment.
How the Su-57D compares: China’s J-20S and a tiny club of two-seat fifth-gen fighters
The emergence of the Su-57D places Russia alongside China as one of the only countries publicly linked to a two-seat, fifth-generation fighter program. The source points to China’s Chengdu J-20S variant — likewise associated with crewed-uncrewed teaming for Chinese UCAVs and “fighter-like loyal wingman” drones — as the closest analogue. The reporting includes reference to comparative images showing the two-seat J-20S alongside J-20A variants, underlining that the two-seat concept is being pursued independently by more than one major aerospace program.
What this means for Russian UCAV operators, export customers, and UAC
- Russian UCAV operators and mission planners: A second cockpit station could reduce pilot workload during high-intensity missions that involve controlling drone formations, electronic warfare, or strike coordination. The Su-57D’s design changes are described as intended to support those command-and-control tasks.
- Export customers and procurement leaders: Vadim Badeha publicly linked the two-seater to improved prospects in “foreign markets.” The reporting also recalls India’s earlier interest in a two-seat configuration during the abandoned Indo-Russian FGFA negotiations — a request that went unmet when the FGFA program collapsed — suggesting a prior market demand for such a variant.
- United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and Russian industry: Rostec reportedly stated on Telegram that the Su-57D “was developed by specialists at UAC on their own initiative,” indicating the project may have been driven internally rather than as a formal state program. That dynamic, plus UAC’s public statements about export potential, frames the aircraft both as a technical evolution and as an effort to attract buyers amid limited export interest in the Su-57 to date.
The two-seat Su-57D’s appearance is, at minimum, a visible evolution of Russia’s fifth-generation fighter ambitions: a prototype that has moved from taxi tests into a first reported flight, a revised cockpit explicitly framed as trainer and command-and-control, and a program pitched to foreign buyers even as questions remain about state backing, stealth trade-offs, and production scale. The immediate next visible steps will be the continuation of flight tests and any formal announcements from UAC or state authorities about production or export contracts.
Original story: https://www.twz.com/air/russias-new-two-seat-su-57-felon-takes-its-first-flight
