Russia Deliberately Avoids Using Advanced Su-57 Stealth Aircraft Over Fears They May Be Destroyed – According to an intelligence update published by the British Ministry of Defence on Monday, Russia is deliberately avoiding using its most advanced fighter jets in Ukrainian airspace over fears that they could be shot down.
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It comes after the United States and Western countries committed to providing more air defense systems to Ukraine following a brutal campaign of missile and attack drone bombardments by Russian forces.
According to the intelligence update, Moscow has “almost certainly” used its Su-57 FELON fighter jet since June to conduct operations close to the Ukrainian border. However, the advanced fighter jet has not entered Ukrainian airspace.
“These missions have likely been limited to flying over Russian territory, launching long range air-to-surface or air-to-air missiles into Ukraine,” the update reads.
Su-57: Fears Over Losing Credibility and Vital Aircraft
British intelligence also revealed how commercially available imagery shows how five FELON fighter jets were parked at the Akhtubinsk Air Base, which is currently the only known FELON base.
The update also suggested that Russia is concerned about the possibility of its most advanced weapons and aircraft losing credibility globally if they were to be taken out by Ukrainian air defense.
Russia also faces continued difficulties finding technological parts, often manufactured in the West, to create new advanced aircraft or repair existing planes.
Should any equipment even be damaged by Ukrainian forces, let alone destroyed, Russia would likely be unable to properly repair them.
“Russia is highly likely prioritizing avoiding the reputational damage, reduced export prospects, and the compromise of sensitive technology which would come from any loss of FELON over Ukraine,” the update adds. “This is symptomatic of Russia’s continued risk-averse approach to employing its air force in the war.”
Russia may also be concerned about missing a target to manufacture 76 of the aircraft by 2028. A report from the Russian news agency TASS in August revealed how Moscow planned to manufacture 22 Su-57 planes by the end of 2024, bringing the total number to 76.
It is unclear, however, whether Russia will be able to meet the target in the face of ongoing sanctions.
What is the FELON?
The Su-57 FELON is Russia’s most advanced fifth-generation supersonic fighter jet. By nature of being a fifth-generation jet, the FELON is capable of flying at supersonic speeds without the use of afterburners.
The plane first entered development in 2002 and was designed to compete with the America F-35 jet.
While the plane is clearly capable of launching missile strikes, which analysts believe it has in recent months, the Royal United Services Institute believes that the plane has yet to mature into a “credible frontline weapons system.”
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
