Overview
- The Su-57D, which flew Wednesday at the Zhukovsky test center near Moscow, began formal trials under state builder UAC with veteran pilot Sergej Bogdan at the controls.
- The new cockpit adds a rear crew seat for training and for an airborne controller role to coordinate larger drones, though the seat was empty on the first sortie.
- The airframe is a converted Su-57 from the manufacturer's test fleet and it still uses older engines, so a timeline for a mature production model remains unclear.
- UAC chief Wadim Badecha said the two-seat version could lift overseas sales, while reports mention possible interest in India and past export soundings for Iran, Ethiopia, and Algeria.
- Independent outlets continue to flag weaker stealth, slow production, and technical issues compared with rival U.S. and Chinese fighters, even as Rostec touts recent upgrades.