Based on recent images published on social media, open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources have indicated that the Russian Aerospace Forces may have initiated the first deployments of new Su-57 stealth fighters, marking what would be the first occasion in which these aircraft are integrated into an already operational combat regiment. In particular, the service is believed to have sent these modern aircraft to regions near the border with China, as inferred from the identifying markings visible on their fuselage.
Expanding on details, the images published via Telegram show two Su-57 fighters flying together, accompanied by a brief caption stating: “A Su-57 pilot looks at another Su-57 pilot who looks at another Su-57 pilot (…) These are the first combat pilots and the first Su-57s to enter service in a fighter regiment.” Analysts later suggested, in relation to this, that these could be aircraft operating for the 23rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment.
This latter point is significant, as it refers to a unit stationed at Dzyomgi Air Base, located northeast of the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. This would place the two stealth fighters just 186 miles from the Chinese border and about 413 miles from Japan’s Hokkaido Island. In the absence of an official confirmation of the deployment, this remains a hypothesis put forward by various analysts based on the available photographs, although it is unclear in which geographic location or at what date the images were taken.
Regardless of these uncertainties, it is worth noting that OSINT sources had already suggested back in April that the Russian Aerospace Forces had celebrated the reception of the first batch of Su-57 aircraft scheduled for this year, marking an important step in the build-up of the service’s stealth fighter fleet at a time when the main developments centered around efforts to export the aircraft to third countries. This batch would complement a series of three delivered in 2024—specifically in September, November, and December—each consisting of two or three units.
Furthermore, the news comes just weeks after officials of the service stated that Russia is advancing in the development and incorporation of hypersonic missiles capable of being deployed from the Su-57, which would undoubtedly represent a significant leap in capabilities for the platform. Specifically, Lieutenant General Aleksandr Maksimtsev, current Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, noted in an interview: “In accordance with the state defense order, the Aerospace Forces annually receive advanced and modernized weapons systems. The delivery rate of fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft is increasing, along with modern air strike systems and hypersonic weapons.”
Without specifying which missile would be added to the arsenal of these aircraft, reports pointed to two main candidates: a modified version of the Zircon cruise missile or the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (also known by NATO as the AS-24 Killjoy). In the first case, this refers to a development announced by Russian authorities but little known in terms of technical characteristics in its air-launched variant. In the second, it would be a more familiar weapon for Russian aircraft, particularly the MiG-31K/I fighters, and one that years ago was also considered for integration with Tu-22 bombers.
Cover image: Fighterbomber via Telegram
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