The NATO report name “Feron” Suhoi SU-57 is a Russian mainstay fifth-generation fighter, but there are many issues from the concept to the operation deployment, and many of them are purely technical. Is also economical.

In this article, we dig deeper into a complicated cost network associated with SU-57, taking into account both direct financial investment and the extensive impact of sanctions and geological tensions that maintain and maintain it. 。
Many speculation and discussions have been conducted on the estimates of the initial cost of SU-57. Initial statistics suggest that unit costs remain between $ 35 million to $ 5,000, which is a price that is much higher than $ 80 million per unit for type A. Compared to the equivalent on the west side like the F-35, it is somewhat affordable. 。 However, these numbers do not capture the overall economic image of such advanced aircraft deployment.
The production cost of SU-57 is greatly affected by the agreement of Crimea and the western sanctions imposed on Russia after the dispute in Ukraine. These sanctions have separated Moscow from advanced western electronic devices and air electronic devices that are essential for modern fighters.
According to an analysis of groups such as Frontelligence Insight, access to these components, including German WA36 attench, PLR7 60-12, and EA-PS 3150 power supply, has been lost, and the SU-57 production is “crisis”. It is said that it is.
Russia is forced to procure alternatives from countries such as China, or to work in a high -cost, high -cost and high -risk smuggling business.
Beyond the manufacturing stage, the operation and maintenance costs of SU-57 may be considerable, but the exact numbers are still uncertain. The SU-57 adopts sophisticated systems such as Izderier 30 engines, but is facing a delay in development despite its advanced functions.
In particular, integration of new technologies such as avionics and stealth functions requires a certain level of expertise and infrastructure that Russia needs to be rebuilt or changed in consideration of sanctions, and the cost is further increased. 。
Relying on the old AL-41F-1 engine until the new engine is completely operated means that the aircraft performance does not completely match the specifications of the fifth generation, and the aircraft life is short. Maintenance costs may increase over time.
The economic burden associated with the maintenance of the SU-57 extends to Russia’s extensive defense budget. The economy of the country has been exposed to pressure due to sanctions and falling crude oil prices, and the distribution of resources to such high -cost projects is a balance.
Russia needs to significantly increase national defense expenses, and, as an expert like Alexandra Procopenco points out, Putin is to maintain an equilibrium financial system, social obligatory, and expensive national defense expenses. She has fallen into the “unresolved trilemma”.
Financial backbones that support Russia’s ambitious SU-57 stealth fighter projects are as complicated as aircraft themselves. The core funding is mainly from the Russian government and is provided through the Ministry of Defense.
SU-57 is not just an aircraft. This is the basis of Moscow’s long -term vision of modernizing the Air Force, which ensures a large amount of investment from the national defense budget.
Not only the government’s direct funding, but also domestic industry officials such as United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and Suhoi are contributing to projects. These companies are investing in research, development, and production, and are often linked to the implementation of contracts with the state.
Although their funding is far from state funds, it is extremely important to boost the limit that can be achieved by the SU-57 in terms of technological innovation.
Previously, SU-57’s success has been limited in terms of exports that offset some of Russian military equipment development costs.
In particular, although there were claims of export contracts with countries such as India and Algeria, these were not realized due to the difficult development routes of the aircraft and the purchase of Russian military equipment in international tension. I have been skeptical.
Sanctions have further reduced the appeal in the global market due to the unable to provide SU-57 at competitive or reliable supply chains.
Therefore, SU-57’s economic impact on Russia is not only a direct spending point, but also as an opportunity to invest in technology and systems that may not cause expected military or economic interests. You can see it.
The deployment of this aircraft is cautious, only a few participating in battle operations in Ukraine, and Russia may be wary of reputation and financial damage that can be caused by losing these expensive assets. It suggests that you are doing it.
This limited relationship reflects the broad strategy of saving resources, while the economic impact of sanctions continues.
In the face of the west sanctions, Russia had to rely on domestic redistribution. This means shuffling funds from other defense projects in order to survive the SU-57 plan, or reducing spending in areas that are not so important. This is an act of balancing financial management in the shadow of economic sanctions, all rubles are important, and all decisions can affect the track of the project.
In this way, the story of providing funds to the SU-57 depicts the state of a nation that is trying to assert technical skills in economic constraints. This is a story that describes national investment, support for domestic industries, pursuit of international partnerships, and advantageous export transactions, while overcoming geopolitics and sanctions.
In conclusion, traveling from the SU-57 to the sky was important not only to high technical skills, but also to overcome economic land mines.
The actual cost of deploying the 5th -generation fighter aircraft exceeds the initial price, such as increased production costs, maintenance issues, economic sanctions, and a wide range of strategic impact on Russian defense.
As Russia continues to invest in military power, the SU-57 story proves that international politics and the economy can form even the most advanced technical ambitions.
***
Follow us anytime, anywhere. BULGARIANMILITARY.com is a responsive design and can open pages from any computer, mobile device, and web browser. For the latest news, follow Google News, YouTube, Reddit, Linkedin, and Twitter pages. Our standards: manifest and ethical principles.