The construction of a new plant in Russia with the exclusive purpose of producing the Su-57 Felon fighter is seen as a move toward accelerating this fighter’s production.
Russia is constructing a new factory to produce Su-57 Felon aircraft in large quantities. The Far Eastern Aviation Manufacturing Plant (KnAAZ) in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, according to the statement, is home to the new assembly line. According to the source, it is anticipated that production of Su-57s will expand quickly in the upcoming years. It’s expected that the Su-75 Checkmate, another Russian fifth-generation stealth fighter, will also be assembled on the new production line.
According to a source in the Russian defence sector, the Russian Federation is constructing an engine test station, a fuel supply station, and an avionics test centre inside the new production site.
Unconfirmed reports claim that the new production facility will be given priority in order to allocate the best tools, such as the use of virtual reality goggles during assembly or additional facilities for training a pilot right here. Although the Su-57 stealth fighter has been in mass production for at least two years, only about five of them have been delivered to the Russian Air Force, whereas 76 Felons are scheduled to be delivered to Russia as part of a contract between the Ministry of National Defense and Rostec State Technology Corporation.
First Deputy General Director of Rostec Vladimir Artyakov recently stated that the first combat aircraft will be delivered to the KnAAZ Flight Test Station’s new facility in the second half of 2019.
The new facility, according to the Russian press, will enhance the Su-57 aircraft’ stealth qualities and manufacturing quality. This facility will be equipped with cutting-edge technology, making it competitive with US and Chinese aviation production facilities. The Su-35, a different multi-role fighter built by the Russian Aerospace Forces, won’t be produced in the new plant, which is another piece of information that is also quite intriguing.
People with knowledge of the situation say that the Russian Federation intends to stop manufacturing the Su-35 in 2027 and concentrate on producing large quantities of the Su-57 and Su-75 for both home and foreign markets. Additionally, it is unknown at this time whether the S-70 Okhotnik, a sophisticated heavy stealth attack drone, will be manufactured on the line of the newly constructed production facility.
Additionally, the notorious Izdelie 30 engine, the most recent and eagerly sought jet engine for the Russian Air Force, will be finished and installed in the Komsomolsk-on-Amur plant in the Far East. Saturn 30 is used as a trade name. Although Russia has high hopes for the newly under construction production facility, observers assert that simply having the factory will not speed up the mass production of Su-F fighter jets.
It is currently very difficult for Russia to get electronic components or high-speed processing chips to include into its newest weaponry due to the influence of sanctions imposed by the West.
In addition, it is important to note that Russia continues to produce Su-57 in a limited capacity because it has not yet finished adding features. This is because even if it constructs 10 more houses, the “standard fifth generation” engine will not be ready. The production rate of Felon cannot be increased with additional machinery.
