Russia Eyes Sixth-Gen Fighter as Fifth-Gen Collects Dust in Ukraine War
Officials in Russia are publicly discussing the development of a sixth-generation fighter — but this is pure fantasy designed to whip up nationalist pride in the superiority of Russian weapon systems.
Their so-called fifth-generation Su-57 Felon has largely sat on the sidelines during the Ukraine War.
So, what defines an aircraft “generation” and why do I believe Russia’s fifth-generation Felon is actually not fifth gen at all?
Let’s analyze!
This week, Evgeny Fedosov, scientific director of the State Research Institute of Aviation Systems, wrote in a column for the state-owned TASS news agency: “Currently, we are thinking about the concept of a sixth-generation aircraft, conducting research, exchanging views with military specialists.”
Fedosov has also started to collect funding for this endeavor.
His comment has been echoed in recent days on regime-controlled Russian TV and media, and it’s sparked a nationalistic fervor around Russia’s unstoppable super weapons.
But Russia has struggled to field its current fourth-gen fighters in Ukraine and certainly hasn’t approached anything resembling air superiority.
