Russia’s Sukhoi began work on the creation of a tactical single-engine, fifth-gen fighter jet which will be built using stealth technologies and Su-57 platform, a key source in the aircraft construction industry told Sputnik.
Russian news outlets reported early on Wednesday that the Sukhoi aircraft design bureau had started work on the country's first single-engine stealth fighter.
The Su-57 twin-engine jet is Russia's only stealth fighter to date, but its development has faced multiple delays since it first flew in 2010. Large air forces typically seek to have both single-engine and twin-engine fighters to meet varied purposes. Single-engine fighters are considered optimal for short-range air-defence and surface-attack missions, given their inherently lower maintenance costs on account of having just one engine and higher 'turnaround' time (time taken to equip aircraft for new mission). Twin-engine aircraft are considered more suitable for missions that involve long range and flying over water.
