Sukhoi Su-57, Russia's 5th Generation stealth fighter with 6th Generation technology?

Sukhoi Su-57, the 5th Generation Russian combat aircraft, also uses technologies being developed for the 6th Generation fighters making it a "breakthrough" platform. The Su-57, which is already in service with the Russian Aerospace Force, is the first 5th Generation fighter developed and operationalised by Russia.

While the Russian authorities have not revealed many of the technical specifications of the Su-57, according to Chinese news portal Sohu, the Sukhoi fighter has the capability of an unmanned piloting mode and artificial-intelligence combat. The two features make the Su-57 a fighter which also incorporates 6th Generation technology.

The Sohu article mentions that Russia has made a "breakthrough" by using 6th Generation technologies in the Sukhoi-built jet. The unmanned pilot mode can allow the Su-57 to undergo extreme g force not possible in the current fighters in service with the air forces around the world. Most modern fighters can take up to 9g force but the pilot's reaction becomes extremely slow in such a situation whereas an unmanned version of a fighter plane can take much more stress.

Russian defence officials have claimed that the unmanned version of Su-57 can withstand up to 15g stress. According to Russia's Sputniknews.com, the development of the unpiloted mode of Su-57 fighter is already under progress.

"The T-50 (Sukhoi's internal name for the Su-57) flying laboratory is testing an unpiloted mode. A pilot is in the cockpit during a flight but is just controlling the operation of all systems," Sputniknews had quoted a defence source as saying on May 16, 2020.

China has its own 5th Generation fighter Chengdu J-20 which is in service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).  Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, the developer of  J-20, is also working on an unmanned version of the fighter. The first stealth fighter to enter service was the F-22 Raptor of the United States of America which also has operationalised the F-35 Lightning II, its second 5th Generation combat jet.

Along with stealth capabilities, the Su-57 claims to have supercruise, supermaneuverability and advanced avionics. A total of 76 Su-57 jets have been ordered for the Russian Aerospace Force and a few of them have already been delivered.