On Sunday, November 3, 2024, at approximately 2:40 p.m. local time (6:40 a.m. GMT), the Russian Su-57 multirole aircraft (NATO reporting name: Felon) landed at Taiyuan-Wusu International Airport in Shanxi Province, central China. This will mark its first appearance at the 15th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China) in Zhuhai, near Hong Kong, scheduled for November 12-17 this year in the southeastern Guangdong Province.
Photo via X
According to state television CCTV, this is the first visit of Russia’s latest combat aircraft to the People’s Republic of China. Additionally, after an 8-year absence, the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) aerobatic team, Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights), will participate in the aerial displays with six Su-35S multirole aircraft and a single Su-30SM.
At China Airshow 2024, at least 1,022 defense and aerospace companies from 47 countries are expected to exhibit, with national pavilions presented by Russia, France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Italy.
Among the recently announced interesting Chinese premieres will be prototypes of the twin-engine, unmanned transport aircraft Air White Whale W5000 and the autonomous, unmanned tiltrotor Lanying UR6000. According to CCTV, the modernized Xi’an H-6K strategic bomber and the Shenyang J-16D electronic warfare aircraft have already arrived in Zhuhai.
There will also be a prototype of the Shenyang J-35A multirole aircraft with tactical number 75 (the land-based variant of the carrier-based J-35) and, unsurprisingly, the main rival to the Russian next-generation aircraft, the Chengdu J-20A. Also listed are the J-10C and J-16 multirole aircraft, the advanced trainer JL-10, and large jet-powered drones such as the Guizhou WZ-7 Soaring Dragon and the Chengdu WZ-10.
International Premiere Of Su-57
According to the presented photographs, the fourth flying prototype, T-50-4, was flown to China. It was first flown on December 12, 2012, by Sukhoi test pilot Sergey Bogdan. In January 2013, it received the standard camouflage seen on the previous three prototypes, and in January 2018, it was repainted with a shark camouflage featuring pixel elements in dark gray and light gray tones.
The aircraft comes from the 929th State Flight Test Center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, named after V.P. Chkalov, located in Akhtubinsk in the Astrakhan region. On June 9 of this year, it was reportedly attacked by two Ukrainian drones, possibly resulting in damage to two other Su-57 units.
Meanwhile, on September 12 of this year, the Russian state corporation Rostec announced that its subsidiary, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), had delivered, among other aircraft, the first batch of Su-57s to the Aerospace Forces this year. These are being serially produced at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant (KnAAPO) in Russia’s Far East.
Before the September delivery, at least 21 out of the 76 Su-57s ordered for 160-170 billion RUB had likely been produced, with deliveries scheduled through 2028—including prototypes (one of which crashed on December 24, 2019). The previous delivery of serially produced Su-57s took place on September 28, 2023.
Also in September, the command of the Ukrainian Air Force reported that over the previous seven months, the Russians had conducted more than 40 attacks using Su-57 aircraft, which previously had not been used so intensively in combat operations. On October 5 of this year, one of these aircraft was used to shoot down one of the two built prototypes of the Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B (Russian for “Hunter”) combat drone over eastern Ukraine, which may have lost control.
su57 in taiyuan pic.twitter.com/luoddPlNCC
— Sweet Clay (@Clay_PLAPAP) November 4, 2024
Up-close view of Russian Su-57 jet underside at Zhuhai 2024 in China. https://t.co/2yvAovP2Gb pic.twitter.com/40IDe7wcDj
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 4, 2024
Sukhoi Su-57 Felon in Taiyuan Wusu International Airport pic.twitter.com/gGXDVG67Kv
— MartinYu🇺🇦 (@MartinY94321052) November 3, 2024
Russia's 5th generation Su-57 fighter beast arrives in China for the first time to participate in the Airshow China 2024 aerospace exhibition in Zhuhai.#Zhuhai2024 pic.twitter.com/3CPWFBzLOc
— Syed Ali Abbas (@smalinaqvi05) November 3, 2024
A very rare close-up look at Russian Su-57 5th generation stealth aircraft at Zhuhai Airshow 2024.
#ZhuhaiAirshow2024 #AirshowChina #China #AirShow2024 pic.twitter.com/lhaFdJVM15
— Global Defense Agency (@Defense_GDA) November 4, 2024
珠海航展に参加するためSu-57戦闘機が太原から珠海へ移動。 pic.twitter.com/RuTRAnxDmI
— お砂糖wsnbn (@sugar_wsnbn) November 4, 2024
First ever clear photo of Su-57's mysterious side weapon bay‼️
photo by 万全@wanquanphoto pic.twitter.com/L1nNy8U2Rm
— Fighterman_FFRC (@Fighterman_FFRC) November 5, 2024