Why China’s J-20 & Russia’s Su-57 May Not Be 5th-Generation

By Maya Carlin, Warrior Contributor, Weapons

China and Russia have marketed their own domestic fifth-generation fighter platforms over the last two decades.

China’s J-20 and Russia’s Su-57 jets are the models each side has put forward as operational stealth airframes capable of countering the United States’ air superiority.

However, several technicalities cause these aircraft to fall short of the fifth-generation label.

Beijing and Moscow claim these jets are as capable as the world’s first two stealth fighters — the American-made F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Kremlin has threatened to unleash its Su-57 in Ukraine, along with other air superiority platforms it has not yet introduced.

Despite Moscow’s claims, the Su-57 cannot be considered a near-peer to its American counterparts.

A Brief History of the Su-57

Designated the Felon by NATO, the Su-57 was developed by Russian manufacturer Sukhoi in the late 1990s. More than one decade earlier, the Soviet Union had outlined its need for a next-generation fighter that could better counter U.S. jet platforms. Two projects were initially created to address the USSR’s needs.

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