Russia’s state-of-the-art Sukhoi Su-57 fifth-generation fighter outperforms its US rivals in weapon systems, robotics, radars and electronic warfare equipment, military expert Alexei Leonkov told TASS on Thursday, commenting on some Western media’s claims that Russian aircraft lagged behind the American F-22 and F-35 planes.

"The Su-57 outshines them by now in terms of the amount and diversity of armament. On top of that, the latest solutions, such as the second pilot as a system that facilitates aircraft control and combat operations, a spherical all-around radar that ‘sees’ everything and cutting-edge electronic warfare systems aboard the Su-57 leave the US rival far behind," the expert stressed.

The United States emphasizes supersonic afterburning, low infrared signature, maneuverability, short take-offs, advanced avionics, multirole capabilities and network centricity as major criteria for fifth-generation aircraft, he pointed out.

"For a long time, it had been believed that only F-22 and F-35 planes can be referred to as fifth generation but these aircraft lack low radar signature and therefore can be shot down," the expert stressed.

"The West would like to see us lag behind, but this is not the case. Clear progress can be seen in Russia with regard to both twin-and single-engine aircraft," Leonkov contended.

Russia’s Aerospace Forces will receive 22 Su-57 fighters by late 2024 and their number will increase to 76 by 2028. The first Su-57 fighter was delivered to the Russian military in 2020.