Russia’s most advanced fighter, the Su-57, has now been observed in a new air-to-air combat configuration, marking a notable development in its operational deployment.

The aircraft was delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces in February 2025 and has since been seen carrying two R-73/74 short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missiles mounted beneath its wings, along with what appears to be a previously unseen targeting pod beneath the left engine nacelle.

This is a departure from its standard configuration, as the Su-57 was designed to carry such weapons internally to maintain stealth characteristics. The external carriage may represent a test configuration or weapons evaluation, but it could also indicate an effort to expand firepower by combining internal and external missile loads.

The photographs of this configuration are set against the backdrop of Ukraine’s expanding long-range strike campaign, which has targeted Russian military airfields, oil refineries, missile factories, and infrastructure deep inside Russian territory.

A significant incident occurred in June 2024 when Ukrainian drones reportedly damaged or destroyed a Su-57 at Akhtubinsk Air Base, underscoring the vulnerability of Russia’s most advanced aircraft even at rear-area bases. In response, Russia accelerated the construction of hardened aircraft shelters and reinforced local air defences around critical installations.

The Su-57, like all fifth generation fighters, was designed to carry missiles internally to preserve stealth. External carriage makes the aircraft more detectable and easier to track at range. When configured for stealth, Su-57s have been the only fighters known to operate in heavily defended Ukrainian airspace, demonstrating confidence in their survivability.

The external carriage of missiles and pods suggests operations far from hostile territory, likely for cruise missile launches or air defence duties. The choice of R-73/74 infrared-guided missiles, rather than radar-guided R-77-1s, is unusual and may indicate deployment against lower value targets such as unmanned aircraft.

The previously unseen pod mounted beneath the left engine nacelle may be a derivative of the 101KS-N navigation and targeting pod, though its external differences suggest it could be an improved or specialised variant optimised for air-to-air target identification.

While targeting pods were originally intended for air-to-ground missions, they have become increasingly useful for visually identifying drones and cruise missiles at long range, supplementing radar and infrared sensors. The combination of infrared-guided missiles and a targeting pod is particularly unusual for a fifth generation fighter, as such aircraft typically integrate advanced avionics that negate the need for external pods.

The Su-57’s operational scope in Ukraine has been extensive, including air defence suppression, air-to-air combat, operations in heavily defended airspace, and precision strike missions using both internal and external weapons.

Ukrainian sources reported in May and September 2024 that Su-57 units had intensified strikes, with reports in August 2025 indicating that operations had expanded to include whole formations of the aircraft.

Despite its advanced capabilities, the Su-57 is significantly more complex and costly than other Russian fighters, with a flyaway cost more than double that of the Su-35S and nearly triple that of the Su-30SM, despite its similar size and shared engine type with the Su-35S.

The Su-57 remains the only fifth generation fighter produced outside the United States and China, and its combat testing has been more intensive than its rivals due to its role in the Russian-Ukrainian War. 

Its evolving configurations, including the external carriage of infrared missiles and targeting pods, highlight Russia’s efforts to adapt the aircraft to new operational demands, particularly in countering drones and cruise missiles.

This development underscores both the versatility and the challenges of fielding such an advanced platform in a high-intensity conflict.

Agencies