Military Observer Magazine: Russia's new Su-57 is equipped with "hypersonic weapons" - this development is of great significance

August 4, 2025 15:04

The Russian Aerospace Forces' fifth-generation multi-role fighter jet Su-57 launches a missile. Photo.

According to the professional military magazine "Military Observer Magazine," Russia's new fifth-generation fighter jet Su-57 has been equipped with the "Zircon" hypersonic missile, which could become a turning point in the confrontation with the West.

Major General Alexander Maximets, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Aerospace Forces and First Deputy Commander, confirmed that the Su-57 has been equipped with hypersonic weapons.

He stated in an interview: "According to the state defense order, the Aerospace Forces receive modernized and improved weapon systems every year. The delivery speed of the fifth-generation fighter jet Su-57 is continuously increasing, and it is equipped with advanced aviation strike systems and hypersonic weapons."

Russian media have long implied that the Su-57 will be equipped with hypersonic weapons. In February 2023, TASS reported that "small air-launched hypersonic missiles for the Su-57" had entered the prototype stage. Although the specific category of this hypersonic missile has not yet been clarified, it is confirmed that the Russian military is developing an air-launched version of the "Zircon" cruise missile, which is currently equipped on Russian naval surface ships and submarines.

The "Zircon" missile was officially commissioned on Russian surface ships in January 2023, and later became one of the weapons for Russian submarines. In addition, the Russian military plans to integrate it into land-based missile systems. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu previously emphasized:

"The unique feature of the 'Zircon' hypersonic missile is that it can penetrate any existing and future air defense systems."

This project is a core element of the modernization of Russia's anti-ship capabilities, and is expected to compensate for the shortcomings of the Russian Navy, including the reduction in the number of destroyers and cruisers. Except for China's YJ-21 missile, there are no counterparts in performance: its range is about 1,000 kilometers, and its speed exceeds 9 Mach. The kinetic energy generated upon impact is sufficient to damage large ships. In comparison, the most advanced supersonic anti-ship missiles in the West, such as the SM-6, have a range of about 450 kilometers and a speed of about 3.5 Mach.

Integrating the "Zircon" missile onto the Su-57 (a fighter jet with a large range and advanced stealth capabilities) will significantly increase the threat to enemy ships, especially considering that the Russian military plans to expand the number of Su-57s to hundreds by the late 2030s.

In October 2023, official Russian media reported that the Russian military was developing a new long-range cruise missile based on the Kh-101/102 missiles, originally equipped on strategic bombers, which is planned to be equipped on the Su-57 in the future. Compared to the original Kh-101/102, the new missile is smaller in size but maintains the same range (about 3,500 kilometers). According to the introduction, "due to improved foldable wings, optimized internal structure, and a new small turbojet engine, the size of the new warhead has been significantly reduced," making the Su-57 the aircraft with the largest strike radius among all currently operational fighters. At present, more details about this new missile have not been released.

The compact "air-to-air" hypersonic missiles equipped on the Su-57 are likely to be widely used on other frontline aircraft in Russia, especially those that are only equipped with one squadron of Su-57s. In late July, it was confirmed that the Su-35S frontline fighter jets have begun to be equipped with the main air-to-air tactical missile R-77M, which increases the possibility of further promotion of this missile throughout the army.

New missiles developed for the Su-57 and compatible with a broader range of aircraft models may enhance its export potential. The MiG-31K/I fighter jet is one of the main candidate aircraft for equipping hypersonic weapons. This aircraft has been used to launch the Kh-47M2 ballistic missile and is expected to be equipped with the "air-to-air" version of the "Zircon" missile. Due to its smaller size, the aircraft can conduct multiple strikes in a single flight.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7534973808759947816/

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