Russia Tests Two-Seat Su-57 Variant as Export Push Gains Momentum

Russia has taken another step in the evolution of its flagship stealth fighter programme, with a newly developed two-seat version of the Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon” reportedly completing initial ground taxi trials. The development signals Moscow’s growing focus on export markets as it attempts to expand international sales of its fifth-generation combat aircraft.

Images circulating in Russian defence media during May showed what appears to be a modified Su-57 airframe featuring an elongated forward fuselage and tandem cockpit arrangement. Russian military aviation commentator Ilya Tumanov, who operates the Fighterbomber Telegram channel, confirmed that the aircraft had completed ground runs as part of early testing on 16 May.

The final designation of the aircraft remains unclear. Russian sources have suggested several possible names, including Su-57D, Su-57UB and Su-57ED, reflecting the programme’s early stage of development.

The move toward a two-seat configuration is widely viewed as a strategic export decision rather than a requirement for the Russian Aerospace Forces. While the single-seat Su-57 has been positioned as Russia’s answer to Western fifth-generation fighters such as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, foreign operators typically require dual-seat trainer variants to support pilot conversion and operational training.

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

For nations without Russia’s extensive combat aviation infrastructure, simulator networks and pilot training pipelines, a two-seat variant significantly lowers the barrier to introducing a sophisticated stealth aircraft into service. Russian military commentary channels have openly stated that the aircraft is intended primarily for export customers.

Developed by Sukhoi and produced at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft plant in Russia’s Far East, the Su-57 entered limited operational service in 2020 after years of delays and redesigns. The aircraft incorporates low-observable shaping, internal weapons bays, thrust-vectoring engines and advanced sensor systems intended to compete with Western stealth fighters.

However, the programme continues to face questions over both production scale and stealth effectiveness. Western analysts have frequently challenged Russian claims regarding the aircraft’s radar cross-section performance, arguing that the Su-57 may not achieve the same level of stealth capability as its American counterparts.

Despite these concerns, Russia appears determined to build export momentum around the platform. In April 2026, Rosoboronexport announced new foreign contracts for the Su-57, although neither customer identities nor order quantities were disclosed.

At the same time, photographs and video footage emerged showing Su-57 aircraft carrying Algerian Air Force markings, strongly indicating that Algerian Air Force has become the first foreign operator of the type. Algeria has long relied on Soviet and Russian military aircraft and remains one of Africa’s largest defence spenders, making the development strategically significant for Moscow’s defence export ambitions.

The emergence of a dual-seat Su-57 could therefore play an important role in broadening the aircraft’s appeal to international customers, particularly in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, where many air forces lack the training ecosystems needed to transition directly onto advanced single-seat stealth fighters.

Yet the Su-57 programme continues to operate under the shadow of the ongoing war in Ukraine. According to open-source tracking and Ukrainian military reporting, at least four Su-57 aircraft have reportedly been lost since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Notably, all confirmed losses occurred on the ground during Ukrainian long-range drone attacks against Russian airbases rather than during aerial combat operations.

Those incidents have highlighted a different vulnerability for Russia’s premier combat aircraft programme: the challenge of protecting high-value assets from increasingly sophisticated unmanned threats operating deep behind front lines. Even so, the development of a two-seat Su-57 demonstrates that Russia remains committed to positioning the Felon as both a domestic prestige programme and a major export product in the increasingly competitive global fighter market.