Russia’s Su-57 Fighter Gets Cutting Edge Helmet Mounted Targeting System

<p >Russian state media has unveiled a new helmet-mounted targeting system for the <a href=" target="_blank">Su-57 fifth generation fighter</a>, which is expected to narrow a key performance gap the aircraft suffered compared to its Chinese and American rivals the J-20 and F-35. Much like the helmets on these competing aircraft, the Su-57’s new helmet projects critical information directly onto the visor, including flight and targeting data. The helmet reportedly provides a comprehensive view of the operational environment, and pairs with the fighter’s sensors to significantly improve situational awareness. </p><p >A notable shortcoming of the Su-57’s system is that it is not paired with a distributed aperture system – a subsystem unique to the F-35 and China’s J-20 and FC-31 which allows pilots to ‘see through’ their aircraft using their helmets paired with using optical sensors, while also providing warnings of incoming threats. The Su-57 partly compensates for this with its unique suite of five active electronically scanned array radars – with some sources reporting a sixth radar deployed as well. These are dispersed across the airframe, in contrast to the J-20 and F-35 which deploy just a single radar. The fighter also remains hampered in the utility which its pilots can make of helmet mounted sights for high off boresight targeting due to a lack of comparable missiles to the Chinese PL-10 and American AIM-9X Block II, although such a missile was <a href=" >confirmed</a> in 2021 to be under development.</p><p ><img src=" title="Su-57 Fifth Generation Fighter"></p><p >Russian industry has invested heavily in incrementally modernising the Su-57, with the unveiling of a new helmet for the fighter occurring less than 48 hours after the <a href=" target="_blank">first footage</a> of a radar cross section reducing nozzle for its engines was released. Russia is expected to remain considerably behind China and the United States in developing a sixth generation fighter, which makes it critical to maximise performance of its fifth generation aircraft, particularly as Su-57s are beginning to be <a href=" target="_blank">produced on a much larger scale</a>. There is a significant possibility that a decision on the procurement of new helmets may have been influenced by experience operating the Su-57 in the Ukrainian theatre, with the aircraft having seen far higher intensity combat testing than any other fighter of its generation. Operations having included <a href=" >air defence suppression</a>, <a href=" >air to air combat</a>, and <a href=" >operations in </a>heavily defended enemy airspace, as well as a range of <a href=" >precision strike missions</a>. Another significant possibility is that exercises with Chinese fighter aircraft, including the fifth generation J-20, may have led the Russian Air Force to appreciate the importance of advanced helmet systems for fighter operations in the 2020s. </p>