SU-57 FELON

Russia's Su-57 Felon goes dual-seat

Russia's United Aircraft Corporation has flown a two-seat Su-57 prototype for the first time. The variant is designed for pilot training and as a command platform for coordinating manned and unmanned operations.  

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The emergence of official imagery and video of the twin-seat Sukhoi Su-57 marks one of the most significant visible evolutions of Russia’s stealth fighter program in years. The aircraft — widely referred to as the “Su-57D,” although Russia has not formally confirmed the designation
reportedly completed its maiden flight on May 19, 2026.

According to United Aircraft Corporation and Rostec, the prototype was flown by Sergei Bogdan, Sukhoi’s chief test pilot. Russian officials stated that the sortie proceeded normally and met all planned test parameters.

What makes the aircraft especially notable is that it becomes only the second known fifth-generation fighter to adopt a dedicated twin-seat configuration after China’s Chengdu J-20S.

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The new cockpit layout appears heavily inspired by earlier Flanker-family trainers such as the Sukhoi Su-30, with a tandem arrangement and a noticeably raised rear cockpit. Analysts believe the second crew position is intended for more than pilot instruction. Russian statements emphasize roles including:

• command-and-control missions,
• coordination of unmanned aircraft,
• network-centric warfare management,
• and operation as a “combat control aircraft.”

That language strongly suggests Russia envisions the aircraft working alongside drones such as the Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik, potentially with the back-seat operator managing loyal-wingman operations during combat missions.

The redesign required a substantially altered forward fuselage, and early reactions from aviation communities have focused on the enlarged canopy profile and its possible radar cross-section implications. Some observers speculate the current aircraft may still be an interim prototype rather than a finalized production-standard shape.

Russian industry officials are also openly framing the twin-seat variant as an export-oriented evolution of the Su-57 program. That has fueled speculation about renewed interest from foreign operators that previously evaluated the Felon platform, particularly countries seeking a two-seat stealth aircraft with strike-management or drone-control capability.