Su-57 fighter in flight. Photo: Press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense
All kinds of foreign experts and analysts constantly monitor Russian weapons innovations. This attention increased exponentially with the start of the Special Military Operation. The fifth generation fighter Su-57, its capabilities and its weapons are of particular interest to foreigners. Another publication on this topic was published on the pages of the specialized resource Military Watch, which has an American deployment.
Overseas experts assure that the Russian Aerospace Forces used the new Kh-59MK2 cruise missile for the first time during a Special Military Operation. It was especially noted that this weapon was specially designed specifically for the newest Su-57 fighter and should be placed in the internal compartments of the aircraft. As stated in the publication, Ukrainian sources claim that the first use of the new missile took place on February 7. At the same time, experts from the United States provide data with a reservation, since statements regarding the types of weapons used were often “dubious” due to the fact that weapons intended for export and not used by the Russian army were often named.
Military Watch reports that three Kh-59MK2 missiles were allegedly fired at targets in Ukraine on the night of February 7-8. And this fact indicates that Su-57 fighters were used to carry out high-precision strikes. Although the Americans do not rule out that another aircraft, for example, a Su-34 bomber, could be used to test the missile.
Tests of the Kh-59MK2 missile in Syria. Screenshot of the Russian Ministry of Defense video
The first combat tests of the Kh-59MK2 took place in Syria in 2018. The launches were made from pre-production copies of the Su-57 fighter. The missile was designed as the main weapon for the new aircraft. It is optimized for the destruction of small ground-based protected targets at a range of up to 300 kilometers. The product is equipped with a penetrating warhead weighing 320 kilograms. The missile can also be equipped with a cluster warhead for use against area targets. The Kh-59MK2 is a subsonic missile, so it can cover long distances, despite its fairly compact size. In addition, as far as is known, it can be redirected during flight. Recently, the designation X-69 has appeared and is widely used. A product with this designation was recently presented at the Dubai Air Show. US experts suggest that this designation applies to a missile variant with a different warhead, guidance system, or for an export version.
Military Watch says reports of the use of the Kh-59MK2 follow “confirmation” that Russian Su-57 fighters have received new long-range missiles similar to those used on strategic bombers. In addition, the Americans say the new Drill glide bomb was developed specifically for the Su-57. At the moment, it remains unclear whether any other fifth-generation fighter is capable of using missiles like the Kh-59MK2. It was noted that since Su-57 fighters have been involved in the Special Military Operation since 2022, earlier uses of the Kh-59MK2 cannot be ruled out. Probably, the Ukrainian side simply did not report this. Today, the Russian Su-57 is the only fifth-generation fighter in the world that has been tested in full-scale combat operations. It is capable of striking all types of targets, as well as conducting long-range air combat.
PS It’s interesting that when the domestic Su-57 was at the stage of its first flight prototypes, all these foreign analysts and experts simply loudly declared that the Russian aircraft simply could not belong to the fifth generation. Now the opinion has changed radically. And the plane turned out to be the fifth generation, and the best. And aviation weapons have no analogues in the world.