VIDEO: Is Russia's Su-57 Stealth Fighter Getting Even More Dangerous?

Mark Episkopos

Security,

Thanks to a new feature? 

The Kremlin hopes to re-sell New Delhi on the Su-57 by not only showcasing the technical progress made in its development, but by presenting it as an overall compelling product from inside and out.

Russia has aggressively marketed the development of its flagship, fifth-generation stealth fighter over the past few months. Every new sighting of the Su-57 introduces features and changes that, when considered in their totality, give observers a sense of where the much-anticipated jet fighter’s production is headed.

(This first appeared several months ago.)

Recently released video footage of two Su-57’s in Russia confirms earlier reports that the jet fighter is using a new, pixelated white/dark grey camouflage scheme. One of the showcased aircraft is darker than the other, suggesting that the Russian Air Force is still experimenting with the final tone.

Russian state news asserts that the new pixelated camouflage provides a “low optical signature,” but what exactly does this mean?

There are several ways in which camouflage can affect aerial performance. Its traditional purpose is to blend into the background, with lighter sky above and darker terrain colors below.

Background camouflage is most effective when precisely coordinated with the operating theater, such as using shades of brown or leopard patterns in the desert. While paint camouflage has also been used to distinguish friend from foe, there are now much more sophisticated, signal-based ways of doing this in modern aerial warfare.