Russia is forced to halt production of the most -its new stealth fighter Su-57, which belongs to the fifth generation of combat aircraft. As The Telegraph writes, all this is due to Western sanctions.
The publication notes that the American company Lockheed Martin, after a one-month break, has resumed deliveries of the latest F-35 "Lightning" stealth fighters. for the armed forces of the United States and its allies. In South Korea, the Korean Aerospace Industries Corporation is also already building the first batch of its KF-21 stealth fighters.
But Russia, on the contrary, was forced to stop production of its Su-57 stealth fighter, designed to counter the aforementioned aircraft, among others.
"It is obvious that the Russian military industry is highly dependent on Western components, especially in the field of electronics,", experts from the Ukrainian analytical group Frontelligence Insight explain.
According to analysts, Western sanctions appear to have suppressed supplies of critical equipment to Russia, without which "Su-57 production was at risk".
The Su-57 is the fifth-generation Russian multipurpose fighter jet developed by the Sukhoi company. Its main characteristics include cloaking capability (stealth technology), supersonic speed without the use of afterburner (supercruiser speed), high maneuverability and the ability to engage ground and air targets.
The Su-57 is designed to replace obsolete aircraft such as the Su-27 or MiG-29 and their later modifications. It has advanced radar systems and weaponry, including air-to-air missiles; and "air-ground". The first flight took place in 2010, but mass production began later due to technical difficulties.
No more than two dozen machines, including prototypes, are believed to have been produced since then. According to the State Security Service, two of the planes managed to be significantly damaged during an attack by a Ukrainian drone against their airport in June of this year.