25.12.2019
- The Sukhoi Su-57 fighter crashed in a ball of flames and was 'fully destroyed'
- It crashed in remote Siberian woodland after the pilot escaped in an ejector seat
- Russia's air force has ordered 76 of the £120m planes to be delivered by 2028
A state-of-the-art Russian fighter jet has crashed on a training mission just days before the first of the aircraft was due to be delivered to Putin's air force.
The Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter crashed in a ball of flames in the far east of Russiaand was 'fully destroyed', officials said.
It crashed in remote Siberian woodland after the pilot flew it away from a city and bailed out to safety with his ejector seat.
Russia's air force has ordered 76 of the $155 million (£120million) planes, which are intended to rival America's F-22 Raptor stealth fighters - to which they are similar.
The Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter (similar to one shown here) crashed in a ball of flames in the far east of Russia and was 'fully destroyed', officials said
Dzyomgi airfield (file image). Residents of Dzyomgi village, some seven miles north of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, heard a 'strong roar', believed to be the moment the warplane got into trouble
The plane crashed in remote Siberian woodland after the pilot flew it away from a city and bailed out to safety with his ejector seat
The Su-57 is also similar to the Chinese J-20 jet, which is alleged to have been built using stolen US plans obtained by Chinese hackers.
The stricken aircraft was a test plane not one of those due to be passed to the air force, according to news agency RIA Novosti.
Residents of Dzyomgi village, some seven miles north of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, heard a 'strong roar', believed to be the moment the warplane got into trouble.
The plane had taken off from a military airfield close to a village.
Investigators are examining whether the was a 'technical malfunction' or pilot error, say reports. One source said there had been a failure of the hi-tech plane's 'control system'.
'A special commission will investigate the causes of the crash,' said a spokesman for United Aircraft Corporation which owns the plant.
'The emergency escape system functioned as required, the pilot ejected, he is alive,' said the spokesman.
The Russian planes are intended to rival America's F-22 Raptor stealth fighters (pictured)
The Su-57 is also similar to the Chinese J-20 jet (pictured), which is alleged to have been built using stolen US plans obtained by Chinese hackers
Russia's air force has ordered 76 of the £120million planes (file image of Sukhoi Su-57 planes at military show)
Ten of the jets have already been built at Sukhoi's plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur for pre-production tests and combat evaluation.
Some of them have been flown in combat during Russia's military campaign in Syria, and the remainder are due to be delivered by 2028.
The unnamed pilot radioed he was in trouble and took the plane away from Komsomolsk-on-Amur and surrounding suburbs and villages, say reports.
Su-57 at the MAKS-2019 show (File image). 'The emergency escape system functioned as required, the pilot ejected, he is alive,' said the spokesman
One report said he was 'not injured' but others said he had been taken to hospital.
The single-seat, twin-engine multirole aircraft is equipped with advanced avionics and a variety of high-precision weaponry.
According to TASS, the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter is designed to destroy all types of air, ground and naval targets.
The aircraft has a supersonic cruising speed, carries armament inside its fuselage, features stealth coating and the latest onboard equipment.
It is reputed to have high manoeuvrability but most data on the warplane remains top secret.