After going on a meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo escorted by six Sukhoi Su-57 fighters, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that the country should announce the acquisition of 76 units of the stealth fighter.
Currently, the Russian Air Force has a contract to receive 16 Su-57 fighters, the most advanced of the type already developed in the country, a quantity that Putin considers insufficient.
“We have agreed to purchase 76 such fighters without the increase in prices in the same period of time,” he said when revealing that the intention is to form three complete regiments with the new airplane until 2028.
“In the future we will sign a contract to supply such a jets equipped with modern weapons of destruction and provided with the necessary land infrastructure,” Putin added.
Upgrade
The Russian president also relies on the multifunction version of the Su-35S fighter to establish an operational capability with fifth generation aircraft.
But the leader told the TASS news agency that current bombers should receive upgrades referring to models such as Tu-95 and Tu-22M. Today the UAC is testing a modernized version of the Tu-160M which flew for the first time in February 2018.
In addition to supplying new aircraft for the Russian military, Putin has also encouraged the export of these aircraft as a way to make the country again a major supplier in the world market.
