Su-57 production facilities expanded at KnAAZ aviation plant
New hangars and upgrades aim to boost efficiency and meet Russian Defence Ministry demands for fifth-generation fighters
General Electrics of USA is having supply chain problems in manufacturing and supplying Jet engines to HAL for its TEJAS Mk1 A line. The first of the TEJAS Mk1 A were to be handed over to IAF last year only. The deadline was extended to March this year, then to July and now it is September 24.
India needs to concentrate on its indigenous Kaveri engine with full force. Meanwhile to augment IAF squadron numbers and upgrade capabilities and also to encourage USA authorities to act at haste, India needs to go in for at least four squadrons of Rafale and three squadrons of SU57 MKIs.
The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a subsidiary of ROSTEC, has already inaugurated new facilities at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant (KnAAZ) to support the production of Su-57 fifth-generation fighters.
The expansion is part of a broader effort to enhance the plant’s capabilities, with plans underway to introduce additional infrastructure. This includes a new hangar dedicated to the testing of systems and ground trials for the Su-57.
“Our priority is to bring this facility online as quickly as possible,” said Alexander Pekarsh, Director of KnAAZ, as quoted by the press service. “The next step will involve the reconstruction of an existing hangar to further support the development of aircraft systems. Additionally, we plan to expand the company’s overall capacity. With state support, the third phase of galvanic production will be established at KnAAZ, along with major upgrades to other areas of the plant.”
These new facilities are expected to streamline the production process for the Su-57, improving both technological efficiency and the ability to meet the demands of the Russian Defense Ministry, Pekarsh noted.
The UAC stated that the construction and outfitting of these new facilities were financed through the corporation’s own funds. “The technical re-equipment and expansion of production at the Komsomolsk plant is part of a long-term investment program, involving significant state funding as well as investments from the corporation itself,” said Yuri Slyusar, General Director of the UAC.
The Su-57, developed by Sukhoi (a UAC subsidiary) and produced at KnAAZ, is a multi-role fifth-generation fighter designed for air superiority and ground attack missions while evading enemy air defences. The aircraft made its maiden flight on January 29, 2010.
