The Sukhoi Su-57E performed at EIAS26 on all three days of the show. Every morning the export version of the Su-57 would be pulled out of the shelters on the far side of the airport for the flying display. It’s 5-minute effort showed off its incredible manoeuvrability and caught the attention of the many spectators
After landing and taxiing back to the shelter area, it would eventually be towed over to the static display and parked alongside several air-launched weapons that had never been on public display before. Unlike the rest of the missiles on show, they were not labelled.
With Russia’s military focused on the war with Ukraine, the four weapons are meant to be easy to produce cheap air-launched solutions.
The S-71K cruise missile, known as Kovyor (Carpet), was described by a Rosboronexport spokesman as “being re-usable with a parachute for landing but due to its size can only be carried externally.”
This of course would mean the Su-57 would lose its stealthy advantages. With a conventional aircraft bomb as its warhead, the weapon can deliver an explosive 250 kg payload with an inertial navigation system powered by a R500 turbojet engine. It has been used by the Su-57E against Ukraine. According to the Ukraine’s intelligence agency (GUR) the weapon was first used in combat in late-2025.
Displayed close by were two S-71Ms; known as Monokhrom they are air-launched stealth weapons that blend the capabilities of low observable cruise missiles with loitering munitions into one way attack/kamikaze drones. The configuration 1 version, as described by Rosboronexport, is fitted with a 70 kg high-explosive incendiary warhead and has a maximum range of 500 km. The weapon’s electro-optic (EO) seeker uses an artificially enhanced automated target acquisition and designator. The Russian MoD recently published an image of an S-71M autonomous air-launched kamikaze drone fitted to an AKU-68U launcher on a Su-57 during recent trials.
A smaller configuration 2 is a cruise missile loaded with a 5 kg multipurpose anti-tank, fragmentation and incendiary explosive.
A fourth weapon was described as the ‘Export Banderol’ or Dan-T air launched weapon loaded with a 130 kg warhead. The jet-powered Banderol S8000 kamikaze drone has been used in the Ukraine War, launched by the Mi-28 Havoccombat helicopter and theInokhodets (also known as Orion) UAV. Rosboronexport described the Dan-T as a “highly efficient weapon confirmed by hundreds of successful launches against enemy targets”. Looking very similar to the S8000, the Dan-T weapon it is intended for use by helicopters and aircraft. Rosboronexport said it expected wide interest from foreign customers, making it likely to be an export version of the S8000. The spokesman confirmed that all four weapons were being used in combat. UAC chief executive Vadim Badekha sees North Africa as an important market for the company’s products and with Algeria having reportedly taken delivery of its first Su-57s that is understandable.
On show in the Rosboronexport/Rostec static area was the Su-57E, enhanced Yak-130M which only made its first flight on June 25 this year and an Egyptian Air Force Ka-52E Alligator. It is likely the weapons can be launched from all three platforms.
Photos by A. Warnes
