The first Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO Code: Felon) fifth-generation bomber has been delivered to a regiment based in the Southern Military District.

Russian news agency TASS wrote that the Su-57 will be used at the State Flight Test Centre in Akhtubinsk in the Southern Military District to test hypersonic weapons.

Delivery of the aircraft was expected in 2019. However, in December of that year the Su-57 crashed during the test flight. Russian sources said the flight control system caused the crash.

Russia, which wants to increase the mass production speed of the platform, had started assembly optimization for the production line to be added to the Komsomolsk-on-Amur plant.

A total of 76 Su-57 fighter jets are expected to enter inventory. According to the contract with the Ministry of Defence, the planes must be delivered to the force by 2028.