#

Defense Express’ Weekly Review: russian Su-57’s Poor Quality at Zhuhai Airshow and Attempt to Reanimate Reputation; Strategic Strike Hits russia’s Caspian Flotilla

4350
The russian Su-57 arrives in China for participating in the exhibition / Open-source photo
The russian Su-57 arrives in China for participating in the exhibition / Open-source photo

Digest of Defense Express on the main events of the week

Chinese Attendees Ridicule russian Su-57 at Zhuhai Airshow and Share First Detailed Close-Up Photos

At the Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, russia presented its Su-57 fighter to the international audience for the first time, but the display backfired as visitors observed the poor production quality and outdated manufacturing techniques of the jet.

Su-57 multirole fighter, Defense Express
Su-57 multirole fighter / Open source photo

Adding insult to injury, China showcased its own J-35A stealth fighter—a true fifth-generation aircraft—while the russian Su-57 revealed visible bolts that would easily reflect on enemy radar, undermining its stealth capabilities.

Read more: ​Defense Express’ Weekly Review: How to Paralyse russia’s Missile Production, What Kind of Drones Ukraine Tests, Why russia Deploys Advanced S-500 Air Defense Systems in Crimea

After Su-57 Embarrassment at Airshow China, russians Try to Reanimate the Fighter's Reputation Citing Patriot System

Expectedly, the russian state media tried to salvage the Su-57 reputation yet chose quite an odd approach. Widely reported now is the statement from Rostec General Director, Sergey Chemezov, who said "the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter is the only one in the world that has shown its effectiveness in countering the Patriot systems."

Defense Express

Not only the claim about Su-57 being a "fifth-generation fighter" is controversial but also, according to his logic, it turns out that other russian modern aircraft, such as Su-34 and Su-35S types, have not been that effective in the face of Patriot air defense systems.

russian Army's Biggest Truck Supplier, KamAZ, Declared Multi-Million Financial Losses

Despite KamAZ’s role as one of the primary truck suppliers for russia’s armed forces, the russian automotive giant has reported substantial losses this year.

russian arrmy Kamaz truck, Defense Express
russian arrmy Kamaz truck / Open-source illustrative photo

According to the company’s third-quarter 2024 financial report, KamAZ posted a net loss of 3.831 billion rubles (about $39 million) over the first nine months of this year, with a sales loss of 1.041 billion rubles ($10.5 million).

Ukrainian Drone Strike Reaches russia’s Caspian Naval Base, Why Is This Target Important

A recent attack on russia’s Kaspiysk naval base on the Caspian Sea coast demonstrates Ukraine’s growing capabilities to launch long-range drone strikes.

Defense Express
Strategic strike on russia’s Caspian Flotilla serves as a preventative measure against future missile attacks / open source

Kaspiysk, located over 1,500 kilometers from Ukraine’s border, is a critical asset for russian military. Home to the Caspian Flotilla, it houses five corvettes equipped with the Kalibr cruise missiles, giving it a formidable missile launch capacity of up to 40 missiles.

Abandoned Soviet Lun-Class Ekranoplan Stands at russian Base in Kaspiysk: Why It’s Worth Discussing

This story is not only about the loss of technological capabilities but also about yet another lie by russian propaganda outlets

Lun-class ekranoplan, Defense Express
Lun-class ekranoplan / Open-source illustrative photo

russia Withdrew Nearly All Ships, Including Kalibr Missile Carriers, After Ukrainian Strike on Caspian Naval Base (Satellite Images)

The images clearly show a significant decrease in the number of ships in the port of Kaspiysk on November 7 compared to the available images from November 4, a few days before the attack.

It is known that before the attack, the Caspian Flotilla was actually in full strength in port, including Kalibr cruise missile carriers with a total missile launch capacity of 32 missiles (the flotilla includes ships with a missile launch capacity of up to 40 missiles).

Photo credit: CyberBoroshno

After the attack, not counting smaller vessels, only Stupinets large missile boat (aka corvette) from Project 12418 Molniya remained in the port. It is important to note that it was decommissioned in 2023, and a new boat was built to replace it.

Read more: ​Defense Express’ Weekly Review: russia's Shady Deals with N.Korea and Saudi Arabia, and the T-80xT-90 Hybrid