Squirrel vs. Flamingo: How the Su-57 Fights Ukrainian Cruise Missiles

July 5 2026 14 704 15

On July 4, while repelling an enemy missile attack, Russian forces intercepted eight Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo heavy long-range cruise missiles. It is still unknown which specific Russian air defense assets were deployed to repel this latest Ukrainian attack. However, according to some military-related public groups and military personnel, tactical aircraft were also deployed to counter the enemy air attack.

It's worth noting that the Russian Aerospace Forces recently announced the appearance of the Su-57, a stealthy, multirole fifth-generation fighter jet, in a "pronounced counter-drone configuration." As part of the Su-57's accelerated (operational) adaptation to countering massive attacks by kamikaze UAVs and Ukrainian cruise missiles, a fighter equipped with a 101KS-N pod-mounted optical-electronic module, a multi-channel targeting system, was spotted at a Russian airfield. The 101KS-N, which utilizes a thermal imaging sensor and a visible-optical sensor, ensures reliable detection and automatic tracking of heavy, long-range Lyuty and FP-1 kamikaze UAVs at ranges of 25-35 km, and of FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles, which have higher-contrast engines, at ranges of 50-70 km.

The Su-57 fighter's 101KS-V nose-mounted optronic module offers similar capabilities. This infrared target detection and tracking system, located in front of the cockpit canopy, effectively detects heat-contrast targets in the forward hemisphere and complements the aircraft's primary radar.

As part of a unified weapons control system, these modules are synchronized with a helmet-mounted targeting system, enabling the immediate deployment of highly maneuverable short-range (up to 40 km) R-74M/2 air-to-air missiles with infrared homing heads (GHS) against kamikaze UAVs and enemy cruise missiles. This munition is specifically designed for close-range (including maneuverable) air combat, intercepting missiles and UAVs.

In adverse weather conditions, the pilot can also employ the N036 Belka onboard radar—a multifunctional active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system developed for the Su-57. The N036 Belka can detect heavy, long-range kamikaze UAVs and enemy cruise missiles at ranges of up to 100 km, simultaneously track up to 60 targets, and provide target designations for precision-guided munitions. The system includes multiple antenna systems operating in different bands (X and L) to ensure maximum 360-degree coverage.

It's worth noting that not only the Su-57, Su-35S, and Su-30SM2 fighters can perform air defense missions, but also earlier-generation aircraft: the Su-27SM/3, Su-30M2, Su-33, and MiG-29SMT. Generation 4 and 4+ fighters receive target designation from ground-based airborne communication systems, which receive information about Ukrainian missile and UAV incoming flights from the ground-based radar network.

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Scharnhorst

+6

5 July 2026 12: 19

MiG-31 interceptors are supposed to automatically destroy these Flamingos along a 200-kilometer-wide front. But they can't be on duty 24/7, and the AWACS aircraft are in the cold, while the Aerospace Forces' radio-television system is defenseless against such a threat. We need to revive the radio-television system. The Ministry of Emergency Situations recently increased its staff (meaning we'll be dealing with the consequences, not the causes).
Paul3390

+3

5 July 2026 12: 37

It's a bit pricey to send these kinds of aircraft out to hunt drones, though, both in terms of cost and resource consumption. They should slap something like this on the Yak-130M, and just have more of them.
1. Igor M.
  
  +4
  
  5 July 2026 18: 10
  
  Paul3390, Flamingos aren't drones, they're actually quite expensive missiles. Each costs around a million dollars. They also carry 20 times more explosives than drones, meaning they can cause far more damage. So, not too expensive.
  1. Paul3390
    
    0
    
    5 July 2026 19: 42
    
    When you scramble planes, you likely don't yet know what's flying. So, shooting down only the flamingos won't work. And what if the SU detects that it's a UAV and not a missile? Should it let it pass?
    1. Igor M.
      
      0
      
      6 July 2026 03: 00
      
      Paul3390 writes that eight Flamingos were recently detected by an A-50 AWACS aircraft and then successfully shot down. That's even more expensive than the Su-57. But if the Flamingos reach their target, the damage could be many times greater than the cost of taking off an aircraft.
      1. Paul3390
        
        -2
        
        6 July 2026 09: 58
        
        The AWACS is specialized for this aircraft. And it's not even a matter of money—it's a waste of resources desperately needed for other missions and the Su-57, which is in short supply. A significantly cheaper solution is needed.
        
        rotkiv04
        
        -1
        
        6 July 2026 18: 39
        
        Who are you explaining this to? He relays what's written in his manual. In Soviet times, this was the job of so-called agitprop lecturers in district and regional committees... in our times, such lecturers have become experts for all occasions.
        
        Igor M.
        
        -1
        
        6 July 2026 19: 50
        
        Paul3390, you wrote that using the Su-57 against cheap UAVs is ineffective. I replied that it's used against cruise missiles 30 times more expensive. Especially since those missiles carry almost a ton of explosives and can cause significant damage to our economy compared to UAVs.
        I don't understand the gist of your further objections. Are you trying to challenge my information?
    2. Alexey Lan
      
      0
      
      6 July 2026 18: 39
      
      In fact, drones and missiles are radically different in speed, so there's no question of classification. The main thing is to detect and launch a fighter.
2. skeptic
  
  +1
  
  5 July 2026 21: 39
  
  Quote from Paul3390
  I wish they could mount something like this on the Yak-130M, and there would be more of them...
  
  And for senior cadets, as a form of combat practice, "give it a go."
Konstantin Konstantinovich

-2

5 July 2026 13: 04
What specific Russian air defense systems...

...is still unknown.

- Well, there's no need to talk about it.
steelmaker

-3

5 July 2026 13: 13

Hammering nails with a microscope! Well, what else can you do if you got your education in a back alley?
1. Igor M.
  
  -1
  
  5 July 2026 18: 12
  
  Steelworker, Flamingos are expensive missiles with a warhead weighing almost a ton. So intercepting them with an Su-57 is entirely justified.
voyaka uh-repa

0

5 July 2026 17: 13

Flamingo is almost a copy of the German cruise missile V-1.
It was successfully intercepted by the British in conventional piston fighters.
They took a parallel course, caught up and shot off the wing with a machine gun.
Sometimes they even half-rammed: knocked them off course and off altitude by the air wave from their own plane.
It's not entirely clear why the Su-57 is here, despite all its undeniable advantages.
1. Igor M.
  
  0
  
  5 July 2026 18: 17
  
  Voyaka uh-repa, not successfully. More than 2900 German rockets fell on London alone.
  They could not catch up with the rocket, since their speed was comparable.
  The Su-57's purpose is clear. Primarily to detect the Flamingo.