F-22 vs Su-57: Which Stealth Fighter Is Better? Specs Compared

Short answer: In the F-22 vs Su-57 comparison, the American F-22 Raptor is a mature air-dominance fighter with published specifications and about two decades of service, while Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 is a newer multirole fighter that combines air-to-air and strike missions but entered serial production only recently. The U.S. Air Force says the F-22 “cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft.” Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) says the Su-57 surpasses “foreign analogues” at a lower life-cycle cost. U.S. congressional researchers have reported that design and production problems delayed the Russian jet.

Last updated: October 27, 2026

F-22 vs Su-57: the core difference

Both aircraft are described by their makers as fifth-generation fighters: stealthy, fast and built around integrated sensors. The difference is in purpose and maturity.

The U.S. Air Force F-22 fact sheet lists the Raptor’s primary function as “air dominance, multi-role fighter.” It reached initial operating capability in December 2005, and the Air Force lists a total force of 183 aircraft.

The UAC Su-57 page (archived copy; the live Russian site did not load from our servers) calls the Su-57 a “multirole fifth–generation front-line aviation complex” for attacking “air, ground, and sea targets.” It says the jet combines “the functions of a fighter and a strike aircraft.”

In short, the F-22 was designed first to win control of the air. The Su-57 was designed from the start to split its time between air combat and strike.

Specs side by side

U.S. figures come from the Air Force fact sheet (current as of August 2022). UAC’s public page gives program dates and design features but does not list speed, range or weight, so those cells say so rather than repeat unofficial estimates.

Feature	F-22A Raptor (USA)	Su-57 (Russia)
Maker	Lockheed Martin with Boeing	Sukhoi Design Bureau (UAC)
Role	Air dominance, multi-role	Multirole fighter and strike aircraft
First flight	YF-22 prototype in late 1990	January 29, 2010
Entered service	Initial operating capability December 2005	First serial aircraft delivered to the Russian Defense Ministry in 2020
Engines	Two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 with thrust vectoring	Not detailed by UAC; it says a new-generation engine is in testing
Top speed	Mach 2 class	Not listed by UAC
Supercruise	Yes, above Mach 1.5	UAC claims “supersonic cruising flight”
Stealth	Low-observable design, internal weapons	UAC claims low visibility in radar, infrared and visible bands
Air-to-air load	6 AIM-120 + 2 AIM-9, all internal	Not listed by UAC
Gun	M61A2 20mm, 480 rounds	Not listed by UAC
Fleet	183 (August 2022)	Not published by UAC
Unit cost	$143 million	Not published

Speed, stealth and maneuverability

The Air Force credits the F-22’s “sophisticated F-22 aerodesign, advanced flight controls, thrust vectoring, and high thrust-to-weight ratio” with the ability to “outmaneuver all current and projected aircraft.” It says the Raptor’s engines “produce more thrust than any current fighter engine.”

UAC makes similar claims for the Su-57: “high maneuverability and super maneuverability with capability of supersonic cruising flight.” It also says flight tests confirmed “good stability and handling performance” at subsonic and supersonic speeds and “at post-stall angles of attack.”

The two claims cannot be checked against each other with public data, because Russia has not published a full specification sheet. What can be compared is how each country describes its jet’s stealth. The F-22 carries its weapons internally, and the Air Force says its low observability “drastically shrinks surface-to-air missile engagement envelopes.” UAC says the Su-57 can “carry out covert actions” thanks to a low signature across several wavelengths.

Sensors and weapons

The F-22’s sensor suite lets the pilot “track, identify, shoot and kill air-to-air threats before being detected,” according to the Air Force. For ground attack it carries two 1,000-pound GBU-32 JDAMs internally.

UAC describes “a fundamentally new complex of deeply integrated avionics” with “a high level of automation for combat use and intelligent crew support.” The Su-57 can “exchange data in real time” with ground control and other aircraft, and it carries “a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions,” UAC says.

Data sharing is where the Su-57’s description is closest to the American F-35, which was built around sensor fusion, rather than to the F-22.

Development and production

The F-22’s development history is long settled. The Advanced Tactical Fighter entered demonstration and validation in 1986, the program won approval for full-rate production in 2005, and the fleet now flies with Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces and Air Education and Training Command.

The Su-57 is still building its fleet. UAC says prototype production finished in 2017, the Russian Defense Ministry signed the first contract for an initial batch in 2018, and the first production aircraft was handed over in 2020.

U.S. analysis has been more cautious than the Russian maker. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) wrote in its report Russian Armed Forces: Military Modernization and Reforms that “design issues and production flaws have delayed the introduction of new, fifth-generation fighters (Su-57).” A companion CRS report, Russian Armed Forces: Capabilities, said Russia’s fifth-generation fighter work “has run into considerable production and design challenges” and that Russia “lags significantly behind the U.S. in precision strike/bomb capabilities.”

Which is better, F-22 or Su-57?

On the public record, the F-22 is the better-documented and more proven air-superiority fighter. Its performance figures are published by the Air Force, its fleet has been in service since 2005, and its designers built it for one job above all.

The Su-57’s case rests largely on its maker’s description: a jet that does both fighter and strike work, shares data in real time and costs less to run. UAC also says tests confirmed its stealth characteristics “including during real combat operations.” Those claims have not been independently verified in public sources we could open.

China’s J-20 is the other foreign fifth-generation fighter most often compared with the Raptor.

Peter’s World’s view

Analysis: Peter’s World’s assessment, based on the sources above.

The F-22 vs Su-57 debate is lopsided in evidence, not necessarily in design. One side has a published fact sheet; the other has a marketing page and a production line that, by CRS’s account, ran years late. Until Russia fields the Su-57 in large numbers with its planned new engine, comparisons will rest more on claims than on data. The jet to watch is less the Su-57 itself than its export version, which UAC says will become “one of the main products of the company.”

Frequently asked questions

Is the Su-57 better than the F-22?

No independent public evidence settles it. Each maker claims the edge, as noted above, and only the American jet’s specifications are fully published.

Which is faster, the F-22 or the Su-57?

The Air Force lists the F-22 as Mach 2 class, with supercruise above Mach 1.5. UAC does not publish a top speed for the Su-57 but says it can cruise at supersonic speed.

When did the Su-57 first fly?

The first flight took place on January 29, 2010, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, according to UAC.

How many Su-57s does Russia have?

UAC does not publish a fleet number. It says the first production aircraft was delivered to Russia’s Defense Ministry in 2020 and that deliveries are continuing.

Is the Su-57 a stealth fighter?

UAC says it has a low signature in radar, infrared and visible wavelengths. CRS describes it as one of Russia’s new fifth-generation fighters, the class that stresses stealth.

Why is the F-22 no longer in production?

The Air Force fact sheet does not address that question. It lists a total force of 183 aircraft and a unit cost of $143 million.

This article was written by Peter with AI assistance and checked against the sources linked. See our AI use disclosure.