Russia’s Su-57 skips external fuel tanks for Egypt flight

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation said its Su-57 stealth fighter flew to an air show in Egypt this month using fuel tanks built into its internal weapons bays instead of the external drop tanks fighters typically carry on long ferry flights.

UAC said the aircraft made the trip to the El Alamein International Airshow with one intermediate stop, and still had enough fuel for another 1,000 km (620 miles) after landing. That reserve let the jet fly a demonstration flight the following day, which UAC and Rostec, the state conglomerate that owns UAC, described as comparable in fuel use to a full air combat sortie.

External tanks are standard on most fighters for long ferry flights, but they add drag and increase an aircraft’s radar signature, working against the low-observable shaping that defines a stealth design. Using internal tanks instead lets the Su-57 stretch its range without that tradeoff.

“The ability to use insert fuel tanks inside the weapons bays instead of external suspensions fully corresponds to the fifth-generation aircraft concept,” Rostec said in a statement. “This solution preserves the aircraft’s aerodynamics and provides a significant ferry range reserve. The flight showed that among tactical aircraft, the Su-57E is unmatched in combat radius and time aloft.”

The Su-57E is the export version of Russia’s Su-57 fighter, built with low observability, high maneuverability and a wide range of compatible weapons, according to UAC. The company says deliveries to foreign customers are already underway, though it has not named which countries have received aircraft or in what numbers.

The jet has appeared at a string of international air shows over the past two years, including Zhuhai in China in November 2024, Aero India in February 2025, and the Dubai Airshow that November, where a Su-57E carrying the tail number 509 was on static display. This year’s El Alamein show, running Sept. 8-10 at El Alamein International Airport on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, was the aircraft’s second appearance in the country after the inaugural edition in 2024.

The Russian jet shared the ramp at El Alamein with U.S. Air Force and Texas Air National Guard aircraft, including C-130J and C-130H transports, A-10 attack jets, F-16s and F-15Es, along with a Chinese contingent of fighters, tankers and airborne early warning aircraft. Organizers billed the event as trade-only, open to approved business and government visitors rather than the public, with Egypt’s Ministry of Defense, Air Force and Ministry of Civil Aviation backing the show.