Russia’s Su-57 Felon Stealth Fighter Might Get An Important ‘Upgrade’

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Key Points: Russia has unveiled a new “Helmet-Mounted Targeting System” for its Su-57 fighter, designed to enhance pilot performance with real-time flight data projected onto the visor. The system integrates with the aircraft’s sensors, improving situational awareness and combat effectiveness.

-However, comparisons with the F-35’s $400,000 Gen III helmet reveal significant gaps.

-The F-35’s carbon-fiber design, custom fit, and Distributed Aperture System far surpass the Russian helmet’s apparent thermoplastic construction and “off-the-rack” approach.

-While the Su-57 helmet represents progress for Russian aviation, it remains a cheaper alternative and unlikely to match the sophistication of its Western counterpart.

Russia Developing New Helmet for Su-57 Felon Fighter Jet 

Russia has long touted the capabilities of its Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name Felon) fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter – and the aviators who have a chance to fly it will soon be employing a new “Helmet-Mountain Targeting System.”

It would be a marked improvement over the original aviator helmet that has been used with the Su-57.

“The advanced helmet system aims to enhance pilot performance by integrating critical information directly into the visor, addressing issues of fit, comfort, and usability associated with older-generation pilot helmets,” the Defence-Blog reported, citing Russian state TV. “The new [helmet] delivers essential flight data, enabling pilots to target weapons and maintain advanced spatial orientation while continuously monitoring mission-critical information.”

The helmet can further be integrated with the aircraft’s sensors to provide greater situational awareness and according to the reports provide a “competitive edge in combat scenarios.”

A lack of a distributed aperture system has been seen as a shortcoming of the Su-57, which the helmet looks to resolve.

Copying the F-35 Helmet

Advanced fighters require more advanced flight helmets – and the one developed for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is likely about as high-tech as it comes.

Made of a bubble of carbon fiber, which is meant to help reduce weight while its checkerboard pattern provides rigidity, the helmet is also reinforced with Kevlar. In addition to the space age materials, it is essentially loaded with displays to provide pilots with the information needed to complete their missions – including airspeed, heading, altitude, targeting information, and warnings. All of this is projected on the pilot’s visor rather than via a traditional heads-up display, which reduces the pilot’s workload whilst increasing responsiveness.

According to the U.S. Air Force, the helmet also allows pilots can see the F-35’s external environment without tipping the jet – as embedded cameras project images to the display.

“The helmet’s innovative technology and precise fit require routine maintenance so pilots can complete their mission. In addition to pre- and post-flight fittings, the helmet is inspected every 105 days and has a 120-day fit check to ensure its functionality and safety,” the Air Force added.

The F-35’s specialized fighter helmet costs upwards of $400,000 and requires two days of special fittings for pilots.

It further helps create a type of convergence of man and machine that allows the pilot to better access the aircraft’s Distributed Aperture System (DAS), which streams real-time imagery from six infrared cameras mounted around the aircraft to the helmet.

“The helmet is much more than a helmet, the helmet is a workspace,” then Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh III explained at a 2015 press briefing. “It’s an interpretation of the battle space. It’s situational awareness. Calling this thing a helmet is really…we’ve got to come up with a new word.”

How Does the Su-57 Helmet Match Up?

While the new Russian Su-57 helmet may offer some of the capabilities of the F-35’s Gen III Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS), it still appears to be a cheaper knockoff

Military aviation analyst Rob Lee shared photos of the helmet on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. While the F-35 model looks worthy of a fifth-gen fighter, the same really can’t be said for the Su-57’s brain bucket.

It is unclear if the helmet’s capabilities are on par with that of the F-35, which is unlikely given the Western-imposed sanctions. However, based on the photos shared online, the Russian helmet also appears to be made of thermoplastic – not carbon fiber or a Kevlar-like material.

That fact isn’t particularly surprising – as Russia vastly trails the U.S., China, and Japan in the product of the composite material that is known for its rigidity, high strength, and low weight. Carbon fiber would be better suited for the shell of such an advanced helmet than plastic or fiberglass.

This is because each F-35 helmet is custom-fitted to the wearer to ensure a perfect fit even under intense G forces. That process is also more complicated than being fitted for an expensive suit; and it involves taking a 3D scan of the pilot’s head, which enables precise cutting of a foam liner by laser.

It isn’t clear that the Kremlin is employing the same effort, and it would seem the Russian helmet is very much “off the rack.”

So, while the new Su-57 helmet may be advanced, it likely isn’t anywhere near the F-35’s version.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Senior Editor focusing on defense issues for 19FortyFive. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,500 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on X: @PeterSuciu – and on Bluesky: @petersuciu.bsky.social.