Russia has unveiled two new air-launched weapons for the export Su-57E fighter: the S-71K Kover and S-71M Monokhrom. Both expand the aircraft’s long-range strike options, but carrying them under the wings also makes the jet more visible to enemy radar.

The Su-57E and its new weapons were displayed at the El Alamein International Airshow 2026 in Egypt. While the export version of the fifth-generation fighter had already been shown to foreign audiences, the S-71K and S-71M were presented publicly for the first time as part of its latest weapons package.

Both systems are low-observable, jet-powered air-launched strike weapons that combine features associated with missiles and unmanned aircraft. Their design and mission profiles do not fit neatly into either category.

The S-71K Kover is intended to strike targets whose coordinates are known in advance. Once released from the aircraft, it activates its turbojet engine and continues toward the target using inertial navigation. Its warhead weighs about 250 kilograms, while its stated range is 300–350 kilometers.

In terms of employment, Kover resembles an air-launched version of the Geran concept, with the weapon released from the carrier aircraft before flying independently toward a preselected target.

The S-71M Monokhrom is designed for more flexible missions. After reaching the designated area, it can search for a target on its own. Artificial intelligence algorithms work with a large stored database, allowing the system to analyze multiple characteristics, identify a suitable target and present the operator with a firing solution. The final decision to strike remains with the human operator.

This approach allows the carrier aircraft to attack from long range. The Su-57 can reach the launch area, release the weapons and remain outside the engagement zone of enemy air defenses. That significantly improves the survivability of Russian tactical aviation by allowing targets to be hit from distance without forcing the aircraft into close-range combat.

The new weapons also have a clear limitation. The S-71K and S-71M are too large for the Su-57’s internal weapons bays and must instead be mounted externally under the wings. That configuration sharply increases the fighter’s radar signature.

This drawback can be addressed by assigning different roles within the same air operation. Fighters and strike aircraft can operate together, with tasks divided between them depending on the combat situation.