Russia’s stealth Felon jet set for powerful AI upgrade

Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff

C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter and sub-editor covering science and geopolitics.

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The advantage could help the Su-57 resist electronic warfare jamming.

Su-57 Felon. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Russia’s top-of-the-line fighter is getting a performance boost from artificial intelligence (AI) that could make it more effective in combat.

The fifth-generation stealth Su-57 (Felon) will be equipped with AI-enabled communications systems, according to the state-owned Rostec corporation. The Felon is the latest aircraft to be equipped with AI, as manufacturers race to give planes autonomous capabilities.

“The equipment is designed for fifth-generation aircraft,” Rostec wrote on its website as translated by Google Translate. “Its use will improve the quality of information transfer between aircraft and ground complexes.”

AI for Radio

AI could give the Su-57 an advantage when it comes to electronic warfare. Rostec claims the system finds the most effective wireless channels in the Su-57’s vicinity and resists interference or jamming.

“The equipment ensures the reliability of information transmission due to noise-immune coding, interleaving of symbols in the message, common time synchronization in signal processing, the possibility of simultaneous transmission of messages over parallel channels, increasing the range of stable communication…,” Rostec wrote.

The new radio isn’t the first AI upgrade for the Su-57. An earlier Tass report claims that the SU-57 is getting an AI system that could help pilots make decisions while in combat.

The Su-57 is a twin-engine stealth multirole fighter aircraft developed by Sukhoi for the Russian Aerospace Forces. The aircraft is intended to replace the MiG-29 and Su-27, and first entered service in 2020.

Virtual Pilots

The Su-57 is among the fighters vying to be the first to be able to fly with AI help. The U.S. military is hoping that future sixth-generation fighter jets will have the option to fly without pilots.

The Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program aims to develop a family of jets to succeed Lockheed’s F-22 Raptor. The program’s goals include autonomous aircraft and other abilities - ones that will give an edge in combat situations that are becoming increasingly rapid.

“What we’re finding now in manned-unmanned teaming is the squadrons are ready to start accepting more degrees of freedom to the system - not just going in a circle, but maybe cueing mission systems, maybe doing electronic warfare [or] doing comms functionality,” Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Combat Air Command said in remarks quoted by National Defense.

A Fractured West, A Fragmented World

Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff

C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter and contributor covering science and geopolitics.

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A recent rally in London underlines how the cultural promise of globalization is unraveling at a phenomenal pace.

Cops remonstrate with supporters of Tommy Robinson in central London. Image Credit: (Reuters/ndtv)

Tommy Robinson, an anti-immigrant, anti-Islamic far-right activist in the UK, recently organized a massive ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally spearheaded by the country’s far-right political section. The rally was attended by tens of thousands of people in an unprecedented show of nativist sentiment. The rally had certain agendas: first, immigration, both legal and illegal, to the UK must become heavily regulated; second, reclaiming the British nation, which meant reasserting the white Anglo-Saxon pride of the UK, which is under heavy demographic pressure thanks to the growth of non-white, non-European populations; and third, and most important, to prevent the growth of Islam in the UK, which was changing the very social character of the country.

This rally, however, must be seen as a part of a broader theme in the Euro-Atlantic region-the growing backlash against immigration. The victory of Donald Trump, who spearheaded the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement in the United States, and the strong political positions of the right-wing governments in Hungary, Italy, coupled with the growing strength of the far-right movements in France and Germany, are signs that Europe and North America are becoming increasingly inward. They seek to reclaim their country from ‘outsiders’ and restore its pristine social roots.

That being said, it becomes a part of the broader theme of the changing dimensions of globalization, particularly its cultural dimension.

Cultural Globalization

Globalization refers to the worldwide growth of interconnectedness of various hues and shades. It underlines how progressively small the local, regional, and national dimensions of nation-states are becoming due to the global revolution in telecommunications, finance, and trade. It also highlights the global exchange of ideas, money, technology, and other socio-economic goods. It also underscores the eventual flattening of the global order in terms of preferences and institutions and how one event in a particular part of the world has a positive or negative spillover effect in other parts of the world.

The cultural aspect of globalization is based on the premise that cultural preferences in a part of the world can be exported and eventually influence other societies depending on the unique socio-cultural contexts of the concerned society. An important aspect of this globalization is the global acceptance of Yoga not only for its therapeutic value but also as a strong indicator of the eastern civilizational heritages.

That being said, exportation of cultural ideas and institutions is an important aspect of cultural globalization. In that context, migration is one of the most important factors in it. The West of today has been shaped to a very strong extent by the immigration of scores of individuals not only from Asia but also from Africa.

Cultural globalization sold the idea that migration to the countries of the Global North, particularly the West, would usher in a comfortable and prosperous life for them and their families. These immigrants contributed a lot in terms of the economic, social, and political development of the West.

Unraveling of the Promise

The promise of a good life was based on a global social contract that guaranteed that the immigrants who would contribute to the development of their host countries would be rewarded with the title of model minorities and that they would be allowed an increasingly positive role in the social, political, and institutional affairs of the concerned country.

However, the far-right rally in London demonstrated that the much-vaunted social contract the West spoke of is unraveling at a breakneck speed. The West, which claims to be the bastion of liberty, is becoming increasingly unfree. A process of ‘otherization’ is underway.

This ‘otherization’ is characterized by strict legal steps to limit immigration raids by immigration authorities against anybody and any entity suspected of being an immigrant. A rather egregious aspect of this exclusionary idea is the racial attacks on people of migrant origin; a recent racially motivated violent sexual assault on an Indian-origin Sikh woman in the UK is a case in point.

This exposes how the cultural aspect of globalization that the West sold was hollow. It also demonstrates how, in the name of reclaiming their country, the nativist elements are encouraging social forces that would tear asunder the very foundations on which European civilization was built. In doing so, they are undermining the very goals the Enlightenment stood for.

Hence, it is high time that the Global South take note of this and invest heavily in improving the human capital of their respective countries. The West is growing increasingly inward; the Global South should take the lead in proclaiming that they are different.

Allwyn to Acquire Majority Stake in U.S. Fantasy Sports Operator PrizePicks for $1.6 Billion

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Business

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Image Source: REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File Photo

International lottery operator Allwyn International has agreed to acquire a 62% stake in U.S.-based fantasy sports platform PrizePicks for an initial cash consideration of $1.6 billion. The deal underscores Allwyn’s ambition to expand its footprint in the fast-growing American gaming market.

According to the agreement, the transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. PrizePicks’ enterprise value, currently implied at $2.5 billion, could rise to as much as $4.15 billion over the next three years if the company meets agreed performance milestones.

Allwyn, the flagship of Czech billionaire Karel Komarek’s KKCG investment group, has accelerated its global expansion in recent years. In 2023, it assumed control of Britain’s National Lottery, one of the largest lotteries worldwide, and currently operates across Italy, Austria, Greece, and the Czech Republic. Earlier in 2025, the company also announced a high-profile partnership with Formula One, further strengthening its international brand presence.

“This acquisition will continue to drive Allwyn’s momentum and expand our business in the United States,” Komarek said in a statement.

Founded in 2015, Atlanta-based PrizePicks has emerged as one of the leading fantasy sports operators in the United States. The platform counts millions of monthly active users across multiple states and has reported rapid growth. In the 12 months to June 2025, it generated adjusted EBITDA of $339 million, reflecting revenue growth of more than 60% year-on-year and strong cash flow generation.

Allwyn confirmed that the acquisition will be financed through a combination of existing cash reserves and new debt. PrizePicks’ co-founder Adam Wexler will remain involved in the business, continuing to serve on the company’s board of directors following the deal’s completion.

The transaction positions Allwyn to capitalize on the expanding U.S. gaming and fantasy sports sector, a market that has seen explosive growth with the legalization of online betting in multiple states. Industry analysts note that Allwyn’s entry could intensify competition in a space currently dominated by established players such as DraftKings and FanDuel.

If the performance targets are met, the acquisition could mark one of the largest cross-border deals in the fantasy sports industry to date, highlighting both the sector’s potential and Allwyn’s determination to cement its role as a global gaming leader.