What is the Su-57 stealth fighter jet Russia is offering to India?

Touted as Moscow’s most advanced fighter jet, Russian officials are making a sales pitch of Sukhoi-57 fighter jet to its trusted defence partner Delhi. Russia is offering the production of Sukhoi Su-57, its fifth-generation stealth fighter and most advanced warplane, in India for boosting the Indian Air Force’s fleet, after unveiling the jet in the South Asian country’s air show this week. The fighter jet could go into production as early as this year upon acceptance of a production offer from the Indian government, a spokesperson for the Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said in Bengaluru, where India is holding its biennial Aero India show.

The Russian Su-57 fighter jet was displayed at the Aero India show alongside the US fifth-generation advanced F-35 stealth fighter jet as the two took flight at the military aviation exhibition. In a spectacle aimed at making a sales pitch to its decades-old defence partner, the Russian fighter jet, run by Sukhoi’s chief test pilot Sergei Bogdan, hovered at 600m after a speedy aerial ballet at the Indian Air Force Station in Yelahanka. The theatrics, seen as the showstopper at the Indian air show, included Su-57’s ability to perform at extreme angles of attack, especially at 120 degree, suspended in the air.

"It's like making a five-tonne fighter jet dance in the sky," the Russian pilot told the reporters. India already has 260 of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft in the Indian Air Force's fleet. Designed in the "pixelated" camouflage colour scheme, the Sukhoi fighter jet’s body has a colour mix of dark and light grey with and black pixels, which experts say is designed to add to its stealth capabilities.

According to Mr Bogdan, the latest Russian fifth-generation fighter jet has no limits for development and is the first such Russian warplane that can participate in real combat. Its stealth feature – the first in the Russian Air Force – comprises a low signature design which minimises its chances of detection by radar systems. It can be developed for carrying missiles and bombs in cargo compartments and has a major onboard defence complex. The jet also features an internal weapons bay for the pilot, allowing a flexible choice between a long-range or a close-combat missiles option in a scenario of military engagement.

Mr Bogdan claims the fighter jet’s agility could give it an edge over its American competitor F-35. According to its manufacturer, serial production of the aircraft began in 2022. However, military experts have long cautioned against Russian Su-57 stealth fighter jet deals being made by Moscow. Despite being touted as a Russian fifth-generation fighter aircraft to rival its US equivalent, the Su-57 was plagued by development delays and a crash in 2019.

In December 2019, one of Russia's Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter jets crashed in the Far East during a test flight, marking the first accident of its kind involving the superior plane. According to the military sources, the crash was caused by a failure in the steering system, causing a massive loss to Russia in its attempt to sell the fighter jet to its allies. The crash also delayed the handover of the plane to the Russian Air Force that year.

Russia's risk-averse approach to using the Su-57 was "symptomatic" of the military's wider approach to the war, according to an assessment by the British Defence Ministry in January 2023. North Korea, Iran, and Algeria are among the nations who have shown interest in buying the stealth fighter jet. If India confirms the deal with Russia, Moscow is likely to get a major boost for its defence industry which has been facing losses due to war efforts in Ukraine. Russia is further bleeding in the defence sector due to the Western sanctions for its war in Ukraine and related supply chain hurdles.

An official for Rosoboronexport said Russia will share the fifth generation technologies with India, Moscow’s biggest defence importer. These will include fifth generation technologies comprising engines, Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, optics, AI elements, software communication means, and air weapons. India can manufacture these critical technologies without any fear of sanctions, the official said.

India, the world's largest arms importer, has stressed the need to modernise its military and boost domestic defence production to counter rival China's growing military strength and influence in South Asia. However, the country has failed to ink any significant defence deal in its biennial aerial shows, reducing its efficacy of holding the military exhibition – a gap Moscow could likely fill with its fighter jet.