Russian fifth-generation stealth fighter, Su-57 ‘Felon,’ is coming to India! There are speculations that U.S. F-35 Lightning II aircraft might be present at AeroIndia Airshow, just like last time.
The F-35A touched down at Aero India 2023 in Bangalore. Since then, there has been curiosity about “what its presence at the event symbolizes.” Rear Admiral Michael L. Baker, the defense attache at the U.S. embassy in India, stated that New Delhi was in the “very early stages” of deciding on F-35s.
For Su-57, it will be the debut appearance of the stealth fighter as Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to renew its pitch to offer the aircraft to India, seeking to stem its declining fighter strength.
India is hosting the Aero India air show at Yelhanka Airbase in Bangalore. This will be the Su-57’s debut appearance in India. Earlier in November 2024, It attended the Zhuhai Air Show in China, its first-ever air show in a foreign country.
The Su-57, Russia’s most advanced front-line aircraft, is produced at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant in the Russian Far East. Russia has been hopeful that its sophisticated Su-57 fighter jet, its answer to the US F-35 and Chinese J-20 Mighty Dragon, could prompt the IAF to relook at the stealth aircraft.
The Su-57 is Russia’s first new fighter jet since the end of the Cold War. Despite being in development for nearly two decades, it is unlikely to be produced in huge numbers soon, as the invasion of Ukraine puts a great strain on the Russian economy.
The timing of Su-57’s debut in the air show is likely to be juxtaposed with the much-awaited visit of President Putin to India. There is speculation that President Putin may make a renewed offer to give Su-57 to India with a possibility of co-production under the “Make in India” initiative.
Russia’s renewed pitch for Su-57 includes an offer of improvements in stealth, avionics, and combat capabilities, including integrating hypersonic weapons. Russia has reduced the aircraft’s cost and may accept a unique payment mechanism in Indian rupees to allure New Delhi.
Russian fighter jets have been the backbone of the IAF’s fighter fleet. The two countries have had a symbiotic defense sector as Indian money helped the Russian defense sector while the latter’s product helped the Indian military to modernize.
Su-57s have been marred by limited production. It has been 14 years since its first flight in 2010, and less than 40 aircraft have been delivered. This is primarily due to design and development delays and the slow rate of production compounded by Western sanctions. Actual production didn’t even begin until 2019, reflecting the industrial bottlenecks that have hampered Russia’s war effort.
India already operates over 250 Su-30MKIs, and the Indian aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has the experience of license-producing Russian fighter jets. If the manufacturing of Su-57 gets through, it can herald a new era of defense cooperation between the two countries.
The collaboration on Su-57 will culminate the cooperation that started in 2007, when the two countries signed a contract to develop the fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
Under the agreement, it was envisaged that the Indian aerospace maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will collaborate with the Russian Sukhoi Design Bureau to develop an improved variant of the Su-57 stealth fighter.
However, the project fell through the cracks over the years.
In 2018, the U.S. $8.63 billion deal was formally put to rest after the Indian government conveyed its decision to its Russian counterpart. The Russians were asked to proceed alone with the mammoth project, and India might join the project at a later stage or buy the fully developed fighter jet once it enters the Russian Air Force.
Also known as the T-50 or the PAK FA, stealth fighters were supposed to be the foundation for the Indian jet. However, cost and technical issues made the deal a failure. Now, India has the leverage to bargain for a greater share of technology in the development of the Su-57.
There is a school of thought that suggests the IAF’s way out of its present predicament is to get a risk-sharing partner on board. This partner would not only fill the gap in the development of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-2, but also the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) planned to follow suit.
Felon’s Long Flight To Development
The ‘Felon’ was first unveiled to the world in 2010 and was dubbed an aircraft capable of both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions while evading the adversaries’ radars.
The aircraft is still far from fully operational, even though it was sent to Syria in 2018 and 2019 for “real-world missions and tests.” But it reportedly did not carry out any combat missions.
In January 2023, reports came where Russia insisted that the Felon jets had been “brilliant” for its war effort in Ukraine as these fighter jets successfully disabled Ukrainian air defense systems, among other missions.
However, the UK’s Ministry of Defense sobered down the euphoria around the aircraft, saying that although it was highly likely Su-57 aircraft were operating over Ukraine, the missions were probably completed in Russian territory.
The Sukhoi Su-57 is designed to destroy all types of air, ground, and naval targets. It has increased stealth due to the broad use of composite materials and is capable of reaching a supersonic cruising speed.
It is said to be equipped with the most advanced onboard radio-electronic equipment, including a powerful onboard computer (the so-called electronic second pilot). Its radar system is spread across its body, and its armament is placed inside its fuselage.
The Su-57 AI system assumes some of the pilot’s functions, including piloting and preparations for the use of weapons.
The Su-57 will be armed with beyond-visual-range missiles and two short-range missiles for air-to-air combat missions. The active radar-homing K-77M (Izdeliye 180) missile is the primary medium-range missile of the fighter. An upgraded version of the R-77 medium-range missile, the K-77M is a beyond visual range (BVR) radar-guided missile equipped with an active electronically scanned array radar seeker. Russia is also planning to add the new R-37M long-range hypersonic missiles to the aircraft’s firepower.
Russia is also looking to field the S-70 Okhotnik (Hunter-B) strike drone alongside the Su-57 as a ‘loyal wingman’ to the stealth fighter jet. UAC CEO Yury Slyusar said earlier that the Su-57 fifth-generation jet was a step toward the sixth-generation aircraft and will be used to develop the family.
