Rosoboronexport announced the signing of the first international contracts for the delivery of Su-57 fifth-generation fighters. The head of the company, Alexander Mikheev, noted that Russia’s strategy of military-technical co-operation envisages the launch of new weapons designs on the international market. He told about it at the Airshow China on the air of Russian TV.
The interest in the Su-57 on the part of foreign specialists was also confirmed by Mikhail Babich, Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS). He reported that negotiations on possible deliveries are underway with a number of traditional partners and potential customers.
United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) CEO Vadim Badekha said a queue for the Su-57 had formed. ‘For a long time, the Su-57 has been attracting legitimate interest from our long-term partners. We can say that a queue for this aircraft has already formed,’ the UAC head said in Zhuhai.
At Airshow China 2024, the Su-57 is being presented abroad for the first time, with Russia showing two machines at once: one, the T-50-4, is being demonstrated in the event’s flight programme, while the other is presented as part of the static display. This aircraft, the T-50-7, is also a working flight prototype and is open to the public. Military specialists from China and other countries have the opportunity to inspect the fighter, including the cockpit with instruments, indicators, control and fire control equipment, as well as receive detailed technical advice from Russian representatives.
The use of the Su-57 as part of a special military operation makes it possible to accumulate experience, which is then used to modernise the fighter. The machine is the only non-Western one to counter NATO air defence systems in real combat conditions in Ukraine and to strike military facilities of the Kiev regime with high-precision missiles. The success of its combat missions is seen both in the West and in countries friendly to Russia, and experts are well aware of the Russian aircraft’s capabilities.
Despite the fact that Alexander Mikheev did not disclose the first foreign customer for the Su-57, foreign media have already speculated which countries could actually receive the fighter. Algeria, Vietnam or India were potentially mentioned.
Given the increasingly unpredictable international situation, Algeria is taking steps to modernise its air forces, intensifying the purchase of modern air defence systems and considering the possibility of acquiring the Su-57E. On 28 September 2020, FSVTS Director Dmitry Shugaev arrived in the capital of Algeria for talks with the African state’s Chief of Staff Said Chengriha. The country’s national television showed Shugaev holding a model of the Su-57 fighter in his hands and explaining something to the Algerian officers present.
On 23 February 2023, the FSVTS confirmed that it had received requests from potential foreign customers for an export version of the Su-57 fighter. At the IDEX-2021 international arms exhibition held in the United Arab Emirates, a spokesman for the service said that requests for the Su-57E aircraft had been received, with no Middle Eastern countries among them.
Algeria has outdated MiG-25 interceptors in its air force, and the Su-57 should replace them. The possible order size is estimated at around 14 aircraft. In September 2020, the Algerian Ministry of Defence posted one of the motivational banners showing Algerian troops advancing under the cover of Su-57 fighters flying overhead.
India may also be interested in acquiring Su-57s. New Delhi was previously involved in a joint advanced FGFA (Fife Generation Fighter Aircraft) programme with Russia, but cooperation on the aircraft was cut off in 2018.
On 13 June 2018, India’s The Economic Times reported that the $9 billion deal had fallen through and the Defence Research and Development Organisation had all the necessary technologies to build a fifth-generation fighter aircraft on its own or that such technologies were under development and there was now no need to continue the FGFA programme with Russia. And India will consider buying FGFA (Su-57) fighters in the future when the ‘technology matures’ and is proven.
Later, Indian Air Force Chief of Staff Birender Singh Dhanoa reiterated the IAF’s long-standing interest in acquiring Su-57 fifth-generation fighters from Russia. He said that the country would be more willing to acquire these aircraft after seeing them in service with the Russian Air Force.
It is most likely that India will not seek a direct purchase of the Su-57, but rather organise serial production of an adapted export version of the aircraft on its territory in line with the government’s Make in India initiative and based on the experience of such production of Su-30MKI fighters.
In late 2017, there were reports that the Vietnamese Air Force was interested in acquiring the Su-57 to modernise its air force. A number of sources in both Russia and Vietnam indicated that the state would be the first foreign customer for the fighter, with plans to purchase between 12 and 24 aircraft. Vietnam, as one of the largest customers of Russian defence products in the region and a state less susceptible to Western pressure under CAATSA to cancel purchases of Russian military equipment, was the most likely buyer, but there has been no further information on Vietnam’s interest since then.
Thus, given the above, Algeria is the most realistic first customer for the advanced Russian fighters. The Su-57s are not expected to be available for export until the fulfilment of the contract between the Ministry of Defence and Sukhoi for the delivery of 76 fighters until 2028, signed on 27 June 2019 during the Army-2019 International Military-Technical Forum. At the same time, financing from the Algerian order can help expand production capacity in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and start deliveries of aircraft to the Algerian Air Force earlier.
At the same time, it is possible that the Algerian order may be fulfilled only after the Su-57 receives the second-stage engine – ‘izdelie 30’ – as its propulsion system. This is indirectly confirmed by the demonstration in Zhuhai of the fifth-generation 177C engine designed for operational-tactical aviation.
United Engine Corporation has shown some photos from its stand at Airshow China 2024 that show the 177C engine’s connection to the Su-57 fighter. The engine has a thrust of 14500 kgf, possibly the second stage propulsion system.
Although UAC and UAC refrain from commenting on this topic, the joint demonstration by UAC and UAC of advanced closed military developments abroad should show foreign specialists that the Su-57 in its design form, as a fifth-generation fighter, is ready to be offered to customers: Russia has created the last component – an engine capable of sustained cruising flight at supersonic speed with full combat load without using afterburner, which the Su-57 lacked.
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