Negotiations between Russia and India on a potential contract for the supply and co-production of the Su-57 fighter have entered an advanced technical consultation phase, according to Vadim Badeha, CEO of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), speaking at the Wings India 2026 airshow.
According to Badeha, discussions are now focused on the parameters of a prospective agreement, moving beyond preliminary political and diplomatic contacts. The talks involve aligning the aircraft’s technical configuration, defining the cooperation model, and planning the industrial implementation of the program. Such a level of detail is typical for long-term programs designed for multi-year operational use.
The consultations include evaluating the possibility of establishing Su-57 production in India. The discussions consider leveraging facilities currently used for the licensed production of the Su-30MKI. The Russian side is open to broad participation by Indian industry, including the integration of domestic components and onboard systems into the aircraft.
In Russia-India aviation programs, technical coordination traditionally centers on the airframe, propulsion system, avionics architecture, and the integration of onboard electronic systems—including communication, navigation, and electronic warfare capabilities—along with flight control software and algorithms.
A particular focus is placed on access to the source code of critical systems and the ability to integrate Indian components into a unified avionics suite. The parties are also addressing export restrictions, document control regimes, and the allocation of rights for future upgrades. Historical experience with the FGFA program demonstrates that overly demanding requirements from the Indian side regarding technology access and localization were among the main reasons for project delays.
This consultation format implies adapting the production chain, redistributing responsibilities, and harmonizing requirements for quality, tolerances, and support for serial production. A contract of this scale requires detailed technical and organizational planning, including certification, logistics, and after-sales support.
The announcement coincides with intensified Indian combat aviation programs and a persistent gap between India’s current fleet and prospective national developments. In this context, the Su-57 is viewed as a fifth-generation serial platform with an established production and operational base.
The designation of a “deep technical stage” indicates that the parties have progressed from discussing the feasibility of the deal to working on concrete parameters. For India, this enables an assessment of industrial feasibility; for Russia, it offers a cooperation model beyond direct export.
The next stage of talks will focus on defining the aircraft’s technical configuration, localization levels, and the allocation of work between enterprises. In practice, this entails an extended cycle of approvals, testing, and refinement before any contract signing.
In programs of this type, the technical stage determines the realism of timelines, life-cycle costs, and the stability of cooperation. Political considerations, while relevant, take a secondary role to engineering and production logic.
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