United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has delivered another batch of Su-57 multirole fighters to the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), marking the second such delivery in 2026. UAC said on 24 September that the aircraft were completed in an updated configuration and had undergone factory testing before being accepted by Ministry of Defence pilots and flown to their operational base.
The February 2026 delivery was the first batch of Su-57s supplied in the new configuration. UAC said the updated aircraft incorporate changes to their onboard systems and weapons complex, reflecting experience gained from operational use. The company has not disclosed the number of aircraft in either 2026 batch.
The Russian government placed the main production contract for the Su-57 with Sukhoi in June 2019. The contract covers 76 aircraft, with deliveries intended to equip three aviation regiments by 2028. Serial deliveries under the contract began in 2020, when four aircraft were supplied, followed by two in 2021 and six in 2022.
UAC stopped publishing delivery totals after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while aircraft identifiers visible in official imagery have subsequently been obscured. Russian estimates put deliveries at 11-12 aircraft in 2023 and about 13 in 2024. Including the aircraft delivered in 2026, the VKS fleet could now comprise about 50 Su-57s, although the figure cannot be independently confirmed.
UAC said production processes were being refined with other Rostec companies to maintain the required manufacturing rate. The company has previously described the Su-57 as a continuously evolving platform, with changes to its systems and weapons suite driven partly by operational experience.
The latest delivery also comes as UAC expands the Su-57 family. In May 2026, the company began flight testing the Su-57D two-seat variant, which is intended to combine the fighter’s combat role with training and airborne command functions.
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