Confirmation from Rosoboronexport that multiple countries, including Algeria and Iran, have placed orders for the aircraft was followed by reports from Indian sources that the Defence Ministry has also finalised contracts.
This development comes after the Ministry confirmed in January 2026 that licence production talks had reached an advanced technical stage, a year after initial discussions were acknowledged.
Local reports suggested that India was considering the near-term procurement of 40 Su-57s to strengthen frontline units before moving to larger-scale licensed production once the Su-57M1 becomes available.
According to informed sources, the Indian Air Force intends to procure the Su-57M1 variant under a licence production deal, while acquiring current variants directly from Russia in the interim. This mirrors India’s earlier approach with the Su-30MK fighters in the late 1990s, which were purchased until the more advanced Su-30MKI became available for local production in the early 2000s.
Even the baseline Su-57 would represent the most advanced fighter in Indian service, providing valuable operational experience for pilots and maintenance crews ahead of the introduction of the Su-57M1.
The Su-57M1 is expected to integrate the AL-51F-1 engine, which will place it ahead of the American F-22 and potentially on par with China’s J-20 in terms of thrust. The new engine will also reduce maintenance demands and improve availability.
Russian sources report that the Su-57M1 will feature a widened airframe for greater lift and improved supersonic stability, a flatter fuselage with internal weapon bays for enhanced stealth, and a more advanced primary sensor to replace the N036 radar—the first AESA radar fitted to a Russian fighter.
These upgrades are expected to significantly narrow the capability gap between Indian and Chinese top-tier units, while providing a decisive advantage over Pakistan’s J-10C fighters.
The Su-57M1 is also expected to serve as the foundation for a heavily customised Indian variant, integrating local subsystems and potentially mirroring the Su-30MKI’s long production run with increasing indigenous input.
In June 2025, Russia reportedly offered India unprecedented access to the fighter’s source code, while in December 2025 Dmitry Shugayev of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation suggested a fully joint programme could be pursued.
This would allow India a greater degree of technological ownership than with the Su-30MKI. Using the Su-57M1 as the basis for customisation rather than the baseline model is seen as a more effective approach.
With the U.S. F-35 and Chinese fifth generation fighters excluded for political reasons, the Su-57 remains India’s only near-term option for acquiring fifth generation aircraft.
This is particularly important given the delays in the indigenous AMCA stealth fighter program, which is now projected to deliver an operational fighter only in the 2040s. Much like the Su-30MKI, of which India procured over 270 units, acquisitions of the Su-57 are expected to be extensive.
A customised Su-57M1 variant with Indian avionics and potentially a second seat could even compete with the baseline Su-57 on export markets, with joint technology ownership offering significant opportunities for India’s defence industry.
Agencies
