Veteran Indian pilots highlight Russian Su-57’s edge over the US F-35

The 5th-generation stealth fighter would combine distinct Russian features with Indian avionics and software prowess, retired airmen have told RT India

Russia’s 5th-generation Su-57 fighter aircraft would be a potent weapon capable of providing an edge over the US F-35, former Indian Air Force veterans have told RT India.

Negotiations for the supply and production of the Su-57 fighter jet in India are at a “deep technical stage,” Vadim Badekha, the CEO of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation, said on the sidelines of the Wings India air show this week.

Moscow announced an offer of full licensed production in India of the Su-57 at the Dubai airshow in November 2025, along with unrestricted transfer of technology.

“We need a fifth-generation aircraft very, very quickly, and the Su-57 is the best option,” retired Air Marshal Anil Chopra told RT India on Thursday.

Chopra said the Su-30MKI line “is more or less going to become free in one or two years from now, and therefore the possibility of making the Su-57 in India is bright.”

Badekha noted that talks with India centered on tapping manufacturing facilities currently used for the country’s Su-30 production.

Chopra said 20 countries have stealth aircraft, and that China has more than 300 J-20S, another 5th-generation plane, and two sixth-generation fighters, underscoring the need for India to have its own.

A stealth fighter provides the advantage of penetrating deeper into enemy airspace without detection.

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Group Captain M. J. Augustine Vinod described the Su-57 as a Russian airframe which, along with Indian software and avionics, is a potent weapon. India’s integration of high-end avionics into an aircraft is second to none, he said.

“When you combine the exceptional aerodynamics of Su-57 and the Indian avionics and software to it, you have an airplane much better than the F-35,” he told RT India on Thursday. “The Su-57 is a twin-engine aircraft, while the F-35 is a single-engine aircraft.”

The duopoly of Airbus and Boeing in civil aircraft manufacturing will be taken over by Russian-Indian conglomerates, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and private players, he added.

HAL has entered into a joint venture with the United Aircraft Corporation to manufacture Sukhoi SJ-100 superjets.