As India's indigenous fifth-generation fighter, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), is still 10 years away from fruition, India may be looking at a stopgap measure, and Russia's Sukhoi-57 is being considered as the first choice.
Russia and the US showcased their fifth-generation fighters, the Su-57 and F-35, at Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru. While Russia made a pitch for joint production of the Su-57 and tech transfer, the US had offered the F-35 to India to deepen the defence ties between the two countries.
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According to a report by The Tribune, the defence ministry and the Indian Air Force (IAF) discussed the urgent need to have a fifth-generation fighter as China continues to expand its fifth-generation fleet with the Chengdu J-20 and the multi-role Shenyang J-35. China has also offered to sell 40 J-35 jets to Pakistan—a move, if realised, would exert pressure on the IAF, which is already facing a squadron shortage.
While there has been no official communication from the authorities regarding this, India is more likely to consider the Russian jet as the US fighter comes with a load of restrictions, including possible non-integration of Indian weapons on board the aircraft. It then makes more sense for India to look at the Russian jet, as India already has experience with Russian platforms.
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“We are yet to start negotiations with the Russians; that will happen once IAF teams take a deep dive into what all is on offer,” The Tribune quoted a source as saying.
In January, a top Russian aerospace official had claimed India and Russia were holding technical discussions to explore the possibility of the joint production of the Sukhoi Su-57E fighter jet in India.
The CEO of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), Vadim Badekha, had said the two sides are also discussing "the licensed production of the Su-57 fighters in India at the facilities currently used to produce the Su-30 aircraft, and the maximum use of Indian industry and Indian systems in this aircraft."
Earlier, Alexander Mikheev, CEO of the state-arms exporter Rosoboronexport, had announced that the firm was offering India the supply of Su-57E fighter jets, as well as the organisation of their production in the country and assistance in developing the AMCA.
