After Algeria, another foreign country (or countries) has decided to buy the fifth-generation Su-57E stealth fighter from Russia, a fresh report said. The names of India, Iran, North Korea, and Kazakhstan have all been floated by reports amidst Russia's decision to keep the name of the new buyer(s) under wraps.
Rosoboronexport, Russia's sole state-owned intermediary agency for exporting and importing military-related technologies and services, confirmed reaching an agreement for the sale of the Su-57E stealth fighters ahead of the El Alamein International Airshow in Egypt, but stopped short of naming the buyers. There was no news on the potential fleet size, delivery schedules, weapons packages, or training arrangements either.
The delivery of the state-of-the-art jets will begin before 2026 ends, Rosoboronexport director Aleksandr Alexandrovich Mikheyev was quoted as saying by Defence Security Asia in a report. “Rosoboronexport’s order book currently includes several contracts for the supply of this aircraft, and it is planned to begin fulfilling obligations to new foreign customers in 2026,” the seasoned engineer reportedly said.
As of today, Africa's Algeria is the only confirmed foreign operator of the Su-57E. The country received its first two jets in late 2025 after its pilots completed training in Russia. It is believed that Algiers will receive 12 to 36 aircraft through 2027.
Will India buy Su-57Es?
Kazakhstan is placed alongside India in the list of potential buyers as the Central Asian country had recently confirmed the need to upgrade its Su-27 fleet. Although Tehran and Pyongyang are also in the mix, handing over the stealth fighter jets to the "bad boys" could have far-reaching political implications. It is not an easy nut to crack for Russia amidst the war in Europe, many experts think.
It was earlier reported that when Vladimir Putin meets Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Friday, the former may look to convince his time-tested partner to purchase the fifth-generation fighters.
THE WEEK had earlier reported that the renewed pitch to be made by Putin during his meeting with Modi comes as Russia has been trying for some time to convince India to consider the Su-57 as a stop-gap measure until the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) becomes available to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IAF is currently dealing with a shortage of combat aircraft, as the AMCA is likely to enter service only after 2035.
The Russian offer includes technology transfers, joint production, access to source codes, and options for localised manufacturing of the Su-57E. Russia showcased the fifth-generation fighter at Aero India 2025.
Putin had earlier reinforced the proposal during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2026. He reportedly vouched that Moscow is ready to co-develop the Su-57E with India and that there was no upper cap on how much further the cooperation could go.
Russia is ready to supply the jets to India while continuing to develop them with New Delhi, he reportedly added. Moscow is willing to make immediate delivery of 36 to 60 fully assembled Su-57E jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF), Defence Security Asia said in a report.
