Latest news with #Su-57Felon
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A rare photo shows Russian and American fighter jets in one place, in India
BENGALURU, India (AP) — At first glance, the photograph of two fighter jets — one parked on the tarmac and other zooming past it in the air — appears entirely commonplace. In reality, it is anything but. The Russian Su-57 Felon and the American-made Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II — both advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft made by rival countries— have been sharing the same space in India since Monday, a move described by India's defense ministry as historic. The participation of the two at the Aero India 2025 international airshow comes at a time when India is seeking to bridge its fifth-generation fighter gap. India depends on Russia for nearly 60% of its defense equipment, but the war in Ukraine has added to doubts about future supplies, and New Delhi has been looking more toward the U.S., Israel, Britain, and others.
Associated Press
13-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
A rare photo shows Russian and American fighter jets in one place, in India
BENGALURU, India (AP) — At first glance, the photograph of two fighter jets — one parked on the tarmac and other zooming past it in the air — appears entirely commonplace. In reality, it is anything but. The Russian Su-57 Felon and the American-made Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II — both advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft made by rival countries— have been sharing the same space in India since Monday, a move described by India's defense ministry as historic. The participation of the two at the Aero India 2025 international airshow comes at a time when India is seeking to bridge its fifth-generation fighter gap. India depends on Russia for nearly 60% of its defense equipment, but the war in Ukraine has added to doubts about future supplies, and New Delhi has been looking more toward the U.S., Israel, Britain, and others.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Algeria Says It's The Su-57 Felon's First Export Customer
Algeria's state-run media has announced that the country is the first export customer for Russia's Su-57 Felon new-generation fighter. The development follows a statement earlier this week from Russia that an undisclosed foreign customer will start to receive Su-57s this year. The vote of confidence could help improve the fortunes of the Su-57, which has so far suffered from a failed partnership with India and limited Russian orders and deliveries. Information about the Algerian Su-57 order was provided by the country's state television network, which also reported that Algerian pilots are currently undergoing training on the fighter in Russia. The deliveries are expected to begin later this year, the same source said, although the number of aircraft ordered and the cost of the deal remain unclear. Algerian TV confirms Su-57 fighter jet deal with Russia.'Algerian pilots are training in Russia, and deliveries are expected this year.'Algeria becomes the first Su-57 customer. — Clash Report (@clashreport) February 12, 2025 On Monday, Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-run arms export/import agency, said that Su-57s would be delivered to an undisclosed foreign customer starting this year, but provided no details as to that nation's identity. The statement was made at the opening of the Aero India 2025 international airshow by Rosoboronexport Chief Alexander Mikheev. In November 2024, during Airshow China at Zhuhai, Mikheev also announced the signature of 'the first contracts for the [sale of] Su-57 aircraft' to a foreign country. Again, he declined to name the customer or to discuss any planned delivery schedule. Unconfirmed accounts suggest that Algeria may initially be acquiring just six Su-57s. If true, that could suggest that an initial batch will be used for evaluation, or it might be that Russia is able to supply an initial batch of six, with more to follow. Regardless, Russia's claim that deliveries of Su-57s to a foreign customer will start this year looks questionable. In fact, the Su-57's sluggish production output is a potentially significant obstacle in terms of export orders — at least if a client requires the aircraft in larger numbers. Although the Felon was first flown in T-50 prototype form back in 2010, the program has made only very slow progress, hampered by a lack of investment in the form of foreign orders. A significant blow was struck by India's withdrawal from the program, with that country's investment having been considered vital to speed development. The same had been true in the late 1990s when India's purchase of the Su-30MKI Flanker essentially secured the development of the multirole version of this fighter, which was only later acquired by Russia. Meanwhile, the Russian Aerospace Forces only began to receive series-built Su-57s in 2022, part of an order for 76 aircraft — a notably small production run. While at least six aircraft were delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2022, more than 10 were handed over in 2023 before numbers tailed off again in 2024 when likely only two or three more were received. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent international sanctions, have certainly played a role in the slow pace of deliveries, with little prospect that this will change any time soon. Those same sanctions, as well as Moscow's increasing pariah status, have further reduced the chances of export success. In an effort to drum up foreign interest, Russia has also offered a degree of local production of the Su-57, specifically with the hope of securing sales from India and the United Arab Emirates. Russia has also attempted to use the Su-57's supposed combat performance — in Syria and Ukraine — as a way to drum up interest in the fighter. However, the apparent operational evaluation in Syria appears to have been of very limited scope, while few hard details have emerged about how the Su-57 has been used in the war in Ukraine. Most notably, perhaps, at least one and maybe two Su-57s were struck by Ukrainian drones at an air base deep inside Russia, as you can read about here. Another hurdle is the fact that the export version of the Felon — the Su-57E — has yet to appear in hardware form. While the 'Su-57E' has been presented at airshows previously — notably at Zhuhai — the aircraft was actually the fourth T-50 prototype. As the export version, the Su-57E is likely to be somewhat downgraded, as well as having a different identification friend or foe (IFF) system, and cockpit displays calibrated in Imperial units and the English language. In the past, it's been suggested that non-Russian weapons could be integrated if required. With this in mind, the Su-57E is certainly more achievable than the advanced Su-57M version, which has long been promised but has so far made little tangible progress. Central to the Su-57M is the new AL-51F-1 (izdeliye 30) turbofan engine, replacing the current AL-41F-1, with increased thrust, lighter weight, and lower operating costs. This, too, has moved at a glacial pace, not helped by the low level of interest from Russia, let alone on the export market. For the Algerian Air Force, however, the Su-57E would be a significant advance, reinforcing its status as the most powerful air arm in the region. With its reduced radar signature, supersonic cruising speed, high level of agility, and advanced sensor suite, the Su-57 provides a combination of capabilities not found in any other African air arm. The backbone of the Algerian Air Force has long been provided by Russian-made equipment, currently including 63 Su-30MKA and 40 MiG-29S/M/M2 multirole fighters, 42 Su-24MK2 strike/reconnaissance aircraft, and 16 Yak-130 combat trainers. It also operates 33 Russian-made Mi-24 Mk III and 42 Mi-28NE attack helicopters. All those figures are for 2024 and are published by FlightGlobal. This has all been enabled by the highest level of defense spending in Africa, supported by one of the continent's largest economies in Africa, due mostly to its large oil and gas reserves. Traditionally, the Algerian Air Force has been built up to face off the potential threat from Morocco, with which Algeria went to war over the contested Western Sahara region, in 1976. In the 1990s, Algeria was engaged in a civil war, pitting the armed forces against various Islamist rebel groups. Beginning in the 2000s, meanwhile, the armed forces have fought with Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb or AQIM, an Islamist militant organization that aims to overthrow the Algerian government and institute an Islamic state. Buying the Su-57 reinforces the Algerian Air Force's capabilities vis-à-vis Morocco, which has been approved to buy 25 new F-16 Block 72s, as well as an upgrade package to bring that country's existing Viper fleet up to the very similar F-16V standard. At the same time, it further underlines Algeria's defense ties with Russia. It remains to be seen how many Su-57s Algeria will acquire and when they start to be delivered. But even a small number would be a shot in the arm for the Su-57 program, which has so far struggled to gain traction on the export market, not helped by the slow pace of the program and Russia's reluctance to order it in more significant numbers. Contact the author: thomas@
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
F-35 And Su-57 Face Off In India
A Russian Su-57 Felon next-generation fighter sharing tarmac with a U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter is a truly unusual sight, and it has quickly become a signature image of the Aero India 2025 international airshow. With the Indian Air Force looking for new fighters, and with a complex path toward fielding its own fifth-generation combat aircraft, the rival jets have both been pitched, to some degree or another, toward emerging Indian requirements. However, it's far from clear whether either of these advanced combat aircraft will be suitable, for varied reasons. The first-ever such meeting on the ground between Su-57 and F-35A (two of which were sent to the airshow) occurred at Aero India over the weekend. The airshow is taking place at Air Force Station Yelahanka in Bangalore, southwestern India, and is open to the public between February 10-14. At the opening of the show, the Indian Ministry of Defense published a statement that made a fairly direct reference to the presence of the rival fighters. 'Aero India 2025 will provide a rare side-by-side comparison of Eastern and Western fifth-generation fighter technology, offering defense analysts, military personnel, and aviation enthusiasts valuable insights into their respective capabilities,' the ministry said. For the FIRST time ever, two global rivals—the United States and Russia—are bringing their most advanced 5th-generation stealth fighter jets together on Indian soil! F-35 Lightning II (#USA )Su-57 Felon (#Russia ) Aero India has become the ultimate stage where the… — Defence & Security Alert Magazine (@DSAlert) February 10, 2025 Only in (HIGH-RES)A historic first time & 5th gen aircraft sharing the same crew eagerly their first in-person glimpse of the F-35, while, vice versa, F-16 & F-35 pilots get their first look at the Felon. A rare moment of mutual fascination. — Vishal Jolapara (@VishalJolapara) February 9, 2025 Sigh.[ /@SauravChordia1] — Livefist (@livefist) February 10, 2025 Today, Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-run arms export/import agency, announced that an undisclosed foreign customer will start to receive Su-57s this year, but provided no details as to that nation's identity. The statement was made at the opening of Air India by Rosoboronexport chief Alexander Mikheev. Since it was first offered, the Felon has not achieved any confirmed export orders and previous plans for India to acquire it fell apart in dramatic fashion. As long ago as 2003, the Prospective Multirole Fighter (PMF) was planned as an India-specific version of the Su-57 (then still known by its T-50 prototype designation). This was intended to meet the requirements of the Indian Air Force's Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) program. Russia and India signed a letter of intent covering the common development of the PMF, in January 2003, followed by a related inter-governmental agreement in 2007, and another contract covering the preliminary design of the aircraft in 2010. The PMF would have had various new and modified systems, compared with the baseline Russian standard, including an N079 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, derived from the Russian N036. However, the project made only slow progress and was punctuated by some embarrassing incidents, including the fifth aircraft, T-50-5, catching fire on the runway at Zhukovsky, near Moscow in June 2014. This reported happened in full view of an Indian delegation. Regardless, by 2018, India had left the PMF program, as you can read about here. Nevertheless, Russia continues to push the Su-57E export version on the international marketplace. Last November, Rosoboronexport claimed that the first export contracts for the Su-57 had been signed, but, again, the buyer — or buyers — were not named. When it was first launched in 2018, Russia claimed that the Su-57E version would be 'significantly cheaper' than the F-35, although no numbers were provided. In 2019, a Su-57 was personally shown to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, as seen in the video below, with the hope of securing Ankara's interest in the Su-57E. Otherwise, Algeria and Egypt have been identified by analysts as possible customers, although Russia's ostracization from much of the international community as a result of its war in Ukraine has further diminished the chances of major international arms sales. In India, meanwhile, the focus has been on the development of a homegrown fifth-generation fighter, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), although this is still a long way off, with the latest reports indicating it's not planned to enter service until 2036. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been officially working on the AMCA project since 2010 and, at one point, there was a stated goal of having a flying prototype by 2025. In the meantime, the Indian Air Force faces the problem of a diminishing frontline fighter force driven by the retirement of older types, like the MiG-21 Fishbed — the Soviet-designed jet that was once the backbone of the service. This is compounded by a lack of movement on projects to buy foreign-made fighters as interim equipment, something that Angad Singh, an Indian defense journalist and contributor to this website, characterizes as 'decision paralysis.' Of course, the Indian Air Force would not have faced such problems had India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas program, the MiG-21's designated successor, not suffered such lengthy delays. Currently, the Indian Air Force still has only two operational squadrons with the LCA Tejas Mk 1 and this is, in many ways a fairly limited combat aircraft — certainly when compared to fifth-generation types. Ultimately, only 40 examples are being purchased. With that in mind, deliveries of the improved LCA Tejas Mk 1A are planned to start soon, allowing the Indian Air Force to finally dispose of its last MiG-21s. While more capable than the Tejas Mk 1, with more advanced radar, avionics, and weapons, the Mk 1A is still classified by the Indian Air Force as a fourth-generation type, putting it more or less on par with the South Korean FA-50, or the Saab Gripen, for example. There are currently 83 Tejas Mk 1A fighters under contract, with plans to supplement this with another 97 aircraft, for a total of 180 Mk 1As. After that, 120 examples of the altogether more ambitious Tejas Mk 2 are set to be delivered to the Indian Air Force, between 2028 and 2035. Classified as 'generation 4++' fighters, these will be fitted with more powerful F414 engines and have much-improved performance as part of generally expanded capabilities. If all goes to plan, the experience with the Tejas Mk 2 should pave the way for the first of the all-new AMCA fifth-generation fighters to enter service in 2036. Currently, plans call for 120 aircraft to be procured under the AMCA program. First and only sign of the Tejas AF Mk.2…. Absolutely no talk about it anywhere or from anyone!!Strange — Vayu Aerospace Review (@ReviewVayu) February 10, 2025 The AMCA will feature a low-observable design, including internal weapons bays, new-generation AESA radar, and advanced avionics, and will be intended, from the outset, to operate alongside drones as part of 'manned-unmanned' teaming concept. Again, the AMCA is still a long way in the future and, based on prior experience, the program will likely face more delays of its own. With that in mind, and with so many different moving pieces in the Indian Air Force's fighter puzzle, the service also launched the Multirole Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) competition. This aims to select an existing foreign-made fighter, with a total of 114 to be acquired, through a combination of off-the-shelf purchases and licensed production in India. Many might ask why India wouldn't simply buy more Dassault Rafales, but when the 114-aircraft requirement was launched it was billed as being specifically for single-engine types, ruling out the French product. Since then, however, the competition appears to be wide open, with the F-15EX, for example, now also being offered to India, and with the Rafale and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet also in the running. If India decides to procure another single-engine fighter, after all, the Indian-specific F-21 configuration of the F-16 is also a viable candidate. On the other hand, with its emphasis on a 'non-controversial' procurement of more 'generation 4+' fighters in the same class as the Rafale, the MRFA competition doesn't appear to have a place for the Su-57, or the F-35. That brings us to the Joint Strike Fighter. In the past, there have been tentative offers of the F-35 to India, notably in 2018, when the then head of U.S. Pacific Command supposedly stated that he supported the sale of the stealth fighter to India. Just a normal day at Aero India….10 minutes ago, it was the Su-57…and now the F-35 Just how lucky are we attending this spectacle! — Vayu Aerospace Review (@ReviewVayu) February 10, 2025 #WATCH | Bengaluru | 054 Russian Federation Air Force Sukhoi T-50 (Su-57) and US F-35 fighter aircraft at #AeroIndia2025 For the first time, advanced fifth-generation aircraft of both Russia and the US are participating in the 15th edition of Asia's top aerospace exhibition,… — ANI (@ANI) February 10, 2025 The U.S. government has still not technically cleared the F-35 for offer to India, although, as in the case of the United Arab Emirates, where the same was true, this didn't stop the previous Trump administration from pitching the aircraft to the Gulf country. It's notable, too that, in the past Lockheed Martin hinted that India choosing its F-21 (essentially an advanced F-16, rebranded) might pave the way for the country to eventually join the F-35 program — although the company removed that claim from its official F-21 webpage shortly after it went live, as you can read about here. For India, however, there is another potential sticking point, as Angad Singh explained to TWZ: 'Regardless of political winds in the United States, our case for the F-35 is complicated by the S-400 and the hordes of other Soviet/Russian equipment we operate.' It is worth recalling that it was the S-400 air defense system specifically that saw Turkey ejected from the F-35 program, even after the first aircraft had been built for the Turkish Air Force and with a significant industrial stake in the manufacturing effort. So, while India acquiring the F-35 is by no means impossible, it would require significant negotiations, with safeguards and assurances that New Delhi might not be willing to agree to — especially if it meant giving up the S-400 or other high-end Russian-origin systems. With that in mind, could that somehow provide the Su-57 with another chance to win an Indian Air Force order? Singh is skeptical. 'The Felon, let's be real, is probably the least-capable 'fifth-generation' fighter out there, and the least mature. Not a good combination. I don't see the utility in it as a counter to Chinese fifth-generation developments.' Putting aside the respective capabilities of the Su-57 and a growing fleet of stealthy Chinese adversaries, there is also the fact that the Indian Air Force hasn't necessarily had a good experience in the past with Russian imports — especially as regards after-sales support and maintainability. This is something that has only been exacerbated since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 'The last thing the Indian Air Force needs is another decades-long debugging exercise like the Su-30MKI Flanker,' Singh observes. Once again, while the Indian Air Force is actively looking for new foreign-made fighters, neither the Su-57 nor the F-35 are really what the service needs and it has admitted as much in the past in terms of the aircraft that it has identified for the MRFA competition. Su57 of #Russia and F35 of #USA Sharing same airspace first time ever- Its only happened in #India.#AeroIndiaPic: @ — Manish Prasad (@manishindiatv) February 10, 2025 On the other hand, the Su-57 would appear to offer one clear advantage for India that the F-35 cannot compete with: the offer of local licensed production for the fighter, as HAL has done with the Su-30MKI. For India, offsets are an enormously important part of major defense acquisitions and the promise of technology transfers could also be tempting, especially as it sets to work on its own fifth-generation fighter program, the AMCA. While the appearance of the Su-57 and the F-35 together at Bangalore is certainly intriguing from the perspective of observers, it does also reinforce the urgency of the Indian Air Force's need for new fighter equipment. With delays seemingly inbuilt for its various domestic combat aircraft programs, the need for interim fighter equipment is more obvious than ever. The Indian Air Force needs to decide on the outcome of the MRFA competition sooner rather than later. At this stage, however, the Su-57 and the F-35 both look to be outsiders. Contact the author: thomas@
