Putin Proposes Joint Production of Su-57 Fighter Jets by Russia and India

Reference News Network reported on June 12 According to the U.S. Defense News weekly website on June 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to India the joint production of the country's most advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Su-57 (as shown), and stated that Moscow is willing to engage in unrestricted cooperation.

This statement was made by Putin during an interaction with reporters at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum last Friday.

India and Russia launched a joint development project for the fifth-generation fighter in 2007, but more than a decade later, in 2018, New Delhi withdrew from the project due to concerns over costs, technology transfer rights, and the aircraft's stealth capabilities, after which Russia proceeded with independent development.

Putin stated in St. Petersburg that Russia is willing to transfer technology and achieve integration of the Su-57 with India's indigenous systems, potentially making the Su-57 a joint venture project between the two countries. "We are ready to provide this aircraft to India and continue research and development cooperation without any restrictions."

Russia's renewed proposal comes at a critical juncture in India's Air Force modernization plan: India currently has no fifth-generation fighter, with the most advanced model being the French Rafale (a non-stealth aircraft).

Although India is accelerating the development of its indigenous advanced fifth-generation multi-role fighter project, it is still a decade away from formal induction.

The Indian government has not yet publicly responded to the proposal for the Su-57. However, in April of this year, D.K. Sunil, the then-chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, told the Indian Asian News International that the Russian side had demonstrated the performance of the Su-57 to India. He stated, "We are waiting for the Russian side to provide an investment quote, after which we will explain the data required for producing this aircraft to the Indian Air Force."

Last year, the Russian Su-57 aircraft made an appearance at the Aero India exhibition in Bangalore.

Analysts point out that India faces high-risk decisions regarding the procurement of fifth-generation fighters.

Manoj Joshi, a senior researcher at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, stated, "India's indigenous stealth fighter is expected to be inducted by 2035, and even that timeline is not optimistic." There are also reports that Pakistan plans to acquire the Chinese J-35 stealth fighter. Therefore, some believe that India could procure 2 to 3 squadrons (approximately 36 to 60 aircraft) of the Su-57 during this transition period to quickly obtain a stealth combat platform and strong payload capacity.

Joshi also pointed out that there are concerns that procuring the Su-57 could impact India's highly prioritized indigenous fifth-generation fighter project. He said, "Opponents argue that procuring the Su-57 will divert research and development resources, and once equipped with the Su-57, India may lose the motivation to advance its indigenous project."

The U.S. also marketed its fifth-generation F-35 fighter to India last year. However, analysts say that India has not considered this option due to the stringent control clauses imposed by the U.S. on advanced military exports.

The modernization process of the Indian Air Force faces multiple challenges: for nearly 60 years, Russian-made aircraft have been the mainstay of the Indian Air Force, but many models are now approaching retirement. (Translated by Xu Yanhong)