Shaun
Russia’s fifth-generation combat aircraft, the Su-57, developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi, will be showcased in India for the first time at Aero India 2025, scheduled to take place in Bengaluru from 10-14 February. ThePrint reported this on Tuesday, noting that while the demonstration of the American fifth-generation stealth jet, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II, appears to have been cancelled, a source in the Indian Air Force (IAF) stated that both the US and Russia have confirmed their participation in the event.
As per the report, demonstrations of the F-35 and Lockheed Martin’s advanced fourth-generation fighter, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, have been marked as “cancelled” in the official schedule listed on the US Air Combat Command (ACC) website. Russia’s Su-57 fighter will be showcased in India for the first time at the 15th edition of Aero India, ahead of a potential visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In 2007, India had agreed to collaborate with Russia on the development of a fifth-generation combat aircraft based on the Su-57 but later withdrew from the programme in 2018. Already operational with the Russian Air Force, the fighter was previously exhibited at Airshow China in Zhuhai last November.
The F-35 had made its first appearance in India during the previous edition of Aero India in 2023. While the Su-57 features a twin-engine design, the F-35 is a single-engine fighter jet.
