Putin’s big Su-57 offer as India searches for its 5th-gen fighter jet

As India continues to search for a fifth-generation aircraft for its Air Force, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a major offer regarding the Sukhoi Su-57 jet. Speaking to global news agencies on Thursday, Putin said Russia was willing to jointly develop and produce the Su-57, which comes with enhanced stealth capabilities, with India, while also sharing critical technologies.

The timing of the offer is crucial. Presently, the IAF does not have any 5th-generation fighters in its arsenal. Moreover, speculation of Pakistan soon acquiring China’s Shenyang J-35AE stealth fighters has raised concerns. India’s own project to develop an indigenous 5th-generation jet (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) is currently under development and is expected to enter service only in the mid-2030s.

In such a scenario, the IAF has been searching for a 5th-generation stealth fighter to bridge the gap.

“We are ready to supply India with this aircraft, to keep developing it. We don’t have any issues or limitations. The same goes for air defence systems,” Putin said, signalling Russia’s willingness to deepen defence ties with India.

In essence, the Russian President indicated that there were no limits to cooperation between the nations in the defence sector.

Putin, however, pointed out that Russia had previously offered India the opportunity to jointly develop the Su-57 fighter jet. It was around 2018 and was then known as the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project. India had backed out then.

“At one point, we proposed to our Indian friends to work together on this technology. But back then, our Indian friends said, ‘Go ahead on your own, and then we will see — maybe we’ll join’,” Putin said.

“The aircraft could have been our joint project. We built it independently, but we are ready to work with India in this field,” the Russian President further said.

– Ends