New Russian Su-57 Fifth Generation Fighters Delivered to Frontline Units

The Russian Aerospace Forces have received a new batch of Su-57 fifth generation fighter aircraft, following an intensification of work to accelerate the type’s rate of production. The aircraft were reported to have undergone “a full cycle of factory tests, were tested in various operating modes by pilots from the Russian Defence Ministry” before delivery.” Commenting on the delivery, United Aircraft Cooperation CEO Vadim Badekha observed: "The fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft is the best aircraft in its class. Unconditional fulfilment of the state defence procurement plan for the delivery of these and other operational-tactical aircraft is our top priority. Our specialists, in cooperation with other Rostec companies, are constantly enhancing production processes to ensure the necessary pace of aircraft manufacturing.”

The Su-57 has been more intensively combat tested than any other fighter type, with combat operations in the Ukrainian theatre having included air defence suppression, air-to-air combat, and operations in heavily defended enemy airspace, as well as a range of precision strike missions. With a design significantly more complex that those of other Russian fighter types, its flyaway cost is over double that of the Su-35S, although its significantly greater combat potential has lead analysts to widely regard it as more cost effective. A major factor in its favour is that its lifetime sustainment costs are reportedly comparable to those of fourth generation fighters like the Su-35, contrasting with the case in the United States were fifth generation fighters cost close to twice as much to sustain as their fourth generation predecessors. 

In July 2025 Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Lieutenant General Alexander Maksimtsev reported that preparations were underway for accelerated deliveries of Su-57 fighters. Russian industry had set a highly ambitious target of a 67 percent surge in the production in 2024, with 20 Su-57s having been expected to enter service that year compared to just 12 fighters in 2023 and only six fighters in 2022. The Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant in the Russian Far East saw new facilities opened in August 2025 for production of the Su-57, raising the possibility that the increased delivery rate referred to by General Maksimtsev may largely be facilitated by this expansion. 

In parallel to deliveries to the Russian Aerospace Forces, Su-57 fighters are currently being produced for export. The Algerian Air Force received its first two fighters in late 2025, and is expected to receive additional fighters in 2026. A second client, which is assessed to be most likely to be Kazakhstan, will receive the fighters by the end of 2025, while it has been confirmed that a third client in the Middle East region has also placed orders. The geopolitical situation in the region means that Iran is the only likely client. In late January it was confirmed that Russian-Indian talks regarding a license production deal for the Su-57 had reached advanced technical stages, with Indian orders expected to be far larger than those placed by other foreign clients, with questions having been raised regarding the extent to which production facilities can keep up with both domestic orders and rising foreign demand.