Russia Claims Su-57 Stealth Fighter Superior to Foreign Rivals: Is It Right?

Russian state run United Aircraft Corporation CEO Vadim Badekha has claimed that the SU-57 fifth generation fighter its superiority over Western weapons systems every day, at a time when the aircraft’s performance on export markets has steadily improved. "The Su-57 is the only fifth-generation aircraft in the world that is actually seeing combat and demonstrating its superiority over the best foreign weapons systems every single day. Our friends are well aware of this. We can say with confidence that the F-35 is not being considered on the Indian market today," he observed.

At least three foreign clients have ordered the Su-57, with deliveries having begun to Algeria in November 2025, while in February it was confirmed that contracts had already been signed in the Middle East region, likely to equip Iran. Rosoboronexport in early September announced that it has secured new export contracts, with Kazakhstan and North Korea speculated to potentially be the third clients. CEO of the state arms exporter Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheyev recently stated that the Su-57 had proven its superiority in actual combat operations against an adversary armed with with modern air defence systems, electronic warfare capabilities, and combat aircraft. He claimed that procuring the Su-57 would allow Russian strategic partners to secure a long-term air power advantages of strategic significance.

Claims that the Su-57 is superior to foreign fighter types remain in serious question, and while the aircraft has distinct superiority over European fighters, its competitiveness against the U.S. F-35 and Chinese J-20 and J-35 remains much more questionable. Nevertheless, without Block 4 software U.S. F-35s cannot integrate any air-to-ground missiles, unlike the Su-57 which integrates multiple types of missiles and has used them extensively against a variety of targets, meaning the Su-57 will in the near term retain significant advantages. The F-35 and Chinese fighters nevertheless benefit from superior stealth capabilities and avionics, including features such as distributed aperture systems not seen on the Su-57. 

While the F-35’s intelligence collection capabilities and its network centric warfare capabilities significantly surpass those of the Su-57, its strike capabilities are far more constrained. The Su-57’s range, which is over double that of the American fighter, is a further significant advantage, while its flight performance is considerably superior. The Su-57 is not considered a fully peer competitor to the Chinese J-20A, which is currently considered the world’s premier air superiority fighter, but which has not been marketed for export. The J-20A combines a longer range, superior stealth capabilities, and the integration of WS-15 engines which are considered a generation ahead of their Russian counterparts. The new Russian fighter nevertheless represents a significant improvement over preceding fighters produced in the country, and other than the F-35 has clear advantages over all other Western fighter types.